Why is it I can take charge of my work, and even my family and relationships with compassion, consideration, and empathy.
But when it comes to running my own life, I become a ruthless dictator full of judgment and criticism.
When managing myself, the critical mind steps in. Instead of leading from the heart, I rule with absolute power. I am my own worst bully.
Perhaps one day soon I can believe in myself, lead from a place of love, and thrive as a confident and successful CEO of my own life.
So often during times of personal growth and expansion into self, we can find ourselves struggling in surroundings that seemed so comfortable and familiar before our transition into this new space. Family and friends become reticent, relationships unsettled. We are blossoming into harmony within as the world without seems to crumble.
We need not own that struggle. We need not judge those who seem to be hanging behind, unwilling to change, as we move into these new frontiers or feel slighted as they perceive us as weird or difficult to understand. There is room for us to all be who we will be. The important part is to stay true to who you are…no matter what.
Remember, you are what you are…and what a lovely you, you are…just the way you are!
I hold a piece of clay, cool, heavy, undefined.
As I push and pull upon it, a shape begins to form. The temperature, texture, and identity of that clay grow with me.
As my best efforts produce an uneven, imbalanced figure, one to which I have nonetheless become attached, I realize more work needs to be done.
To bring the work into balance requires undoing what I have created, detaching from what is currently there before me.
The chemical reaction in my brain, the visceral response in my body, and the tugging of my thoughts and emotions make reworking the clay painful.
To restore balance, I must pull the familiar apart. I must disintegrate the work. It is not without labor and discomfort that I destroy the familiar and let go of what I knew as my best work.
I tremble with fear and doubt – I cannot imagine a greater work than before.
And there it is. After the pain of disintegration comes release from what was…freedom from past bests.
Pleasure and pride arise as the new shape takes form, coming closer into balance.
With faith and perseverance, disintegration leads to evolution.
I search for quiet in the hustle and bustle of my day.
When caught in the current of thinking and doing I am barraged by more thoughts and feelings. With expectations and deadlines pressing in upon me, I feel as if I need to run…run to a quiet place to regain peace.
Truly, I need go nowhere. It is not that I need to find peace. I need to have it with me always.
When I embody peace, I do not need to go into a quiet space.
Where I am the quiet space, there is peace…and joy.
Lighten her load. Peel off the petals that have begun to be slightly worn and what remains is the strong center.
Flowers just like people are meant to bring joy, to give and receive, and be, love.
It is right that I welcome every person in my life like that slightly wilted flower, peeling off the outer dry edges, realizing their true lasting beauty.
When you feel you need to run, to get away, you really need to dive in, go deep, and just sit with the feelings. Let the feeling sit with you and in you. The feelings will change … nothing stays the same … all is impermanent.
In this skin, there is challenge.
In this skin, there is weakness.
In this skin, there is pain.
In this skin, I know the frailty of my humanity.
This skin, at times limiting and restricting, full of imperfections, is also the container that holds me, that cradles my every thought and feeling, the heart of my being.
In this skin, I know nourishment.
In this skin, I sense and feel fully.
In this skin, I explore edges and learn boundaries.
I know full contentment when I allow it, in this skin.
Seconds turn into minutes.
Minutes turn into hours.
Hours turn into days.
Another year rolls by.
This seems to be the ideal moment to choose joy and calm.
Can you turn your face to the wind and welcome it?
Does the air upon your face invite inquiry?
Opening all of your senses to each moment can be so freeing, exhilarating, curious, pleasantly undefinable.
Relaxing into the current of wind pulsing against my face, I need no answers, I need no direction.
Turning into the wind reminds me what it is to be alive in this body at this time.
Close your eyes, relax your cheeks, open wide and invite the winds of life to press into and delight you.
I purr when I am happy. I also purr when I am fearful to invite the calm I seek.
I am quick to recognize the energy around me, to smooth it out and rest in it, or walk away in order to disperse it and remain connected to my natural state of being.
I don’t question my intuition and do greatly enjoy sharing my space with you when you are relaxed into your authentic self.
I settle in when it feels good and move away from what does not serve me.
I am there with you, where you are present for me. That is how it always should be.
Monday Mindfulness 