Monday Mindfulness

Cultivating Strength, Joy, Calm & Resilience

Tag Archives: life


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Eclipsed

At my core, there is a fiery hot center, a burning ember that stokes my will, drives to protect me, and provides great strength.

When guided by my intuition that fire burns bright as the sun in the distance, like a gentle warrior claiming victory through kindness and compassion.

When led by ego, it becomes blinding and oppressive, randomly erupting in all directions.

That is when I call upon the moon.

The moon with its still darkness brings calm, restores balance. Gathering and redirecting the excessive sun energy, the moon cools the fire to a soft, gentle glow once more.

The mist of ego retreats and the inner wisdom once more shines humbly.

The moon provides just the right light for me to see my way.

Inside, bright and shining. Outside soft and calm.

Harnessing the strength of the sun and the peace of the moon, I am whole once more.


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Hold Out Your Hand

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As you navigate the path of life, never forget how special you are, how worthy you are of love.  Of self-love.

Hold your own hand, cradle your own heart in your healing palms.  Feel the full bond of acknowledgement, acceptance, and allowing.

When you love yourself, all the other relationships in your life will thrive. No need for anything more.  For by loving yourself, you are loving all.

You are perfectly imperfect, divine and beautiful, whole in every aspect of you…just the way you are.

Love all of that, all of you, and the path will be clear.

 

[due to a publication glitch, the earlier version of this post was inadvertently deleted…apologies for any duplicity]


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Less labeling, more living

I no longer have weekdays and weekends. I simply have days.

I no longer have good days or bad days. I simply have days.

Some days feel heavier and on those days I go slow.

Some days feel lighter and on those days I shine a bit brighter.

Whether heavy or light, I live fully and freely in each day.

It feels better to live without labels.


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Making Life the Reminder

The newly hatched baby bird peeks out of its nest certain of its purpose, tuned to that silent bigness beyond.

And, in its final moments, while completely different in form and experiences, it takes its last few breaths of what it knows as this life, peeks out over the edge, certain of it purpose, tuned to the silent bigness beyond.

And, if it has been fortunate enough to trust its inner knowing in between those moments, it knew of its own greatness, tuned to the silent bigness beyond, and lived with happiness and freedom.


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Swimming with the Rip Tide

Instinctively, as I get caught in the tugging, dragging, pulling pressure of the rip tide, I tense, tighten, and fight for control. I can’t see it but I struggle violently against this force that seems bigger than me. Then, just when all seems hopeless, I let go. I allow the tide to carry me.

Suddenly now I am floating on its surface instead of kicking against its hold on me. Instead of feeling I have lost control, I trust the waters to carry me.

Just then the fighting stops. When I release the resistance, I gain my freedom.

The current carries me farther and farther out but I relax more and more into the rocking motion of the water and the excitement of going somewhere new.

And then the current changes. I gradually float closer to the shore. I arrive not in the same place but still me, having lost nothing by giving up that control.

I stand at the water’s edge now wondering what other hidden currents are calling me to let go of resistance in order to arrive at some place new.


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To be the Mountain

What is it to be the mountain?

To stand strong, deeply rooted in the earth, proudly displaying your majesty and power.

Or, to bow humbly, providing the contrast to the sky and the scaffolding on which the sky balances, sprawls, and expands.

It is our role as teachers and leaders of today’s children to do both. To stand strong, firmly rooted in our values and beliefs, and at the same time submit to the greater knowing that resides in our children as we invite them to sprawl and expand into their own greatness, feeling only our love and trust as we remain firmly planted under them, fully supporting them exactly as they are.


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Step by Step

There are those who walk within the crosswalk and those who create their own lines. Endless ways to reach your destination. Different challenges in each one. But, when you walk confidently, fully present and in tune with your vibration, there is an unquestionable spring in your step, a natural joy in knowing that you are moving forwards in your own way.

Stepping off the curb is often the toughest part.


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Awakening

Awakening

What if your daily experiences were really no different than your dreams – simply stories pieced together to provide information.  Stories intended to awaken in you parts that are dormant, numb, forgotten or that would otherwise go unnoticed.  Each of these stories placed before you to illuminate a potential to think, feel, and engage differently beyond what is familiar and routine.

When I move my body in a new way, I awaken unfamiliar yet exciting new connections with muscles and bones. When I move my thoughts with curiosity, not always believing I have the answer, I am no longer reticent but have rubbed the sleep from my eyes.  When my emotions flow freely, even to the point of creating discomfort, I welcome the new dawn of compassion, courage, trust, and forgiveness.

I awaken an inner knowing, like the sun illuminating the sky.  I am suddenly aware of something far greater than these dreams.  I rise from the darkness knowing my capacity to explore, play, experiment, feel and know, all the while aware that the stories do not make me.


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Twisted

Follow the path of a straight line or spiral as you grow…either way the sky is the limit.


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Stepping Stones

There is a tendency for us to focus on the negative in the situations that are unfolding around us – to see the hate, the violence, the suffering, the injustices. We may see where we are and what is happening around us as a time of struggle, hopelessness, despair, darkness. We worry about what life will be like tomorrow. We may even fear hardship for our children as if the world around us is falling apart.

But our children are not afraid. They have confidence, perhaps just like we did when we were younger, that they are simply learning and evolving. They have a deep knowing that where we are today is an opportunity for them to succeed tomorrow. Those who are following their internal GPS are filled with hope.

So maybe instead of fretting about the politics, being angry about the hate and violence, and focusing on what is wrong or lacking, we are meant to relax into this darkness so that we can discover the light and have confidence in our children to know the way. Maybe what we see happening around us and to us today are actually the stepping stones our children need to lead us all to happiness, peace, and universal love tomorrow.