Journey of the Heart Please join me in this journey as I embrace the path that is unfolding in front of me.
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As a new year approaches, I find it worthwhile to acknowledge all the items of personal and professional growth that have occurred during the past year.
I know that I am not in the same mindset as I was at the beginning of January. I recognize that I am in a different headspace and have moved forward into a newer version of me.
When this and other newer versions of me happen, I sometimes find that those who have known me a long time, may still think of me as my older versions that may go back years and years and years. I don’t bother to correct them but instead ponder to myself about why people sometimes have a hard time with change and self-growth.
I salute those around me who have also done the work to grow to a new personal and/or professional level. It takes patience, perseverance, a sense of humor, and moving out of your comfort zone(s).
As I grow older and wiser, the more I know that ultimately the only one whose growth I have control over is me. At times, support from others is helpful. But….It is up to me to take the action necessary to move forward.
A smart thing for me, and anyone really, to do, is to notice when you have outgrown certain people and situations. To be able to notice, pay attention to the balance of giving and receiving that occurs over time in your relationships/situations. A balance of equal giving and receiving is essential for a healthy relationship. It is important to learn to say no/set boundaries if you start to recognize that there is an imbalance of you giving but not receiving going on. When this imbalance happens on the regular, it’s time to move on. Never be unkind, but leave what’s been outgrown and begin to move forward into a space and place that suits the newer version of you.
You cannot make others like or love you if they don’t. Why would you even want to? You can always choose to be respectful to others even when they choose not to be the same. But to hang around them? No.
You can love yourself and love those who love you back. You can be strong and steady as you move through life. You can make use of every opportunity to be a beacon of light and love. You can be happy with your life even in the hardest moments.
I choose to embrace those in my sphere who I love and who love and embrace me back, as we continue in our work to better ourselves and embrace our ever newer versions of self.
These days I choose to live in the here and now. Sometimes I slip back into a memory, but just for a brief moment. I will also try not to go too far into the future. I do some planning for it but I do not stress the details.
I’ve learned that the world changes very quickly and the best thing for me to do is to keep learning anew. Sometimes everything old is new again, just repackaged with new language and marketing. Lots is really very new. Being willing to learn the new helps me to embrace rather than fear what’s ahead. Also, re-learning and studying history has helped me to understand the world I live in today and embrace what comes next.
As I have expressed before, we always have a choice in how we approach life. We make a decision as to how we will live our life. Attitude really makes a difference in how we move forward during the day.
I choose joy as much as possible. Even in the most difficult moments, if I can choose to take a deep breath, take in my surroundings and find my center with grace and gratitude, the moment(s) will pass through me in a much smoother fashion. Finding joy in the small details surrounding me each day reminds me that to be alive is its own miracle.
As the days go by, I learn to embrace them and look forward to what’s ahead. It the choice that I’ve made to live life on my terms no matter who or what is swirling around me. I hope you will join me in embracing what’s ahead with joy.
Beauty sometimes comes to you in a form you might not first recognize. It may not be a material object or even a part of nature. It may show itself to you first as a “this can’t really be true” kind of concept. It might be an experience so out of the ordinary that it doesn’t seem to make sense.
And, after a while, that is where the true beauty lies. It’s a gift given by the universe(or if you so choose, the creator, your higher self, or God). You get to learn that beauty isn’t all pretty and nice, it’s real and true and unwavering and sometimes deep down digging into your soul. It mirrors you and all your “stuff” you thought you had hidden. It comes out of you, up to the surface to be healed. You can’t hide from it.
Somehow the beauty in it all of this, is that the ugly parts of yourself that you never expressed outright before like jealousy and anger and feeling left out and being unloved, not being smart or good enough are expelled. They leave your body, but the beautiful part of it is that you get to do it before such a beautiful beauty that the hurt doesn’t linger. It’s just accepted for what it was, not judged, and is allowed to be truly healed.
And then, you get to express parts of yourself that were repressed and not valued, at times, by others. In the presence of beauty, you are seen just as you, not how others would have wanted you to be. Beauty sees you, just you, your essence. And beauty accepts you, allows you to be yourself again and laugh and cry and love and go back to the wonder that is life.
Thank you beauty for coming into my life, for being my mirror, for allowing me to grow and to release what needed to heal without judgement, to allow me to feel loved, and to start anew. I am so grateful for you.
Beauty is sometimes a gift that comes to you when you are not looking for it, changes you, and stays in your heart for always.
We are not perfect human beings. We are beings who are human, fall from grace and rise up again.
Luckily, we have the ability to start fresh each day, each moment actually. A shift in our perception, learning from our mistakes and our successes! and starting all over again is always available. It is up to us to take advantage of it. We are co-creators with the Divine or however you choose to call that higher power within.
Love is always here. Love is here for all human beings. Love is here for and in nature, living creatures, and all that is alive in the world. Love embraces acceptance of our humanness as we strive to get better at being human everyday.
Recognize love. It can be masked when we are clouded in negative and angry emotions. But, it is always available to us. When we are still and ready, love comes in to embrace us. When we fall, it picks us up. When we are sad, love reminds us that there is beauty even in that, and because we feel, we care and know love. We feel love and caring in the soft, honest and embracing words of another.
Even if we are not sure that love is there for us, be assured that all we need is to ask for it to be shown to us. We are embraced in love by those unseen forces that always help to carry us through to the grace and love that is waiting for us. Embrace your humanness and the gift that is love.
Trying too hard does not get you there. Allow. Surrender. Believe. Focus.
Keep this up. When you want to give up, that is most likely the moment when you are super close to a change.
Distract yourself and… Allow. Surrender. Believe. Focus.
When something moves…celebrate that energy. Use it to fuel you. Let it be. Yes!!!!
Truth is sometimes hard to bear
Beaten down but never all the way
Enough room to rise again
Seems like nothingness but………
in the corner a light is shining, bright and true and it will see you thru…….
Peace. What first comes to mind when you encounter the word? Perhaps you thought of peace in terms of ….
A world without war, no violence among other humans, no noise, etc.
But….what about the peace within? Is it possible to be at peace with turmoil swirling around you? Yes, it is possible.
First you must define what peace means to you. Think about a time when you were completely at peace or how you would want to feel if you were completely at peace. Embrace that feeling or thought or idea. How does it feel, or what do you see/visualize, or think of as peace comes into your being?
When you can conjure up peace within, that is the start to embracing peace in your heart. The more times peace finds its way into your heart, the more you know that you can have the serenity, calm, and balance of peace any time you need it. Practice being at peace within by stopping to think of peace whenever you can. As you think of peace, use your ability of recall to bring peace front and center into your body. Focus on holding peace in your heart. The more you do this, the better you are able to recognize the peace within yourself.
As humans, we have more power then we sometimes realize. Using our personal power to bring peace within our own hearts is one of those powers.
As the saying goes…”Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me”. Yes we can do this, if we just start the process…
Here’s to embracing your peace within….
Over the last week and a half I’ve had the opportunity to witness so much.
The area that I live in, South Florida, was impacted by Hurricane Irma.
Irma not only caused a lot of turmoil and damage but also gave rise to individual stories in the journey of life.
What your story is, and the way you perceive the events that occur, says much about your life journey at this point.
In this part of my journey my story has allowed me to see my inner strength and personal call to action. I realized that at this time in my life, the primary person that I rely on is me. So as the storm approached I just took action and little by little I was able to do what I had to do.
Being pro-active helped me to get gas in my car early on, before the long lines and shortages. I put up my shutters early too (with a bit of help from kind neighbors) and was ready ahead of time. I went to the grocery store days before the crowds came and was able to get what I needed without undo stress. I was better able to focus on what else I might need to do and who might need my help with my storm preparations done early.
The effect of early action to my personal story was that it served to alleviate stress and to give me peace of mind. (That is, as much as possible in light of a huge storm on the way.)
This was not always a part of my story. I used to have loved ones with me to help share the load. Now I’ve had to learn to rely on myself. (Luckily I do have wonderful friends and neighbors and we do help and look out for each other in times of need.) One great aspect of self-reliance is knowing I just have to get out there and do what needs to be done. No over-thinking allowed. When I do what needs to be done, a great sense of accomplishment settles into my core. What a great feeling!
During this time of change, so many have stepped up to the plate. People in all their different roles and professions have shown what a community can do when they band together. So many have embraced a can-do attitude and have helped each other. When one needed a lift, another was there to help. I am very proud of the South Florida community.
The journey continues. The stories of our lives keep on going. In my recent observations I have seen the human spirit shine. In the swirl of turmoil a deep sense of being connected to each other as human beings has come through.
One day in the middle of my life,
I realized that it’s all about
attitude, surroundings, and perception.
We must go on. We are not here to suffer. We are here to learn.
If we suffer in the process we will still learn but suffering is not a pre-requisite.
 Once we learn this life is just one big school. We can choose to be guided to go to whatever path life takes us to.
If we stay in one place we may still learn but the possibilities are not as vast. Getting out of your routine every so often is key to shake things up and to begin a new “course” in life.
I’m almost there. I want to see what I can see, feel what I can feel, touch what I can touch, taste what I can taste.
Getting ready to go on the road to a new path…….
I went out walking early this morning with friends. The morning sky was cloudy and the air had a cooler feel to it.
As we walked we happened to talk about the changing seasons. How we are now starting to notice it being darker in the early mornings and realizing that the sun is setting earlier in the evening too.
This conversation had me thinking of the beauty and fierceness of nature. The fierceness showing itself in a storm like the one that recently hit the Houston,Texas area. The fierceness that left so much destruction in its wake.
Even in the aftermath of the storm’s fury, there is still beauty to be found. Beauty in the kindness of neighbors and strangers. Beauty in the willingness of some to lend their strength just at the time another needs that strength to lean on. Beauty in the knowledge that there is hope and willingness to re-build what was destroyed. (Perhaps with an even wiser vision for the future than before.) Beauty in the help others want to provide and the way the help finds its way to the place that its needed.
Maybe there is a greater lesson in this tragedy. Maybe it serves as a reminder of our human vulnerability. When the very worst happens all we can do is breathe and take it step by step. In those steps, if we are able to shift our perception to notice it, beauty comes out in small, powerful ways.
May the beauty of life always find you even in your darkest moments.
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