Honoring stillness has always been a difficult choice for me. When I experience it I absolutely love it. Stillness is calming, and grounding, and balancing and ultimately leaves me energized and clear headed. So why is it so hard to choose? Why is it hard to carve out time to be still?
I‘m attracted to comfort. There’s a magnetic pull towards comfort that’s so pervasive I’m hardly aware of its influence. What I’m discovering, however, is that my peak life experiences are never found squarely in comfort. They aren’t found in discomfort either. Rather, my peak experiences are found somewhere balanced on the edge. Peak experiences are those times that excite me and scare the heck out of me. It’s something I want to experience, but I’m anxious or scared – not sure I’m up to the challenge or discomfort. It’s usually something I’m excited about and boldly say, “Heck yes! I’m all in.” And then days or weeks later wonder, “What was I thinking? Why did I agree to this? Am I really going to do this?”
The reality of life is that there are so many things to do, choices to make, problems to solve. Add to that the endless shiny objects that entertain and pull at my attention. It’s easy to forget about the refuge, the calm and the simple delights of the present moment. It comes down to how much control I decide to exert over where I put my attention.
My daughter calls and immediately lets me know she’s feeling overwhelmed. I hear her out, acknowledging she’s got a lot on her plate. I ask, “Can you handle this moment?”“Yes. Of course,” she says, and immediately I hear the difference in her voice. As she keeps focusing on this moment, and then the next, her emotions settle, her mind stops churning and she feels better, realizing how capable she is – right here, right now. She can do this moment.
Every full moon is a period of unique opportunity. The spiritual realms are very close to us at these times and we can contact the energy of Light and Love that is channeled into the world. This energy benefits all of humankind. The first three full moons of the new zodiacal year, however, are said to be the most powerful of all the full moons. They constitute the spiritual high points of the entire year. The full moons in April, May and June are called the Three Festivals of Spring and they lay the foundation for the remaining 9 full moons. They form a powerful, energetic triangle of force that carries a tremendous potency.
Why not choose a thought in this moment that moves me in the direction of more love? Why not choose to let go of tension I’m holding in my body in this moment? Instead of looking in the mirror and seeing flaws, why not choose right now to see the miracle of creation, the beauty and interesting complexity of a human face, kindness and love in the eyes?
When you are embodied, you bring light to planet earth by being a hundred percent you and by sharing your unique offering. You wouldn't feel doubt or lack of clarity, or at least, you wouldn't focus on them and let them drain you even more. You'd know why you are here and get on with your mission. When we are not here, not embodied, not grounded, we allow all those dark things that are happening around the globe to take over.
Despite all my good choices, all the accomplishments and effort, some things happen that are completely out of my control. I hate that. I prefer the idea that if I just do all the right things, life will work out. I mostly live within the illusion of being in control. That works well – until it doesn’t.
Sweet Surrender The ocean is quiet now, It's only movement - a gentle ebb and flow. For years these seas raged, twisting and turning thrashing up the pain of it's depths, anger, rage, unforgiveness, turned into giant waves, that crashed into the shore, shrieking it's frustration to the silent land. All these years the sun and the moon shone down on these dark turbulent writhing waters with a promise of warmth and gentleness, but the stubborn seas rejected it insisting on it's aloneness in it's pain.
