The gentleness of human touch, the tastes, textures, aromas, views and songs of life, savour these things, take them in slowly.
You’ll miss the most beautiful and best parts of life if you’re madly racing to get to the finish line. No matter how fast or slow you go, you’ll arrive at the end exactly when you’re supposed to.
In the mean time, take time to wander through the forest or in fields of daisies. Stop and inhale the lavender, savour; the coffee, the cake, the company, the slow dance, the view of hummingbirds at your window or whatever else greets you on your path.
Life is good, really good, when it’s seen, felt and inhaled slowly, so, slow your pace, slow your breath and tread gently on this day and every day that follows.
It’s not uncommon to feel lost, adrift or alone when facing something new and unknown.
You might feel fearful about tackling this new “thing” or new chapter in your life because it’s not familiar.
But you’re okay, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be, on a path, your path, towards something new, something different, something you’ve never experienced before. It might even turn out better than you expect.
The first day of school, starting a new job, the moment you found out you were going to be a parent, the day an important relationship ended, the day your doctor gave you news that was less than pleasant or the loss of a loved one; any of these events would feel scary, shocking, uncomfortable or unfamiliar. Good news is; you’ve already survived a few of these things. You used your inner compass, figured them out and found your way.
So this new thing, new relationship, new way of life, new whatever “it” is that’s facing you, embrace it, even if it feels scary, unfamiliar or temporarily painful, step into it knowing you’re not lost, you’ve just never been “this way” before.
Once upon-a-time there was a girl. She believed in herself. She believed in everyone around her. She believed in kindness, compassion, gratitude, magic and love. Her light was beautiful and bright.
One day she went into the world and came upon an angry, soulless beast. He looked at her and ripped her beliefs from her soul and handed her a sack filled with FEAR; ~ Fear of judgment ~ Fear of alienation and rejection ~ Fear of heartache ~ Fear of her authentic self, her own creativity, ~ Fear of her potential and her light
He demanded that she never put the sack down. She saw others carrying similar sacks so she complied, she thought it was what she was supposed to do.
So she carried that sack for years. It was heavy and weighed her down.
Deep inside she ached for who she knew she was supposed to be.
The memories of who she authentically was kept her soul always hopeful. But, too afraid to BE herself, she continued to carry the sack.
Years went by and she met the beast again. He was weak and haggard and she asked him, “Why did you ask me to carry these things?”
“Because,” he said, “I was afraid of what your beautiful soul might accomplish, I was jealous of the light that radiated from you. I wanted your light for myself. I wanted to shine and wanted you to always be heavy with fear. I wanted to control your light.”
“But you’re not shining, you’re not radiating my light?” she replied. “Yes I know,” said the beast. “You’re light belongs to you, it will only shine for you.” “Who are you?” she boldly asked?” “I am no thing. I am no person. I am no place. I am the manifestation of collective human fear, greed, anger, jealousy and hatred.”
In that moment she realized he had no power over her. It was she that had given her power away to him. She dropped the sack. She stared into his cold eyes. Oddly she was not angry, she was not spiteful, she was grateful. She did not slay the beast, she didn’t have to, she kissed him on the forehead, stroked his cheek and left him there to die in a pool of his own darkness. And she lived happily ever after.
Stop feeding a beast that doesn’t exist. The fear, the anger, whatever it is, it’s weighing you down. Let it go,
Some people come into our lives not because they need us, but because we need them.
They may shelter or guide us through the storms in our lives, be the mirror reflecting the unhealthy attitudes and behaviours we need to let go of, they may shine their light on answers we’ve been seeking, they may bring us pain causing us to make important shifts or changes in how we live, or, they may bring us comfort when we need it most.
Let’s greet each other with gentle curiosity, kindness and gratitude, knowing we’ve shown up in each other’s lives for a reason, even if the reasons are painful.
That emptiness you sometimes feel? You’re not alone, we all feel it from time-to-time. It may feel like sadness, a sense of wanting, disappointment or loneliness. Perhaps this feeling is really our souls creating space for; ~ new things, ~ new ideas, ~ new adventures, ~ or new people, to arrive. Don’t try to fill the emptiness with busyness or noisy distractions. Be mindful of it. Observe it, sit with it, walk-ride-hike-paddle-sail-jog or dance with it. As you do, visualize your heart opening up to receive the things that are meant for you. There’s a season for all things and all people, to come in and out of our lives. As painful as I know this might feel, let them come and, let them go.
Not all of life’s storms are destructive. Some come to shake us up, so we can put things back together, not the way they were, but, the way they’re meant to be.
Good things grow from the messiest parts of our lives. Every challenge, loss and disappointment brings new opportunities.
There really is calm, light and maybe a few rainbows, after every storm. Yup, after~every~single~ one.
Many things happen when we sit quietly and do nothing. The earth spins, the sun shines, spring turns to summer, summer transitions to autumn, leaves change colour, the snow comes, it goes, clouds burst open to feed the earth, trees and plants pump out oxygen so we can breathe, and, we do absolutely nothing to make any of this happen. Nothing.
Your heart beats, your blood flows and your lungs provide the oxygen you need to live this life, without you even thinking about it, without you having to force it and without you having to “want it.” We accept these things, we trust the process, we even marvel at it.
The energy managing this system of continual transformation is happening within all of us, all of the time. It doesn’t matter if you call this universal force science or religion, the fact is, it’s there.
It’s when we resist this force, and try to “force” our will and power over things and people, that life, humanity and the planet fall into chaos. Yep, I’m gonna say it …~ “The force is in you.” Let it do its thing.
Maybe we all have to stop trying so hard to force our will, our power, our greed, and our beliefs, over others and be mindful of a greater more peaceful force already at work ☮️. Like they said in the 60s “go with the flow.”
Life goes by oh so quickly. It seems the faster we go, the faster it all goes by and, the more we miss along the way.
Like looking out the window of a speeding train, when we move too fast or we’re too busy, we barely see a thing, just bits and pieces and most of life becomes a blur.
When we slow down, we begin to observe and listen more deeply, and, we see our lives, each other and the world more clearly.
I don’t know why we were led to believe that being busy and doing things quickly, is better. For some things, of course, but in general, life is calmer when we live, work, play and love slowly.
You may actually get to where you’re going quicker and achieve your goals faster by slowing down. Walking gently through life improves our ability to be mindful and focus; which can result in better decision-making, fewer accidents, less stress and, better emotional self-control.
Allow yourself to go slowly, to savour the sights, the sounds, the feelings and the moments that make up your life. Take time to inhale life deeply and enjoy the view.
If you don’t know how to slow down, you can start by;
Slowly letting go of things and people that misuse your time. If it’s not necessary or doesn’t bring you joy, let it go.
Spend time in nature. Nature has a calming and healing effect that causes us to slow down, to breathe deeply and release anxiety and stress.
Practicing mindfulness and meditation, teaches us how to slow down and observe life as it is.
Slow down your morning routine. Sip your coffee or tea slowly, stand out on your patio or balcony and slowly inhale and exhale as you begin your day.
Cultivate an attitude of gratitude; Gratitude helps us focus on what we have instead of what we think is lacking, which then reduces our need to work harder and faster to acquire more.
As you pass through your one, short, beautiful, life, you’ll see more, feel more, experience more and be happier when you move slowly and gently along your path.
None of us are getting any more time, so enjoy the time you’ve got, whats the rush?
The day may come when the people, things and habits you’re used to, no longer fit or feel like you. You may feel stuck, trapped or craving more.
Every once in a while, this is exactly how we’re supposed to feel. It’s this feeling that moves us to let go of what no longer belongs and make a change.
Human beings are weird little creatures. We stay in uncomfortable relationships, uncomfortable situations, uncomfortable jobs, uncomfortable communities, uncomfortable shoes and uncomfortable behaviours and habits because they’re familiar, or sometimes they’re “ALL”, we know.
Questions you can ask yourself to help you move forward. ~ Am I happy? ~ If I had one year to live, what would I do with that year? ~ If I had to let three things go in my life, what would they be? ~ Whats the greatest barrier blocking me from moving forward? And, what’s the one thing I can do to move beyond it?
Don’t waste your one beautiful life and your curious mind, feeling caged in. The place that feels familiar, may not be the place you belong.
The Whimsey Angel 