Notice

What if I spoke to myself kindly all day? What would that look, feel like?  Realizing I have a choice is revolutionary.  I can look at myself in the mirror and no matter what I see, choose to say that I am beautiful.  I can go all day and tell myself I am smart and enough, glorious, special and loved.  I have a choice.  I’d much rather hear those things then the mean, downgrading words I usually say, things I would never tolerate from someone else, but that I allow myself to relish in.  I have a choice.  I can change the thoughts that are in my head because they are just thoughts.  I choose to be kind to myself, to love and forgive myself, celebrate what I have achieved and all the wonders to come.  What would your day feel like if you chose to be kind to yourself? Just inhale and notice.

Cultivating ourselves

Nature. We love it.   We write poems about it, create metaphors and liken it to our lives, but it's all with a sense of other.  Never truly grasping that it’s not a coincidence that we have so much in common with nature.  We are nature. 

I have heard these ideas before, but it wasn’t until yesterday when I was trimming a large flower bush, that this notion really settled in me.  I was amazed at the teaching I was receiving from the plant.  It was reminding me of the need for trimming and removing of the dead parts of the organism so it may flourish.  It reminded me that there has to be a continuous process of shedding of the old.  It never stops. 

We are nature but we forgot that we were, and so we let go of important parts of cultivating ourselves.  As a result we walk around with dead branches and leaves that are taking away vital energy needed in order to nourish and grow.  Interestingly enough, Yom Kippur, the Jewish holiday that is celebrated during fall, is about just that.  It’s about letting go of the old.  Releasing it.  Making amends with oneself and god and beginning a new.  Removing old beliefs and habits that no longer serve us is an important part of growing stronger and moving forward in life.  Since I was a teenager I have had bad posture.  It bothered me, but I felt unable to change.  During the process of my coaching classes I realized what was at the heart of the problem.  I was still holding on to old beliefs from my youth about my self worth.  Like many teenagers I had very low self-esteem.  It felt wrong and arrogant to walk with my chin high and chest open.  I thought, who am I to walk like that, as if by doing so I was showing off and not being humble.

Wow. I’m almost forty and I am proud of myself and all that I have achieved in life.  This belief was no longer part of my experience, yet I was still holding on to it.  Bad posture created tension in my body, which led to emotional tension as well.  Who needs it?  Thanks to my incredible supportive yoga teacher and my new awareness, I have been able to change my posture.  It is a powerful change for me.  I walk on this earth with a sense of pride, gratitude and joy.  What can you let go of that is no longer serving you?

Small changes

As I was sitting on the comfortable dentist chair while my dentist was trying to meticulously fit a crown, I heard her exclaim with pure joy, “Its amazing how such a small change makes such a big difference!”  I was going to joke and say how profound her statement was, but since my mouth was numb and full of cotton balls, I kept it to myself.  Later that day I kept thinking about that sweet little statement and about all the small adjustments that I have made in my life that have made a huge impact on my happiness.  I was also thinking about the resistance I have had to these changes.  It has been a challenge to introduce meditation into my routine even though I know what joy and peace it brings to me.  I started seeing it as a necessity just like eating and sleeping.  This thought has highlighted the urgency for the change in me, and is what has created the shift.  Another small change I introduced into my life, was the carving of time for my artwork.  I have dedicated Wednesday mornings to making art.  This change has brought forth an abundance of creative energy that inspires me and brings me great joy.  It is still hard, though, to honor that time and not be distracted by other tasks. There are so many small tweaks we can make that can bring a substantial shift in the quality of our life.  What small change can you bring into your life?

Shifting my focus

As an empath I take on others pain and the burden of the world’s problems.  It’s a blessing as a coach but not always easy to manage as an individual.  I usually try to shield myself from the daily horrors.  I have found that being aware of the events is enough for me.  Delving into the details can bring great sorrow, anger and frustration.  I had a rough morning last week.  I was taking on world problems again.  While I was struggling, I was being sent a familiar message in many different forms.  There are many things that are out of my control, but I can affect the world by the choices I make with the people who surround me.  I get to practice kindness, love and healing everyday.  Those energies then vibrate throughout, and are what will eventually bring a shift in consciousness. I am grateful for this centering message.  I am shifting my focus from what I don’t want, to what I want and have the ability to change.  What are you carrying with you that you feel powerless to change, and how can you shift your focus?

About youth and beauty...

It occurs to me that our cultural obsession with youth comes from an ancient place. Its roots are survival. Ancient cultures worshiped youth because of its connection to fertility. It came from a place of survival when times were hard and life was much more fleeting. In those cultures large curved women also represented abundance and survival. Those concepts of beauty have survived to this day. Western culture still worships youth while other cultures continue to worship large figured women. It comes to mind how manufactured these concepts are. They come from a place of fear and were created by humans. Women in western culture today are dealing with being devalued as they age. Just when they step into their own power they are told that their value is gone. They are no longer fertile. Since concepts of beauty were created by fear, what would happen if we created new concepts of beauty from a place of love and gratitude? What would beauty look like then?