Ebb and Flow

Some days I am stagnant. Instead of bubbling over in cascading inspiration, the fountain merely trickles. The waters muddled, murky and still.

Inertia folding in on itself, stifling the tiniest call to action.

 I sigh and light a candle. 

I cloak myself in your Light.

Cracking my shell and peeking out into the light, my legs again wobbly and untested and my wings glued to my body.

I open again to cycles of death and rebirth in vulnerable multitudinous moments.

Courage to be born again and again and again...

"If we gain something, it was there from the beginning..."

"If we gain something, it was there from the beginning. If we lose anything, it is hidden nearby." ~ Ryokan

This quote encourages me to feel the truth of my wholeness. When we appear to be gaining "something", what we are truly gaining is awareness. Intention to be aware of the blessings that are already here could turn my days into a treasure hunt for all the good that I am not noticing.

I find it comforting to ponder that what we feel we have lost is not truly lost but only hidden from our awareness. If I react to a momentary estrangement from my partner, I will not notice the underlying love that informs our relationship. It has not disappeared, but only receded into the background. Focusing on the feeling of loss only ensures that it will continue.

When I savor this quote, I want to be at peace in this moment, trusting in all that appears to be and all that appears not to be. I let go of the struggle to get something, go somewhere or forcefully resist what is appearing. I take a deep breath and know that when I cannot feel the love or see the beauty, it's just hidden from view. That awareness is all I need to feel its Presence. 

Affirmations...1 minute read

Louise Hay says that when you first begin using positive affirmations, they rarely feel true and mostly feel awkward and uncomfortable. This is exactly why we need them in the first place! The metaphor of a garden is fitting: we begin by planting a seed and we know we have to water and nurture that seed repeatedly for it to grow into a beautiful plant. We don't run out into the garden to dig up the seed to see if it's growing yet....we trust that it is. And so it is with our positive affirmations. We stay committed to the process and have faith that it will bear fruit. As you transform your negative beliefs through this process, miracles can and do happen!

Begin with a small goal of 2 verbal and/or written repetitions of one affirmation. That's it! There is a good chance that you will be inspired to do more but it's OK if you don't. What's important is to just stick with your daily 2 repetitions.

The body can't be truly healthy without a healthy mind. A healthy mind brings the happiness that makes our body cells smile with joy!