Joy brings peace and connection
It is not for the select few,
But it is a choice and
I want to be an active participant
Joy is in birdsong,
the wildflower reaching
toward the sun
Joy is within
Joy is without
Even when there is challenge,
some hardship or pain,
The current of joy runs underneath
It is in the airwaves
The rainbow knows this
The prism, the light, the dark
Joy is not the opposite
of sadness
Happiness is not required here
Joy is in a smile, in a tear
Joy is in memory and reverie
Joy is music, Joy is song
Joy is my birthright and my purpose
How soon I learn this
then I seem to forget
That is why I choose to practice joy
Tag: choose
The World is Rapidly Changing
The world is rapidly changing
Faster and faster
The moment can hold so much.
My ease, my joy, my lightness,
My good and bad.
The different versions of ourselves.
The good daughter
The sacrificial martyr is not my goal,
Is not the point.
This is the breaking point.
The changing of patterns
That change the story
That change the state of being.
I can be light.
I can jump on the stress train.
I choose where to focus
How to be, to show up.
This is me.
LESSONS LEARNED
I have been going through a dark time filled with lows and deep sadness. I have been writing down the vital lessons I’ve learned during this period of grief and sorrow. I do not want to keep re-learning the same lessons again when a dark time inevitably visits me in the future. I am creating a “I let go of” list to be burnt under the full moon later this week.
This list is ever evolving, just like life. I plan to continue to add to it as healing insights come. Here is my lessons learned so far:
Only I can choose my feelings.
It is safe to feel and let out my emotions.
I am loved even when I’m feeling lost.
What if the opposite were true?
(when examining my assumptions)
A crossroads, a forked path all lead to the same destination.
What if it all works out anyway?
I am more than my job title.
I am alive and that is a blessing. Each day is a gift.
Busy and full is not a measurement of success.
Fulfillment
We seek fulfillment. Our bodies take it all in. We find nourishment In the foods we eat And in the information We consume. We seek fulfillment From the outside world, Which can nourish. It can hold. It can bind. We seek satiation And satisfaction. Taking from the earth We feel filled up And lifted up. We can be held in each other’s arms. Our own thoughts and prayers Guide us on the path. Our minds can bind us To the truth Or to one fixed view. We take in and seek fulfillment In a focused moment Or a broader view. It can feel hard if not impossible To let go What we’ve become accustomed to: The same familiar foods, Deeply held emotions and beliefs. It can feel that we ourselves are also being consumed If we can’t take care of each other And be mindful of what is acceptable And beneficial to consume. Does it nourish? It all becomes integrated and a part of our cells. So let’s choose wisely. Not just for a single fleeting moment But all precious moments. Fulfillment is possible.
Self-confidence
Being self-confident is hard. I grew up in a culture that treated Women’s bodies as objects. Objects of men’s desires; Objects in need of change: Change in size, Change to be fashionable and contort my body to fit into current trends. Women’s bodies were objects That had to be managed In how we moved, How we behaved, How we led our lives And presented ourselves To the outside world, And how we treated our bodies In private when no one was looking. It is hard to be self-confident When society bombards you With messages that you are not enough, You are falling short and failing To an unrealistic standard. (And who set up this system to begin with?) I find my self-confidence gets easier the older I get. Life experience and the inherent lessons that come with age have taught me that acceptance is present and available Only I hold the key to what is possible. My reflection in the mirror is unique. It is mine alone. And I choose to love who I see in the mirror. I choose to remind myself that these negative messages do not reflect who I truly am. I choose love. Today and this day forward, I choose to treat my mind, body and spirit With gentle, loving acceptance.
Find your own fulfillment
The great life lesson was unknown to me As it was happening in the moment. It took many years of trial and error and trying on another’s ideas or practices into my own life. Some practices resonated deeply with me. Others I tried in vain to make work Unwilling to feel like a failure As I set out to try it yet again. Setting high unrealistic expectations then wondering and strengthening my own perceived shortcomings. It is natural and normal To try things on for size To see if it is a fit. It’s also natural and normal To try to make things work, To try again and again. As I’ve matured I finally learned The greatest lesson: That it is natural and normal To let it go; To thank it For not fitting quite right And to be on the lookout For a better fit. For a practice to truly stick It has to be modified And incorporated into every day life. If it sits on a shelf Or stays tucked away neatly In a notebook, Never to be visited again For months or years, It is just wishful thinking. Of course, we can feel like a failure But it wasn’t the right fit. It’s okay to dabble, To take just one piece And add it to your toolbelt If it works and Adds value to daily life. The final lesson of all is that It’s up to me to find my own fulfillment. I can try things on for size But I am in the driver seat. I can pick and choose And let the rest go.
A less frazzled commute
How can I have a more relaxed morning? I feel it is a frame of mind. I can choose to say, “I’m late!” and all the angst that follows. Or I can just say, “I’m doing the best I can. I got this!” And I usually then feel less hurried.
My morning commutes used to be highly stressful. Then I realized the main source of my stress occurred when I was traveling in the high-speed lane. As soon as I got over to the travel lane, I relaxed my grip on the steering wheel. My shoulders relaxed a bit. I took a few deep breaths. Now I hardly use the high-speed lane when I’m driving to work. I only will on the rare occasion when I have to pass another car. And guess what? I get to work on time!
I always seem to get there on time.
I don’t obsessively check the clock in my car during my commute. It doesn’t matter what it says. I’ll get there when I get there. And thank the stars I always do.
There’s a lot of road rage: angry, stressed, frazzled energy that crosses my path. I could choose to feel the tension boiling beneath the surface where you don’t want to be the recipient on the tail end when I lash out. I could charge full speed ahead in line with that energy or brazenly be “Me first!” with the tailgating and high emotions that follows.
Or I can choose to stay on my path: Just traveling. Passing through.
We all have the same want: to get to our destination safely. No one wants to get hurt.
How I react sets me up for good or bad. Is it worth saving a few more seconds?
The hardest part for me is being a passenger and relinquishing my need to be in control. I notice that at times I press my foot down on an imaginary brake when I think my husband is driving too close to a car in front of us. Over the years, my husband and I tend to only have arguments when we’re on the road. I judge his speed and length between cars. I am unable to relax and be present. All we want is to have a good conversation while we travel.
I can choose what to focus on. I can choose connection or outside factors beyond my control. I want to let go of my need to be in the driver’s seat. I want to make peace with the fact that I can’t control what other people on the road doing at that moment. Only I can decide how I want to interpret my thoughts and feel my emotions.
What would you choose?
Healing Insights 