The unknown may feel scary
that darkness of uncertainty
looms large
and we feel small
like a lost child
afraid of the night
and bigger shadows
fear, uncertainty,
doubt, worry
our survival can be
called into question.
To venture beyond seems
otherworldly or
reckless
To liberate the bonds of fear
we must first bring those
shadows into view
into the light
to be examined
to be seen
and then their booming
dire
warning siren seems to be dimmed
A dimmer switch,
which we absolutely
control,
It is within our grasp
and we have the authority
the audacity
the key
to choose how much depth
and breadth that fear has over us
There is no permission slip
needed.
The permission was only ours
to give
to ourselves
To liberate these bonds of fear
know, my dear,
that it is safe.
Step out of the darkness
and into the light
Tag: fear
Today
I draw the curtain back
and allow the sunlight to
fill the room and all its
edges and corners with light
– sweet blessed light –
to chase away the darkness
of the night.
I was afraid of the dark
as a child I saw the shadows
dance across the walls and
I was filled with terror.
As a child I was powerless
the world loomed large and I
so small, too small to make a difference
to be heard.
The curtain clears the cobwebs
of my mind and I greet the day
counting my blessings to be alive
today is the only one that counts
Today I can make a difference and I do.
I can steer and guide that light
– that inner light intermingled with dark –
and shine a flashlight on all that was
– and is –
filled with fear and unknowing.
I can manipulate and warp the light
like a prism broken into all its colorful
rays of light.
Today I make finger puppets with the shadow
We play and walk,
morphing our shadows into one.
Fear still grips at me sometimes
even in full daylight
Shocks and anxieties aglow
I breathe
And as I do, I steady my heart.
The tick tock of a clock
mimics my heartbeat and I
find that connection once more
to be grateful to be alive.
Today, this moment
I cherish the lessons
even those not faint of heart
that grew and morphed and shaped me
into me
And I smile and greet the day.
The present moment
Right now I know this
Despite the sorrow and the fear
– or in spite of sorrow and the fear –
Now is all there is
Often it is not front and center
with a proper view of what This is
Sometimes I think I can find it
and Embody this now that is
I return to my center
no longer lost in the tumultuous thoughts,
strings of notions and ideas
whether original or not
That weighs heavy on my mind
I just let it go
And I can feel the now
Glimpses of gladness arrive
My heart feels the light
there’s Goodness, nourishment
Rooted in the here and now.
California and Coffee
Yosemite
I didn’t know it could be like this.
Towering ancient beings
shaped and warped by time
by water, brook and pine.
They spill and topple over.
A waterfall so powerful
you could lose your place
or a misty rainbow catching the light.
I never knew such magnificence.
Now the fires are raging.
The Andes winds howl and roar
through angles of valley and stone.
Fear pierces into all our hearts.
Helpless to change and put out the embers.
We watch attached to our screens
a tether to destruction unseen
over here in the quiet of winter.
For once the winds have softened.
For once the sky looks pale blue
hovering above the trees’ branches.
All life hangs on a delicate balance.
What seems so certain and steady.
– a fabric of time –
Now worn and bare with use and misuse.
I pour my mug of coffee and taste its flavor
gathered by hungry hands
from other lands around the globe.
Here, the steam starts to rise
and I am no less for the weary.
My heart goes out to the bean gatherers
who climb treetop and limb.
Their work is not unseen.
Not knowing their hardships and woes
Just to give my morning meaning
and energy to face the day.
My heart goes out to those that are burning,
whose lives and all they hold dear
so fragile and near.
Near to loss, near to fierce blazing embers
who hangs on by a thread of safety,
neither real nor imagined.
Our light
Do not cower, be worried with doubt and fear.
My stance, my words, my being is light.
To my inner source, to my loves,
Embody and embrace my uniqueness.
Now is the time to shine and feel empowered.
Do not cower.
To shrink is not to be approved.
To shrink is the exact opposite
and our light would dim.
Our voice, our very nature and being is that light.
Breathe in the light.
Let it swirl into your heart
And exhale love,
Metta lovingkindness towards yourself and the world.
“Make of yourself a light”
The darkness can be all too consuming.
Fear lurches behind every corner.
Each stone unturned, untouched
Afraid of what lies underneath.
Secrets are meant to stay that way
Buried, dark and moist.
Like fungi in the undergrowth of a dying tree,
it consumes the decayed
The fallen.
How can the light reach even here?
A darkened warm cave
What seemed like shelter and safety is now a cage
Even with its wide open mouth entrance.
Light at the end of the tunnel
Brings hope and a promise.
It ushers us home –
a reunion of sorts –
of what it’s like to be free.
To feel the warm rays is to
Wrap love around me like a blanket.
There is protection and comfort here too.
Though I may recoil and try to go back.
In the safe quiet of the darkest night sky,
I reach out and feel your warmth
Knowing I have all that I need.
Step out of the darkness and into the light
Step out of the darkness and into the light. I am here with you. Fear can make you feel small. And like a seed without enough space to grow, Your potential cannot fully bloom. Step out of the darkness and into the light. Your authentic voice and story need to be told. Liberate yourself from the binds that hold you back. I am here with you. Do not look outside yourself for validation of Who you were meant to be. It is safe to shine your light. Give yourself permission to bloom. It was always yours for the taking. Step out of the darkness and into the light.
They say
Who understands me but me when I say this is beautiful. When the path looks crooked and torn with rocks, stumps, roots and uneven ground. I take the first step. They say I should be afraid and not wander out too far, not go out of my comfort zone: the safety net that has become a leash tethering me to this spot training me to be okay with this small plot. They say I am reckless, foolish and asking for trouble. I lace on my sneakers and head out the door. The sunlight streams through the tree branches A lighted beam pointed toward freedom: Freedom from thinking small Lighting the path to discovering my own voice and inner strength. They say the path is dangerous. Its twists and turns unknown to an untrained eye. I do not need a compass in my pocket to show me the way. I have always known this journey. I may return to it again and again Reminding myself of my true worth. My true north is an innate part of me. It cannot be scared, beaten or numbed away. I will always resurface and be a companion and a guide to my own suffering and fears of being lost, Filled with doubt or shame, Guilty for taking the first step. I am in my corner. They say it is for my own good. It is uncomfortable to go against the grain. I show up again and again Not only to prove them wrong But to show up for me. I am on my own side and free to be me.
Are obstacles just fears holding me back?
Obstacles can be my own worst fears, An upward climb Real or perceived. My mind is already made up Affirming that is the case Before I can even take action. My fears are the worst-case scenario Already a done deal And I’m closed off to options, Another path or way, Detoured from inspiration And optimism. The struggle feels real And I’m stuck. How do I make progress to overcome it? Just going through the motions some days My morning routine framework: Getting out my yoga mat Choosing a video and pressing play. Leaving my journal open With a pen at the ready. Lacing up my sneakers to Go outside for a walk. Knowing that there’s always One more thing to do And being okay with what is. Often it’s the first step that Creates the momentum. My focus has shifted. I’m more connected to my body and not so stuck in the mind. I can access that inspiration, inner wisdom and confidence that is always just under the surface. If I look around me, outside in nature or just through the window, I see the world is much bigger than my fears. The big blue spacious sky has more than enough capacity to contain and hold my fears as well as my dreams. I can temporarily give up the struggle and trust that I, too, am held. And that gives me strength to carry on with purpose and intention, to feel the joy, and appreciate the life lessons as gifts to my future self.
Being still with fear
What do we do when we feel discomfort? Do we run away? Do we distract ourselves? Do we ignore and pretend A doubting of reality? Where do the feelings go when they are repressed and not fully expressed? Do we digest them through our pores and with our breath? Do they alchemize into Our cells, our inner makeup Only to resurface again later? Am I okay if I sit here With the fear, the doubt, the unknown? Will I somehow lose myself and be completely consumed and transformed by it, as fear would tell? What if I sit here for 10 seconds? Surely, I can do anything for just 10 seconds. No big deal, I tell fear after the time’s run out. And, well, I’ll be. I’m still me. I didn’t fall of the cliff. The earth didn’t cease to rotate because I sat with the doubt or uncertainty. Still the earth rotates on its axis and I became one with the fear and found my way to the other side, To home. Confidence in myself, My self-worth, My inner being was strengthened as a result of just getting still And being with the discomfort. For just a moment in time Heaven moved with the earth And I came out unscathed At having faced it, Just for today.
Healing Insights 