How often have I given my power away to a single person? A single person who didn’t even know me. A single person who didn’t even care to get to know me? Perhaps far too often, but obviously not often enough to be aware of it, a lesson brought home recently.
Read more “Choosing to Reclaim My Dream and Power”
There is an energy flow to everything. In some things, it can be seen as a river flowing. In others, like ice, the movement is not seen. Science teaches us all things have energy, little tiny particles in constant motion. Even though a rock appears only to exist, or thought seems to be ephemeral fluff, both have energetic qualities. And like a river, we can change the flow of energy; redirecting it so that it goes around us untouched, letting it flow through us supporting our needs, or stopping it much like a dam, either before the energy reaches us or trapping it inside. Viewing life through the lens of abundance has taught me much about these energy flows, how I influence them and they influence me.
Abundance mentality, the acceptance that resources are enough, successes are enough, and there is enough of everything to support everyone, recognizes and acknowledges that we are all connected. More important, it brings me into the present moment, letting go of how I believe things should be and accepting how things are. It leads me from a victim stance to one of empowerment, feeling energized and not drained, hopeful, not hopeless. It opens up opportunities and choices, leading to clarity instead of reacting out of fear or lack of choice. Abundance has taught me life is not as hard as I once thought, but enjoyable, creative, and even fun.Â
Approaching life with an expectation of enough or abundance allows the energy to flow, unobstructed and supportive. For example, when a deadline for a project looms and I realize perhaps I may not make the deadline as hoped and accept this as fact, I can feel my body tense. Thoughts become constricted, focused on the premise I will not finish in a timely fashion, which will likely result in a self-fulfilling prophecy. However, when I take a mindset that there will be enough time to finish what needs to be accomplished, I can feel the energy flow again. I notice space for my thoughts and, with space, clarity for how to proceed, given the parameters in place. Please don’t misunderstand. Time doesn’t magically appear and allow me to finish the task, but I can work with the time given more constructively and often, if not completing the job, at least arrive at an acceptable point. Â
I am not suggesting that we approach all our resources with the attitude that there will always be enough no matter our actions; this would be foolish as we are all called to be good stewards of the world. What I have found, however, is that by viewing my life with abundance versus scarcity, I open up my choices, able to flow with the surrounding energy instead of swimming against it. Â
Here are some key ways that have helped me adopt an ‘abundance’ approach.
Gratitude for what I have-I focus on three things each day, not always material things; sometimes they are experiences and can be as mundane as listening to birdsong as I walk my dog in the morning.
I center myself in the present moment. I do this usually with breathing exercises or using my five senses to anchor me.
Developing and maintaining a growth mindset, I don’t have things all figured out, and there is so much to discover in this wondrous world. Â
Being curious about the people with whom I interact. Asking questions about their lives and experiences, trying to understand and trying not to judge.
Approaching things using a beginner’s mind or with my inner child and a sense of awe and wonder.
Being aware of my dialogue with myself and others and reminding myself when I recognize I have put forth a scarcity view that perhaps there is another way.
Wishing you, dear friend, enough, no matter the situation on your heartfelt journey. ~♥~
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With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I have been pondering the meaning and influence of gratitude. It seems such a simple, unimportant aspect of life, yet, there is great power in its practice, or lack thereof, whichever the case may be.
Dance has taught me many things in my life. The need for balance and positioning myself so that I am ready for the next steps to be executed. It has taught me how to move to the music of the world and how to be flexible, not just in the movement but in adapting to a change in rhythm or a prop suddenly in the way. It has taught me discipline and hard work bring their own rewards. More importantly perhaps, it has taught me that in approaching things from a learning perspective with curiosity and wonder, a beginner’s mind, the world of opportunity opens up. Â
It is a story that is quite old in our family, one that has been retold several times at Christmas, Thanksgiving…anytime we are all together. It is now fondly regaled with lots of laughter but when it happened there was no laughter involved. There was anger. There were harsh words. There was a feeling of unworthiness. Then silence.
Read more “Under All the Chocolate Cake, Frosting and Vanilla Creme”
I made it. I found myself on the board of one of our community organizations that was populated by the movers and the shakers; the individuals that helped shape our community with their decisions. This was a place I had dreamed of being, a place to make a difference and I was humbled to have arrived. Like so many things, however, the perception and the reality don’t always align. After several months I found there was a lot of talk, many words and ideas shared but action became bogged down in posturing and differing agendas. The movers and shakers were more the talkers and sitters. Fortunately I realized this was not the place for me and resigned from the organization after a short two years. Â
Being an HSP in a culture that doesn’t value kindness (Nice guy finishes last!) or the other traits we tend to have is challenging. I have often felt like I was the odd one out, a square peg trying to fit in the round hole, and I had no one with whom to share these similar experiences. So I adapted.Â
It was a dreary morning as I was walking my dog in the neighborhood. Treasured time for me most mornings as I cleared my thoughts and prepared for the day ahead but on this one particular morning I was lost in thought, not in preparation for the day, but in dread.  My business was closed due to the pandemic and I felt lost in the myriad of information presented from so many different sources of how I should be moving forward. My shoulders were heavy and the way forward seemed dim. Â
My husband has joked with me through the years about my visits to the beach. Though I enjoy the beach I had developed a very particular experience that I wanted to have when there. It couldn’t be too hot or too cold. Too sunny or too cloudy. I did enjoy a slight breeze but definitely not something that could be called wind. I enjoyed the sand when it was warm to walk on, too hot was definitely not preferred and too cold was not fun. He even teased me that there was too much sand. (Sad to say there were a few times when I would bemoan the amount of sand that kept finding itself on my towel.) I was Goldilocks personified. Â
It was a beautiful sunny day with just a bit of a breeze and my husband wanted to go for bike ride up one of the trails near our home. I was hesitant as the hill he wanted to climb was rather steep for about a mile and I was not confident in my ability to make it. He assured me we could turn around at any point so we embarked on our little adventure. Surprisingly, I had requested only one brief stop midway up the hill before resuming our trek. Soon the top came into in view, teasing us with its proximity, and we continued until just a few hundred feet from our destination. And then I stopped. Not a rest stop, but a full on my lungs were burning and my heart felt like it would leap out of my chest at any moment stop. As I stood gasping, straddling my bike with my feet firmly planted on the ground, my husband encouraged me to rest and catch my breath. He maintained we could make it, which really meant he knew he could and was trying to make me believe I could as well. As my breathing relaxed he instructed me to begin riding by heading down hill first before turning back up. Crazy idea I thought and stubbornly hopped back on the bike with the tires pointed straight up hill attempting to pedal. Making no progress other than spinning my wheels in the sand, I stopped, completely defeated and gave my husband that look of ‘I’m done and knew I couldn’t do this’ at which time he again encouraged me to try riding down hill first. Shrugging my shoulders I gave it a try. Then the magic happened. Heading back down hill gave me enough momentum that I was able to turn back up hill and made it to the top of the trail. Progress!