It has occurred to me that by accepting my imperfections, they are transformed from obstacles to stepping stones.
I invite you to look at yourself differently today.
Peace.
"Perhaps it is our imperfections that make us so perfect for one another."
Jane austin, emma
At the Y, we dream big. We have to.
The things we strive for are massive; kids to reach their full potential, everyone to experience total well-being, and for people to live connected, fulfilled lives.
Like most worthwhile goals, ours will take years (decades) of effort to achieve.
I sometimes find the size of these goals to be daunting.
But, when I realize that our goals are made up of tens of thousands of
small actions and choices, I can see the path.
Each decision, each action will either move us closer to or further
away from our goals.
I invite you to be intentional today. Take time to celebrate the little things
you did that moved us closer to our goals.
Peace.
"Whoever said that small things don't matter has never seen a match start a wildfire."
Beau Taplin
I read a quote I really liked the other day. It was in a great book I can’t believe I hadn't read:
The Snowball. Warren Buffett’s biography.
The quote is:
“You can always tell them to go to Hell tomorrow.”
It reminded me that the fewer stupid things that I say, the fewer relationships that I ruin. I invite you to read his book.
Peace.
"Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder."
Rumi
Sometimes I crave cupcakes. Many folks have cravings. For me cupcakes reminded me of time in my life when I felt safe and loved. So whenever I felt alone or sad or unsafe, my mind would tell me a cupcake would change the way I was feeling.
But it didn't.
When I started being mindful of my feelings, I could take a moment and, without judgement, examine my feelings and consciously choose an action that actually addressed them.
Sometimes that action was to eat a cupcake, but it was a choice, not a reaction.
And it was clear the cupcake was not going to magically make me feel better (no matter how many sprinkles it had).
When you're craving something, I invite you to take a moment and look at your feelings.
Is the thing you're craving an unconscious reaction? Is there something else going on that needs to be addressed? Taking that moment will open up a whole world of possibilities.
Peace.
"Mindfulness gives you time. Time gives you choices. Choices, skillfully made, lead to freedom."
Henepola Gunaratana
Mark Twain once said " The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you figure out why."
His quote describes the Japanese concept of Ikigai. Think of it as your spark. The thing in life that brings you joy and gives you hope.
I invite you to spend a moment today to think about your ikigai.
Peace.
I had a curious thought.
When I look to change something about myself, am I sending a message that I'm incomplete or broken? We are all born whole, complete, and enough, but it's easy to let the world convince you otherwise.
I invite you to spend a little time reconnecting with your wholeness.
You exist and that is enough.
Peace.
"True healing is not fixing the broken, but the rediscovery of the Unbroken..."
Jeff Foster
I love technology. But I've discovered something. If I'm not careful and intentional about why I'm using the tech, it can easily become distracting and rob me of my time and concentration.
I can't get rid of the tech in my life, but I can be mindful of when it distracts me. I can lessen tech's distractive powers by strengthen my own powers of concentration. Meditation is the gym where my concentration muscle is built. If I'm intentional and build my concentration, I can be sure that technology serves me and not the other way round.
I invite you to consider how the technoloy in your life is serving you.
"Our culture is about distraction. About numbing oneself."
David Greenfield
It's easy to feel carried away by the hustle and bustle of life.
I find that if I stop and take three deep breaths, I can get centered again. This small act helps to reset the brain and gives me an opportunity to reconnect with my higher purpose.
Or at least it stops me from hitting SEND on that less-than-nice email.
Peace.
"I need to take a sacred pause, as if I were a sun warmed rock in the center of a rushing river."
Dawna Markova
I've noticed something as I continue on my mindfulness journey.
I've become aware of how impatient I am. When I search for the source of my impatience, I find it is usually caused by the idea that something should be a certain way.
I'm beginning to think that when I feel impatient, that's the Universe gently telling me that my silly ideas about how things should happen have very little to do with reality or truth.
I invite you to join me in letting go of some of your shoulds.
Peace.
"Patience is a form of wisdom. It demonstrates that we understand and accept the fact that sometimes things must unfold in their own time."
Jon kabat-zinn
This is a season when I think about change. As I reflect, I've noticed something.
I've spent a lot of my life strapping on a life vest and hoping to survive the waves of change that inevitably come each year.
I'm thinking that practice no longer serves me. It's time to grab my surf board play in the waves.
This idea of picking up my board again reminded me of something I'd hear from time to time in the days that I actually surfed.
It would happen when a group of us would be sitting on the beach in-between sets. Someone (non-surfer) walking by would ask, "Who's the best out there today?"
We always responded, "The one having the most fun!"
When the waves of change roll toward you this year, I invite you to grab your board and be the best surfer out there.
I'll be out there too. Just beyond the breakers.
Peace.
"This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change."
Taylor Swift
I asked April, "What resolutions are you making this year?"
"None!" She replied. "I never stick with them and I end up feeling like a loser. So, I'm not making any resolutions this year."
Wow! I felt the same way.
For me, the all-or-nothing nature of the New Year's resolution is so unforgiving.
One cupcake and I broke my resolution. Loser.
But I think the idea of wanting to improve your life is a positive thing.
So this year I'm trying something new this year. I'm going to be setting an intention, not making a resolution.
To me, intentions seem to be a more compassionate and mindful way to approach change.
One cupcake? No worries. Just begin again.
Instead of looking at a habit I wanting to stop doing, I'm going to create a vision of what I want and set an intention to build the habits that will lead to my vision.
I invite you to think about what new behaviors you'd like to build this year. I'd love to hear about yours and I could share mine.
Maybe we could split a cupcake?
Peace.
"The secret to change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old but on building the new."
Socrates
The new year is often thought of as a time of renewal. A time of transition. A time to look at your life with fresh eyes.
I sometimes forget, that same opportunity to start anew brought by the new year is available to me every moment of every day.
Every breath gives the opportunity to change my life, renew my efforts, and recommit to my goals.
I invite you to see your resolution(s) as durable and flexible. Something you can come back to all year long, instead of something fragile, that if broken is immediately abandoned. Achieving a goal has more to do with restarting after a failure, than it does with perfect execution.
Peace.
"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."
Carl Bard
During this time of year, I find myself spending a lot more time with my extended family. I'll admit that this can be challenging for me at times.
I love my family, but man, can they be irritating. Something that helps create a harmonious experience for me is to set my vision for the event. I think about (in as much detail as possible) how I want to feel and how I want others to feel when interacting with me.
This gives me a "North Star" and reminds me of my higher purpose.
I invite you to take a moment and decide how you want to show up at your next gathering. May your time with family and friends wrap you in love and kindness.
Peace.
This Wednesday is the Winter Solstice.
It's marked by being the shortest day of the year. I usually greet the winter months by complaining about the cold and the dark. I found this feeling comes from an unreal expectation that everyday should be a summer day.
It sounds ridiculous when I say it out loud. As I reflect on the natural cycles of the earth, I see that this is a time for renewal. A time to look inward.
I invite you to embrace the flow of the season and spend some time in self care and renewal.
I look forward to seeing what blossoms!
Peace
"Nature often holds up a mirror so we can see more clearly the ongoing process of growth, renewal, and transformation in our lives."
Mary Ann Brussat
