Empowerment

Well, about a week ago, I got out of the car and noticed a butterfly on the ground. He was pretty damaged. An inch of one wing was missing. The rest of him was beautiful - a mix of colors; orange, yellow, brown and blue. He was broken, but he was still beautiful. I took a picture of him as I thought of how God had created this beautiful creature and how he could still be so lovely in his brokenness.

In my journey with words and language, I have recently stumbled upon another concept – that of Representation. I have been hearing friends use the phrase “I must stand up for myself”, have even used it myself occasionally. I have noticed in recent days that it rang off for me, something was amiss. Then it occurred to me, when we use that phrase, it speaks of victimhood on some level – somewhere in our lives we have given away the ability to speak on our own behalf.

Remember the balance beam in the school yard? Did you walk on it, balancing with your arms out from your side in the air? What about the lines on the sidewalk that you would walk like a tightrope? It was all about feeling the success of walking the line without falling off. We all have experienced that bliss of success. We also all know how it feels to "fall" and be in the topsy-turvey moments. How did you handle it when you fell off the balance beam? Did you criticize yourself? Did you swear to never get up on that thing again? Or, did you get right back up and take the risk of falling off again? Maybe a little of both? But here is the nitty-gritty: Each choice we make has a purpose. Life requires moments of imbalance in order to find the perfect balance.

I awakened the other morning and was confronted with an idea, a spark, a concept and really, an inner awakening. We, as humans, invest a large amount of time avoiding fear, requesting safety at every turn and ensuring we are stepping on sure footing. We make decisions not to go sky-diving or abseiling, horse-riding or snow-skiing because we have fears; fears of heights, fears of dark alleys, fears of creepy crawlies. My "awakening" came in the form of realizing that we sabotage ourselves every day, blindly allowing fear to invade and infiltrate our happiness and joy. You know why? Because we give permission for our ego to reign with the same fear we avoid in the physical world.

I can't tell you how many times I've changed my hair color, clothing styles, favorite bands and authors, or wall colors in my house (the painter (hubby) sighs...). Realistically, I am a highly cultivated experiencer of new and creative things (self-proclaimed...and that's the point to this article). I've discovered that change should come after deciding a thing or idea no longer is a part of who you are today and not because someone else or societal trends say so. Truth changes us but only if it is OUR truth and we genuinely experience it to serve who we are or want to be. When honored as a part of your sacred path, defining YOUR truth is the most significant change you will ever experience!

We are laid bare by the assumptions of who we are before we even have a chance to explain. Perhaps they are not even listening. Part of being present is releasing ourselves from the idea of how things are, or should be, because of the past or the cultures surrounding us; releasing assumptions of others and more importantly assumptions of ourselves.

Delight in each day! There is something that is going to happen today that should be celebrated. You woke up. Maybe you were able to witness the sunrise? Even if you did not see it, it happened and it was a magnificent painting of wonderment. Even if nothing out of the ordinary happens all day long there is going to be thousands of stars shining brightly down on you tonight asking you in a twinkle, "What will you do tomorrow?" "Which star will you wish on tonight"? "What will you be celebrating tomorrow?"

I have found the one thing that I believe is the key to lasting peace and happiness: Living in the puzzle pieces of my life. You see, for a long time I would constantly think (live) in the past or in the "Big Picture" of my future. The result of that method often left me depressed about what I was missing or anxious about what could be. Don't get me wrong, I'm a believer in planning for the future and creating it through intention, thankfulness, and action, but that dwelling on the future "maybes and could bes" is where I had to learn a hard lesson by drawing a line in my own life. I realized I had been even thinking back to past situations and actually trying to solve the issues or reenact the event in my mind...that's insanity! The thing is...I'm not the only one who does or did this. It's an epidemic of insanity!

This is how each of us live. Connected. We are wired to people and things throughout our lives. Some of the people we are connected to are good company to keep, best friends, family... You know, the people that you can count on. Some of those to whom we are wired can add extra stress to an already stressful life. They do not make us happy or point us in the direction of following our dreams. We are also connected to things like jobs, contacts (acquaintances), favorite sports and hobbies, cars, houses, televisions... the things we feel benefit us in our everyday walk through this time we have on earth.

How do you express your wishes to whom or whatever you hold faith in...Universe/Source/God? How do you express your gratitude? Have you ever considered that those expressions are imperative? About 7 years ago on a visit to one of my oldest and dearest friends, we went to a pottery painting place. They had all kinds of pieces that you could paint to your liking and then they would glaze and fire them. Generally they were ready for pick up within a week. It was a great evening, filled with laughter,paint, and messy hands!

There is so much to be grateful for. The sunrise, the sunset, the air we breathe, the freedoms and quality of life we have, the friends and family we are able to share time with, the fact that we have time to share...the list goes on and on. BUT there are days when nothing seems to go right. Days you are lucky if positive energy doesn't get zapped into the ground, leaving you a pile of negativity.

For most of us, I would venture to say, it’s easier to give than it is to receive. And that’s a little sad to me. By refusing to receive, we cheat the other person out of experiencing feelings of generosity. And I think we cheat ourselves out of the feeling of humility; A feeling that is just as important, if not more so.

As I sat out on my deck this morning, listening to the birds tweet and the breeze flow through my maple tree, I realized how perfect that moment was. I even felt distracted and annoyed by allowing my mind to think about writing this post. The moment was profound in the sense it gave me so much clarity about what it means to live in the now or present. I've been so caught up in trying to analyze the past and plan for the future that I literally have not lived my life in the moments that pass me like a speeding trucker on the highway. The good news is that I really know how to stop the cycle I've lived for so long and I want to share it with you.

Remember the story of Goldilocks and the three bears? Just like Goldilocks, we question things in our lives. We test things. Taking a look at our lives is something we can forget to do with day-to-day stress. Goldilocks did not just know which porridge was the right porridge. She tested each bowl. Now, I won't get into the fact that she broke in the Bear's home in this story that might presently be banned from many schools because it promotes criminal behavior... Nonetheless, she tested which porridge was too hot, too cool and just right.

It all started a couple weeks ago. I had a real conversation with someone who actually believes in the same things I do - someone who values old school beliefs and finds peace in his universe, as well as understands how we manifest our lives. The conversation flowed for almost 6 hours, and by the end, I felt immense joy. We shared so many thoughts. Those first couple days were truly amazing. There were no uncomfortable silences. The laughs flowed as easily as the feelings that carried them. He was so beautiful to me. However, after just a few days, reality forced its way in, and I realized this would not last forever.