Many of us have some practice or way we connect regularly to our source (God, Higher Power, Nature, whatever works for you). For some people it’s prayer or meditation or reading, again whatever restores you.
This morning I heard a great analogy that when you forgo that regular practice for a day or two - or much longer sometimes - it’s like putting your hand over God’s mouth and telling Him to SHUSH IT. I heard recently the idea that the daily ritual of prayer and devotion was like a dusting. And if you do it every day it builds on itself and creates a foundation.
The concept is true for relationships too. The constant dusting of love and stories and life we share is what builds up to knowing each other more fully and creating a foundation for a good life. Dusting is in the hard stuff too - not to sweep the dust under the rug and pretend it’s not there - but let it settle and work on it when and how we need to work on it. Trusting each other - and also trusting that God will have His timing on how that shakes out. He’s funny that way, always pushing & shaping us humans to become more like Him, when we allow Him to do it. Sunday morning listening & reading. I love this quote.
When you condemn others you’re condemning yourself. You’re creating your own prison because the process of condemnation is akin to building a prison cell and locking yourself inside of it. The energy it takes to build it - and the freedom you lose inside of it. What a waste!
But how do we resist condemnation when someone just really infuriates us? This reminded me of one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received and that is to “let them be themselves”. I can be anxious and want the world to go my way, quickly, I don’t want to wait around for you to tinker, much less for you to figure out the right thing to do. So when others aren’t responding at my speed I start feeling anxiety. For some people this might make them feel anger or frustration but for me it’s just good old fashioned anxiety. I was having a moment like this a couple of years ago and this was a friends advice… let them be themselves. Give people time to be themselves. I have repeated this to myself no less than 10,000 times in the last couple of years when I want what I want and I want it right now. It reminds me to take a step back and chill out. Do my own thing. Take care of my side of the street. When the other person is ready they will be ready - or they won’t be - but either way I will have saved my own energy and kept my own freedom by abandoning the act of condemnation ❤️ #workinprogress I asked a friend once what her perfect day looked like. She told me that she had no idea. It struck me as so sad that this beautiful self-sufficient woman had spent her entire life trying to meet the expectations of others. To the point that she had no idea what her perfect day would like.
What would your perfect day look like? What time would you like to get up - then what? Do you want to read or exercise? Cook or go out? Obviously each day can't be perfect - there are a thousand unpleasant things we must do just to survive. But if we LIVE LIKE WE MEAN IT then we will find a way to make each day perfect. Usually several times a day I will ask myself - what do I need to do to make this day perfect given all of the things I need to accomplish, given the weather, the inconveniences handed to me, the surprises that life seems to throw at us. So I have come up with a recipe for LIVING LIKE YOU MEAN IT + making each day perfect. 1. Visualize your highest self. 2. Show up as that person. 3. Anticipate + embrace variables. 4. Be grateful for the variables. 5. Begin again tomorrow. It's the variables - and how you adapt to them - that make things perfect. |
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