The Pace of Life

"Being still does not mean don't move.

It means move in peace."

E'yen A. Gardner

Discarding the emotional debris of Thanksgiving, we begin to feel the pull of the forth coming holidays. As calendars become heavily scheduled and tasks of preparation increase, there is very little time for the self. It is ironic that this is when we most need nurturing, and yet what little time there is shrinks increasingly.

Intentionally anchoring our hearts in stillness, we are less less likely to become disoriented. At a slower pace, we can catch glimpses of things we value. Our inner self stirs when we engage with heart felt conversations or soak up the beauty surrounding us. As we take pause, we can realign and then proceed with gratitude.

Our dreams, aspirations, and insights require time to heighten and unfold. If we are moving too fast, we will overlook the exact gifts we are looking for.  When driven to exhaustion, everything appears to be out of reach. We grow depressed, lacking energy to fulfill our very own desires. It is when we create peace that we can fully embrace the life before us.

Step Aside

"To express yourself in a creative way you don't need

structure, you need an empty mind."

E'yen A. Gardner

Creative expression can be spontaneous or a lengthy project, but we need to get out of our own way.  When we are in the flow and creativity is streaming through us, it is important to retain it, but not to rigidly encase it in preconceived ideas.  When we are not simply embracing, but categorizing content, we will cease to be in the flow.

We will always remember what is necessary and elements can be retained in our subconscious until surprising us later in a sudden emergence.  When our mind gets in the way by attempting to organize or categorize, the original insight dissipates.  

There is need to stop trying too hard.  No matter what medium we use, it is mandatory to step back, to pull our rigid minds open, in order to maintain the lofty realm of vision.  Creation calls us to be free, not stifled.  Creativity flows through us and we must stay out of the way.