Priorities

"It's not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to

make your happiness a priority. It's necessary."

Mandy Hale

We are painfully aware of our personal deficits and' spend very little time singing our praises. As we are familiar with our skills, they often are taken for granted as though anyone could perform them. We may even be more comfortable accepting criticism than we are with compliments or positive recognition.

Begin to monitor interactions with others. Notice how contributions are made. Are they generated from the heart or spoken out of expectation? Are our preferences given voice or are they lost in other's agendas? When we experience a pause in our busy routines, does our mind get a crash course in obligations or do we enjoy a brief reprieve?

When we show ourselves a little respect physically, emotionally, and spiritually, our self-evaluation improves. Positive opinion increases, impacting our performance. Extending trust in our capabilities, we begin to explore a deeper sense of living. We become happier, brightening the lives of those around us.

 

Oh, There You Are!

"Sometimes when you lose your way,

you find yourself."

Mandy Hale

We are not meant to stay stationary in one specific space ... mentally, physically, or spiritually. Even when we are deeply rooted, life has a way of projecting us, unexpectedly,  forward into the unknown. In spite of floundering in newly found places, it is where we must be to learn, adapt and create anew.

When we accept our displacement, we begin to see the beauty and possibilities surfacing. No matter where we find ourselves, lessons are everywhere like leaves dangling from a tree. We are not always able to pick and choose what we want, so imagination begins to generate new ways to display our skills and authentic visions. 

As we learn to follow the new path stretching before us, our life can become enriched. Like walking through the forest and becoming aware of new fragrances, birds singing, brooks trickling, and gentle breezes stirring our souls. It is within this stillness that one begins to discover the 'self' all over again.

Stillness of a Tree

 

"You don't always need a plan.  Sometimes you just 

need to breathe, trust, let go, and see what happens."

Mandy Hale

The tree is majestic just standing in place.  Even when every leaf has fallen, there is still the strength of presence and grace.  The deep roots may be unseen, but they continue to hold the tree strong waiting for nature's direction.

We accumulate intentions, expectations, and rigid time lines which can actually impede our pace.  Clutter abounds distancing us from synchronistic or intuitive input that could  be unexpected accelerants towards vision and passion.

We can gather support by allowing open spaces for guidance and direction.  During unplanned opportunities, we may encounter unexpected options.  Like the mighty tree,  we can choose to experience stillness,  breathing in the unknown while waiting to see what happens. 

In the Midst of Loss, We Can Find Gain

"Sometimes when you lose your way,

you find YOURSELF."

Mandy Hale

If we wander away from our routines or schedules, we may be very likely to discover something about ourselves, community or life.  When we turn down a new street we pay more attention as our minds are not riveted on our routine.  There was a woman who was seeking a new apartment for months with no luck.  While driving home to her apartment, she suddenly turned down a random street.  As she slowly looked around, she discovered a for rent sign ... and yes, you can guess at the rest!

We need to change the filters in our perspective and we can easily do this in an unfamiliar surrounding.  It is not unusual for a writer to travel to a coffee shop in a neighboring town to find clarity in thought.  An artist frequently will move his or her canvas from one inspirational spot to another.  To get fresh input, we must generate an element of change.

When we travel on vacation or for our career, we interact with others.  People who do not know us will make interesting comments about us that we really had not thought about.  They may compliment us or make a harsh observation .... either one leading us to revisit who we really are and how we need to change to stretch into who we truly want to be.

Blowing Bubbles

 

 

Growth is painful

Change is painful.

But nothing is as painful

as staying stuck

somewhere you don't belong.

 

Mandy Hale

 

 

It takes more energy to remain stuck then it does to move forward into the unknown.  Once we begin the motion of moving forward, we build a momentum that will help us on our way.  The sense of freedom replaces suppression while thoughts of possibilities erase self-imposed limitations.

 

Once we have created a new sense of being, we wonder why we remained stagnant for so long.  We speculate as to how fear can be so powerful over us.  When we are no longer distracted by negativity, our energy stirs creative images to build new beginnings. 

 

Holding hope as our solitary escape without taking any form of action is futile.  We need a dream no matter how faint, to begin an awareness of something better.  We can expand upon the vision so it infiltrates our waking thoughts.  When we support our focus with research or collaboration, the concept begins to take form.  We seem to attract like minded people or begin to experience synchronized moments joining our intention with motion.   

 

There are times when we may come close to giving up our endeavor as a simple pipe dream.  We may feel discouraged, so we need to turn to our spiritual connection.  We can ask for additional guidance, creative ideas to enhance the work we have already prepared, or a sign of what our next step might be.  Remembering that Divine Spirit does not respond necessarily in our time frame, we must be patient and aware for suggestions to appear in a variety of forms. 

 

If we continue to feel dead ended, we can take a few steps back.  Broaden the view of what remains to be accomplished and seek out new perspectives.  Our vision can become too narrow  or too broad and we can make adjustments accordingly.  We must be willing to be flexible in order to uncover the best possible approach. 

 

While working on a project we can be our own worst enemy.  It is helpful to cut random pieces of paper and jot down affirmations to be stored in a jar.  When we hit a slump, we can pull out one of the slips of paper to regain our positive outlook. 

 

The best antidote for me is my bubble machine.  I love to fill it up with liquid soap, turn it on and watch bubbles delicately float through the air.  It is fun to hear people walking by laugh and become light hearted about the bubbles suddenly floating to the sky.  Buy a bottle of bubbles to keep on hand.  Allow the mind to relax and idly watch the delicate colors float by.