I have been on a personal quest to find the ‘newness’ of me because I feel I have lost a little bit of my ‘muchness.’
I think the stresses of life creep in and you have to fight to hold onto the places within your heart that yearn to dream, to be free, to fly.
The story and lessons held within Alice in Wonderland are very dear to my heart. We all have places within us that are seeking to find a deeper part of ourselves, trying to find the right path for our lives, trying to face fears & dragons, trying to follow our creative imaginings…
SO, I have been trying to break free of the mundane & learn ‘new’ things, see ‘new’ places and seek to find more of myself each day. I think if we are not stretching when our lives seem to be shrinking, we are not going to grow to our best potential.
If we are seeking to learn SOMETHING ‘NEW’ each day, then we are not the same person we were yesterday. We have stretched, even a little. Seek out something new for you.
Seek out something to do or something to go towards. If you don’t have books you want to read, you will never begin to read them. If you don’t have pages you want to write, your novel will never be finished. If you don’t have a direction of ANYTHING you want to do, you will never begin. ACTION: Seek out your personal desires, places you wish to see, hobbies you desire to try, books you want to read, people you want to learn something from…pick a path and begin. ‘Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop’
No matter what—DREAM. Instead of looking and thinking “IMPOSSIBLE” change your perspective to “I’M POSSIBLE”. I LOVE that way of thinking!! And if that is not enough google the stories of Hulda Crooks, the woman who inspired the movie, JOY, Joy Mangano, Nick Vujicic [you may have heard of him–inspiring], Erik Weihenmayer [heard him speak & he was truly inspiring]. ACTION: Think of a dream you have held in your heart for awhile. Ask yourself, “Is it still something I want to do?” OR “Is there a different dream I would like to hold in my heart instead.” Take one of your impossible things and do something each week or morning & take a tiny step in that direction.
This quote to me is the epitome of not knowing your self. When one does not take the time to seek out their purpose, their direction, their dreams, their inner compass, their knowing, then they are left with a shell of insecurity. When someone knows who they are, what they want, where they are going, what they need, etc. they are more ready to face any challenge with the strength and knowledge of who they are. ACTION: What is something you can do to inspire you?
Remember this. If YOU don’t believe, then who will? It is your life. It is your dream. It becomes your reality. If you don’t believe in the magic of this life or who you are, you will never find it. ACTION: SEEK and YOU SHALL FIND IT. Seek out the magic, even in the ordinary.
Everyone is put into a different reality than the person next to you. We each have different struggles, challenges, stories, lives than anyone else. Your reality of the experiences you have are different than even those who may share similar experiences. Every single one of us are on a different journey, facing different fears, seeing different things, creating different outcomes. Life is different for everyone. ACTION: Look at your reality and find the things you are most grateful for & begin to give thanks for your reality. You have so much more than you know.
I think if we could go through our day feeling on purpose, feeling like we are heading in a direction, feeling like we have learned something, feeling positive, feeling confident, sending love, doing good…we would find peace in knowing we were becoming. Each day is about becoming a little better than before. ACTION: do something that enhances your day, that stretches, that helps you grow, that encourages self-awareness, that promotes a better you.
LIFE is an ADVENTURE. Never stop seeking to find the adventures that lie within it & within YOU.
Happy. HAPPY. Joy. JOY. -H
From Martha Beck article:
From a great article by Liz Kimball, Oprah
Soul Questions:
Well, I don’t want to overwhelm you with so many great questions, so this is it for today. I think this is a great start. I will follow-up with more questions at a later date.
I just watched a Super Soul Sunday with Oprah interviewing Sue Monk Kidd and wanted to share a few of my highlights from it. Enjoy!
“The attention of the heart is truly what prayer is.” I liked this thought because you can see how true it is. If you find wonder in the symmetry of leaves or the shadows of a tree, you can get lost in the lines of nature and become calm. OR, you can get lost in the attention of the world and not find peace, but noise and distraction. Where you place your attention does matter.
“We are always seeking a place of belonging.” I could relate to this thought because so much of my life was spent in a religion that is very tribe like. When I decided to seek my own path, it has been my path that I have had to find my own sense of personal belonging and freedom. I have not had to place my beliefs or my place in the hands of others. It is my space. My place.
“Something that brings us alive, pay attention to that.” We are all seekers of things that make us come alive, that fill us with excitement, that give us that sense of wholeness and purpose. When you begin to learn something new, to find a new direction, there is something that comes alive within us and and we want more.
“There is no place so awake and alive as the edge of becoming.” I think we can all relate to this thought because we have had moments, inspiration, thrill as we stand on the edge of an idea, a dream, a newness, a becoming. You feel so alive!
“Listen to the yearning within.” I think we all need to get to that point where we truly listen within and wait patiently for direction, answers, inspiration and have a faith that we will begin to hear the yearnings of our heart.
“Ask for the thing that lies at the bottom of your heart.” I think as we begin to truly listen within, we will get deeper and deeper to the true knowing that lies at the bottom of our hearts. We have deeply innate knowing of a greater divineness that is held deeply within our hearts. It is the greatest gift, if we can learn to unbury it.
“Who am I?” Oprah shared how she was asked to answer this question and it took her a few days to really take it in and answer—NOT the labels she has or the labels the world has given her. Sue then shared a similar experience—all the labels of the external self vs the TRUE inner self. She said, ‘maybe that is the point to life, to discover that part, to align with it, become more a part of it.”
“Always seek, but always acknowledge when you find something.” This was a very true point for me. I have been a seeker for most of my life & I hear this thought & know I have not taken the appropriate time to say THANK YOU for the many gifts I have been able to Seek & Find. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
She quoted William Wordsworth saying we need “spots of time” to remember we are holy, this is divine. I like the idea of having “spots of time” throughout your day to get quiet, to remember the holy reverence that is life.
“We truly become what we pay attention to. If we pay attention to our fears, worries…that becomes our life.” This is a good reminder for all of us to pay attention to what you truly pay attention to. Are your days filled with worry and regret? or are your days filled with gratitude and love? Listen to the words you say, the thoughts you think and what energy you are putting out into the world. We truly do affect our lives & those around us. What are you focusing on?
Oprah then did a Q&A:
PLANT FLOWERS. My daughter just did a school project to help our local bee populations. She did an educational outreach program to 5 schools within our community. She handed out seed packets for the children to plant at their homes and school. Flowers are so good for everything. Get out and plant some flowers that attract bees. Bees help pollinate 1/3 of the food we eat. Don’t be afraid of them. Help them.
TAKE PICTURES OF THE BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS. You can’t help but be in awe of the beautiful blooms of spring.
GO ON A BIKE RIDE. I Love the wind blowing my hair and the feeling of the wind as you bike through beautiful scenery. Find a new place near you that will be perfect for that easy ride or a scenic, mountain experience. Find a place you want to ride and make it happen.
EAT FOOD OFF OF A STICK. I laughed out loud as I looked in my rear view mirror and spotted a guy behind me stopped at a light and enjoying a giant skewer of meat on a stick. As he pulled up next to us, I told my daughter to look over at him. She began to laugh as she watched him lick and then shove an entire cupcake into his mouth. This guy was living the good life!! Here are 70 delicious foods on a stick!! http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/g2791/foods-on-sticks/
SPRING IS A GREAT TIME TO BBQ! Here are a few links to some of the best bbq recipes out there…FOODNETWORK recipes http://www.foodnetwork.com/grilling/grilling-central-barbecue/best-backyard-barbecue-recipes. ALLRECIPES http://allrecipes.com/recipes/88/bbq-grilling/ and COOKING LIGHT RECIPES http://www.cookinglight.com/food/top-rated-recipes/five-star-grill-recipes
GO MEATLESS for a bit. My husband is a meat man and I am a vegetarian, so our meals are always a mash up. My husband has been getting sick when he eats too much meat, so I have challenged him to give up the meat for a bit. I think it is a good thing for the body and gives your system a bit of a break. Spring is a great time to eat great salads, bbq veggies, and give your body a break.
EAT OUTSIDE. I love pulling out the patio chair cushions, putting up an umbrella and preparing for the sun!! Wahoo. It gets everything feeling right to pull up a chair and eat outside. Outdoor spaces open up and invite you to talk longer, breathe in fresh air, and enjoy the natural landscape. I also LOVE a good picnic. Who doesn’t enjoy throwing out a blanket, lounging under a tree and enjoying a yummy sandwich, good music or a good book, birds chirping, sun shining. Always a good time!
SPRING CLEAN. Spring cleaning is a perfect time to evaluate what you truly need in your life. Going through closets and clothes allows you to swap out cool cottons for heavy winter clothing. It also allows you to get rid of clothing you haven’t worn in the last year & donate them to someone who could use them. Clear out clutter to allow better things into your life. Here are some quick Spring Cleaning Shortcuts from REAL SIMPLE https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/spring-cleaning-shortcuts/spring-cleaning-shortcuts-intro
LOUNGE. Take some time each day to just lounge. Have a special spot outside, in a hammock or lounge chair and read, take in some sun, watch your children play, breathe in fresh air, or just watch the clouds.
EXPLORE. Take some time to get out and explore places you have never been. Maybe there is a garden you have never been to, a hike you have always wanted to do, a scenic road you have wanted to take…begin to try finding somewhere to explore.
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