There's this book I really love... a book I got years ago that I still check in with from time to time. It's called "Journey to the Heart" by Melody Beattie. It's a collection of musings and meditations with an entry for every day of the year. I've owned lots of self-help and spiritual books over the years, but this is one that has stuck with me and always seems to resonate. Looking for some blogging inspiration, I flipped to the entry for May 4th, entitled "Cherish Each Moment". It couldn't have been more in alignment with where I was. In it, she writes: "Most of us relish the magnificent spiritual experiences, those tremendous discoveries, those important times of change. But those moments don't happen that often. The truth is, each moment in time is a spiritual experience, an important time of change. Cherish ALL your moments. Let each moment have value. The life you desire is happening right now. Your destiny is here."
See, I thought I needed some inspiration. I haven't blogged in a few weeks because I wasn't sure I had anything of real value to blog about. Life is peaceful. Simple and peaceful. No angst... no deep soul searching... no major "a-ha" revelations. Oh, it's not that I don't have those human (or hormonal, lol) "moments" or upsets or irritations... it's just that life overall feels GOOD. And I almost feel guilty about that. ;-) Almost. Until I remember all the angst-ridden, raw nerved times of unrest before this. Working a stressful job, lamenting life choices, searching for peace, happiness, and love. Thinking too much and trying too hard. It's not that I ever intend to stop growing or evolving... it's just that these days it feels like my heart has arrived, if you will. Or maybe it's more like I have finally arrived at my heart. I feel a sense of wholeness I don't think I ever have before. Like everything that matters is right here, right now... inside and out. And I know to cherish it. And I am grateful... so grateful. Part of it is having seasoned perspective and awareness... and part of it is about spiritual alignment and what has manifested as a result. A healthy, loving, satisfying relationship. Work that doesn't feel like work and pays my bills. Work that uses my gifts and talents, feels purposeful, and that I enjoy. Living simply and beautifully amongst the trees, birds, and frogs. :-)
Simplicity has become huge for me. I used to think simple was boring. But I think I was mistaking it for superficiality. Superficiality is definitely boring to me. :-) But simplicity... simplicity is not boring as it might imply nor is it necessarily easy. Simplicity is a choice. An intention. And for some of us, it's hard-earned. I personally had to retrain my brain. I had to recognize and undo detrimental thought patterns and create new ones. Which is exactly what "New Thought" is. It's reprogramming the mind, basically, to align with our true nature... our core. And I'm here to say, it works. And the reason I know it works is that as I've shifted my thoughts over the course of a decade or so, my surroundings and my experience of life have shifted.
So here I sit in this beautiful little trailer out in the country and I experience the "simple sacred"... the warmth, the energy, the colors and decor. Through the windows I see lush green. I hear birds chirping. I feel peace. I spend most days writing, making music... making and sharing meals... drinking wine... walking in nature... loving and being loved. I mean, what else is there, really? :-) Well, ok... there are also chores and tasks and other such responsibilities to tend to, but my "heart essentials" are all graciously in place.
And in creating this simpler life with less space, I've really had to downsize. That means getting rid of "stuff". Can I tell you how freeing that is? Just yesterday I put two bags worth of paperwork and memorabilia into the recycling bin. Another bag I am going to burn or shred. As I sifted and sorted, my song "What Falls Away" came into my head: "...with a kiss goodbye, I let go of all the tattered pieces... what falls away reveals the essence... the essence of me". Simplicity is all about stripping down to the essence, inside and out. To that which is essential. To what matters.
There was a time I think I was hooked on drama and complication... that somehow it made me feel alive. These days it's quite the opposite and I've never felt more alive. And SO relieved. I know now that simple is not boring and is indeed valuable. It's something I'm learning to celebrate... every day.
See, I thought I needed some inspiration. I haven't blogged in a few weeks because I wasn't sure I had anything of real value to blog about. Life is peaceful. Simple and peaceful. No angst... no deep soul searching... no major "a-ha" revelations. Oh, it's not that I don't have those human (or hormonal, lol) "moments" or upsets or irritations... it's just that life overall feels GOOD. And I almost feel guilty about that. ;-) Almost. Until I remember all the angst-ridden, raw nerved times of unrest before this. Working a stressful job, lamenting life choices, searching for peace, happiness, and love. Thinking too much and trying too hard. It's not that I ever intend to stop growing or evolving... it's just that these days it feels like my heart has arrived, if you will. Or maybe it's more like I have finally arrived at my heart. I feel a sense of wholeness I don't think I ever have before. Like everything that matters is right here, right now... inside and out. And I know to cherish it. And I am grateful... so grateful. Part of it is having seasoned perspective and awareness... and part of it is about spiritual alignment and what has manifested as a result. A healthy, loving, satisfying relationship. Work that doesn't feel like work and pays my bills. Work that uses my gifts and talents, feels purposeful, and that I enjoy. Living simply and beautifully amongst the trees, birds, and frogs. :-)
Simplicity has become huge for me. I used to think simple was boring. But I think I was mistaking it for superficiality. Superficiality is definitely boring to me. :-) But simplicity... simplicity is not boring as it might imply nor is it necessarily easy. Simplicity is a choice. An intention. And for some of us, it's hard-earned. I personally had to retrain my brain. I had to recognize and undo detrimental thought patterns and create new ones. Which is exactly what "New Thought" is. It's reprogramming the mind, basically, to align with our true nature... our core. And I'm here to say, it works. And the reason I know it works is that as I've shifted my thoughts over the course of a decade or so, my surroundings and my experience of life have shifted.
So here I sit in this beautiful little trailer out in the country and I experience the "simple sacred"... the warmth, the energy, the colors and decor. Through the windows I see lush green. I hear birds chirping. I feel peace. I spend most days writing, making music... making and sharing meals... drinking wine... walking in nature... loving and being loved. I mean, what else is there, really? :-) Well, ok... there are also chores and tasks and other such responsibilities to tend to, but my "heart essentials" are all graciously in place.
And in creating this simpler life with less space, I've really had to downsize. That means getting rid of "stuff". Can I tell you how freeing that is? Just yesterday I put two bags worth of paperwork and memorabilia into the recycling bin. Another bag I am going to burn or shred. As I sifted and sorted, my song "What Falls Away" came into my head: "...with a kiss goodbye, I let go of all the tattered pieces... what falls away reveals the essence... the essence of me". Simplicity is all about stripping down to the essence, inside and out. To that which is essential. To what matters.
There was a time I think I was hooked on drama and complication... that somehow it made me feel alive. These days it's quite the opposite and I've never felt more alive. And SO relieved. I know now that simple is not boring and is indeed valuable. It's something I'm learning to celebrate... every day.
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