Category: Tidbits of Wisdom

Today, my being said, “STOP!”. Yes, in BIG BOLD letters I heard:

Stop. Take a break. You have nothing left to give.

Have you ever gotten that message? Do you heed it when it comes? Do you know the signs leading up to it?

I don't always heed the signs. All too often, I keep going, keep pushing, keep doing, keep on keepin' on.

Today, I felt like I didn't have a choice but to heed the warning. While I wanted to write a Tidbit for you, I had nothing to say. I wanted to do something creative, nothing sounded interesting. I didn't want to be alone – but I didn't want to be with a friend either. I tried shopping for something that would make me smile, but I only walked aimlessly through the store. The only thing that seemed possible was cry, crash, and burn. While this isn't true for everyone, for me, that's depression talking. And when my body gives me that message, I'm long overdue on something!

What about you? How do your body, mind, emotion, and spirit inform you when:

• You've been working too hard for too long …
  
• You need some time alone to recharge …
  
• You just need to play a little bit …
  
• You need to treat yourself to something special …
  
• … it is time to STOP!

And do you have a practice, a habit, for listening regularly to the messages from your being so that you catch the “early warning signs”? It can be as simple as five deep breaths several times a day – OR – a morning and evening centering time. Imagine five minutes to get grounded in the day and another five to close out the evening. Once that becomes a habit, a couple things will happen:

1. You'll come to appreciate it and it will add value to your life experience
   
2. You'll notice when the habit slips, you forget, or you're too distracted to “do it justice” – this, then, is your early warning sign

For the next 21 days, try it … you just may like it!

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A few short hours ago, I wrote this article:

Power In Perspective

I'm back because the lesson continues to deepen. I did go to the yoga studio this morning. And I went from that place of knowing it was a gift, an “I GET TO!” activity. I also went with my sacred “heart rock” in tow because I wanted my practice to be heart-led and a gift for my body which is still healing from a year-old injury.

Earlier this week, it was suggested to me that I stop yoga for awhile and let my body heal. “No!” I screamed. “If I let it go for a month or more, I may never return. I'll get soft. I must continue but honor my body when I am there.” What I'd like you to read into that statement is: “Sounds a bit stubborn, Jeanne. Definitely one perspective. But, has it worked?”

No, it hasn't worked. The suggestion to take break was the Universe yet sending another message to me. And I promptly told the Universe, “No.”

True to form, the Universe didn't quit. Remember that heart rock? Well, midway through my yoga practice, when I was pausing to honor my sore body, I remembered it. And a new perspective showed up: the Heart perspective. When my heart had a chance to be heard, the tears began to flow. I knew in that moment that I needed to take a break, that I needed to tell my teacher of my intention, and that the Heart perspective was one of immense love for this human being and this body.

As soon as I allowed the shift from stubborn to Heart, I was gifted with freedom, creative ideas, expectation of good, and ease in the process. I was also reminded of lyrics (my own – go figure!) that pretty well sum it up:

from One Grain of Sand …

What's possible on the other side of change?
What's possible when my world is rearranged?
What's possible once I've risked the letting go?
What's possible? It scares me, I don't know.

What's probable once I dare to face the light?
What's probable if I let go of this fight?
What's probable when a new way is revealed?
What's probable? Just maybe I am healed.

So I ask again:

Where would a change in perspective free you?
What's possible if you risk letting go?

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TLC. I think I learned that it means “Tender Loving Care”. Yes, that's it. And it is beautiful.

But today my focus was on the day ahead of me which includes a long drive to a family wedding. I began to look at what this includes:

• two people proclaiming their commitment to love one another with all of us
  
• lots of family members to engage with
  
• a Catholic mass in a beautiful cathedral
  
• a chance to hear our son play his cello
  

Truth is, part of me went down the path of hearing only LONG drive, lots of idle time, lots of people and “busy-ness”, a Catholic mass that I no longer choose to participate in, … All of that means a day I am not free to do “what I want to do” in my own space.

YIKES! The stories I could spin about the day were growing long! I decided to play the “What if …?” game with myself and I heard:

What if love is the answer?
What if I go with an open mind?
What if I drop all stories?
What if I hold no expectations?
What if I bring curiosity for it all?
What if I bring the love I am?

It was then that I remembered that this day, this event, the people and how they show up today, all of this is a once in a lifetime occurrence. It will never show up like this again. To quote myself (oh boy!) from recent Tidbits:

PS: Don't let your plans control your life 20 Jul 2012
Don't Blink, Don't Label! 8 Jul 2012

I don't need plans today. I don't need to label anything! And I certainly don't want to blink and miss an amazing opportunity to be with and share love!

So, I have an intention. I intend to move into this day with TLC:

(T)otally (L)oving (C)uriosity

That is it. I am love. I see love. I am curious and open to the gift that is present in each moment, beginning now.

In what ways will you let (T)otally (L)oving (C)uriosity lead your life today?

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Last time I wrote, I was cloud watching and decided that blinking and labeling could limit our experiences a lot! This morning, while sitting outside for the first time in weeks due to the extreme weather conditions, I almost added don't plan.

Don't plan? Okay, that isn't quite the message. But it came to me as I was aware of how spectacular the weather was and how FULL my calendar was. In particular, I'd planned to go to an indoor yoga class at 9:00. Now I haven't gone for a simple walk in my neighborhood in weeks because the weather has been stifling. Here I am sitting on my porch, witnessing a peaceful, cool, dry summer morning and sensing a need to hurry so I could get to yoga (followed by the rest of my full schedule!) on time.

What's wrong with this picture?

It took me a few minutes to realize that I had again wakened to my plans, the schedule, and was ready to do life. Missing was awareness of what was here now. Missing was being in my life. And a sadness fills me as I write that. I want to live the moments, be present to my life, not just do tasks.

How about you?

In what ways do you let plans control your life?
In what ways are you present to sacred moments?
Where are you a human doing?
How might you allow yourself to be a human being today?

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A few weeks ago I wrote about self-love and proposed it as the answer to humanity's woes. This week, the phrase “Are you available?” has been floating around in me. I'm a little afraid to get started here thinking this entry could get long, especially as the two tie together a bit. But, I will start and see what happens!

“Are you available?” comes from seeing so much pain and challenge in the lives of those around me: serious illness in family members, depression, jobs that aren't fulfilling or go contrary to deeply held beliefs, jobs that are non-existent, … And the list goes on. And, the same persons seem to have more than their quota of simultaneous challenges! My heart reaches out to each of these human beings in a big way – I want to support, help, and do whatever I can to ease the pain.

Am I available? The flexibility in my schedule allows me to be physically available way more than I could when I was at the office nine to five. And I am grateful! Not all of you can say the same thing. There really is only “so much time in a day”. Beyond that, you just got done reading about self-love and spending more of that precious free time on yourself and now I'm talking about being available to others! No, I haven't (yet) figured out how to get 48 hours in every day.

So what is the message here?
What am I thinking?

We are more than physical beings. We are emotional, intellectual and spiritual beings as well. We have the option of being present or absent in each of these. Have you ever been physically present while your thoughts were on another planet (or trying to figure out how you would get out of this conversation gracefully)? Have you ever been so emotionally consumed with your current challenge that everything you did went wrong?

In these moments, you were present… but were you available?

Personally, there have been many times in my life where I have to say: “No, I was not available. I was physically present but emotionally or intellectually absent”. I was not available to the human being in front of me who desired my undivided attention and trusted me to give it. Unfortunately, I missed a lot of my sons' childhood, so caught up in what was to come that I missed the sacred moments here and now. Sometimes, I am sad and embarrassed to say, this still happens. It has become even more apparent since my coach training has taught me about the foundational skill of “self-management”. When the coach has “self thoughts” going on, they cannot be available to their client.

Are you available?

• Do you wear the world loosely enough that “the stuff of life”, the to-do list, can be set aside with ease?
• Do you take great care of your physical being with good food in right amounts, adequate sleep and healthy exercise that you have all the strength you need when “their need” takes you out of your routine?
• Do you have a spiritual belief system that allows you to trust and frees you from needing to “figure it all out yourself” so you can be intellectually available?
• Do you love yourself so much that you can't imagine that you have nothing to give when asked?

Are you available?

For today, just notice. Begin to become aware of what consumes your precious life energy. If you find yourself less available than you would like to those human beings who share this journey with you, ask yourself:

What am I willing to release?
What task just doesn't need to happen?
What level of trust would free me?
How important is it anyway?

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