A Warm Embrace
OK. Just so we are tracking, so far in 2022 we’ve had Inspiration January, Determination February, Confidence March, and now we are in, ready? Renewal April. Taa Daa!
Well it is springtime after all, and I like to look at the newness that this time of year offers at almost every turn. On my walks the air seems thicker and smells sweeter. I always marvel at the automaticness (pretty sure it’s a word, and really just checking to see if you are reading or skimming) of the seasonal change. I don’t have to do anything, get permission or even deserve it, and here it comes, beautiful springtime every year. Even in the midst of very challenging times.
What do you bring into spring this year? Where are you in the “titles “ of your life? Think of these five areas, what’s the caption?
Family
Home
Career
Community
Relationships
For me, I like the sound of these captions:
Family - Bonded
Home - The Welcoming Place
Career - Tying it All Together, Service
Community (or faith community) - Welcome to Your Sanctuary
Relationships - We Belong to Each Other
I don’t always live up to my aspired titles, and that’s ok. Inevitably there will be “thin places” as Barbara Taylor Bradford writes about. Times that I don’t have the wherewithal (ok that one IS a word) to be as gracious with myself and others. Then comes regret, which is right up there with guilt and worry as emotions with ZERO upside.
Embracing where you are right now requires some good skill. It needs compassion. Make peace with it. Remember the human experience is wrought with ups and downs. We make the downs so much bigger when we decide to perseverate in them. The downs bring the color to the ups, for without one we don’t really know the other. Compassion is the way to powerful change, not harshness, cruelty or judgment. Did you know you can have compassion for yourself?
So why don’t we agree to loosen that grip and replace it with a warm embrace? I can tell you the other side, acceptance and embracing has so much peace in it. That’s my wish for you (and for me) peace my friend. Peace.
We’ll put that embrace to work next week as we look at pillars for renewal. In the meantime, if you'd like to drill down on the skills that make a peaceful mind possible, let me help. You deserve it, I promise you that
Grateful for you,
Anne