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Sometimes it’s the changing scenery around something that causes us to see a familiar sight anew.
One of my stained glass creations looked totally different to me today when it was framed by the new snow outside.
I should never assume that I have actually seen everything that I could see about something……new moments bring new dimensions of the spirit of things.
When I saw these these tree crowns that were illuminated by the rising sun this morning, I thought again about the pinnacles of Olympians.
I wonder what it is like to be an Olympic gold medal winner, after all of the media attention dies down.
Charlie White and Meryl Davis won the Olympic gold in Sochi, in Ice Dancing. They have been Ice Dance partners for 17 years, since Meryl was age 10, and Charlie, 9. Like any professional athletes, they have an intense training schedule. It’s their job, of course.
Right after their win, Charlie said that they had trained for winning the medal, but they hadn’t trained for the moment after the win.
I’m guessing that he was referring specifically to the immediate media onslaught that happens post-win. However, I am curious about what it is like to have trained nearly every day of your life for years, with that Olympic gold medal in mind (it was the primary goal they were shooting for) and then, you’ve done it.
Then what?
And that is exactly what everyone is asking Charlie and Meryl.
I haven’t heard anyone encourage Not Knowing, although that is the answer that they have been giving to the press. We don’t know. We’re going to take some time to think about it.
I’m curious about how much permission they are giving themselves to really be immersed in Not Knowing, and Not Having to Know. I hope it is a lot.
Our cultural mainstream message is something to the effect that you need to know, to have a plan about where you are going next, and what the next goal is, or, at the very least, what direction you are heading in.
And yet there is tremendous power in completely clearing a space out to truly Not Know. Like a white board, with nothing on it. Sometimes we are surprised at what shows up when we do that.
It takes incredible courage to stay in Not Knowing, until you Know. Luckily, Olympians have bucketloads of courage. Many blessings to Meryl and Charlie on their next journeys, whatever they may be.
I notice that in my rush to get somewhere else, I often miss the moment. I’ve shared that recognition before.
What I’ve also noticed is that I then miss the feeling of the moment, too.
Here is a simple moment where I caught myself and stopped to feel the welcoming, belonging, warm feeling of home, on a cold snowy night, when I really “took in” the light and the path.
How many nurturing, enveloping moments are waiting for me, just to take them in?
I’m playing with noticing my life differently this year, being present to the moments before they change. While they are being like they will never quite be, exactly, again.
Seems like there are a lot of those moments this winter.
In this one, it felt like the sky was brooding, in the power of the cold and the wind. Such a great moment.
I’ve been paying attention to the moments.
One thing I have learned is that they are fleeting, especially as nature paints her ever emerging canvas.
Last night, as we were driving down our road towards home, I caught this sunset out of the corner of my eye, just there for a fleeting moment.
Our driveway is still resembling a hockey rink, but today, I could feel that the sun has traveled noticeably toward the due East point, in its journey towards Spring Equinox.
The light is wider, fuller, more expansive.
What is the light teasing to awaken in you?
A recent birthday got me thinking. Birthdays have a tendency to do that, don’t they?
As I pondered the year ahead, I thought about what would make it the Best Year Ever.
We would all answer that differently. We tend to think of special landmarks in our lives, celebrations with families or friends, new adventures. For some of us, it’s doing things that we want to do from our dream list or life list. We look forward to the year in eager anticipation of doing new things, accomplishing new fulfilling goals.
And what if life shows up and has different plans for us? A dear friend of mine lost her husband, suddenly and unexpectedly, this year. On a much smaller scale, but still an interruption, I was consigned to a couch for two months of summer while my broken wrist and banged-up knees healed. And right after I was sprung from the couch, I got bronchitis, another little physical take-down.
What if the Best Year Ever is merely the exquisite quality of attention that I pay to my life? That what makes it the Best Year Ever is my degree of presence, rather than things that happened to me or things I did?
For one thing, I have complete choice over that. I get to choose how I come to my life.
This occurred to me when I was on an “ordinary” dog walk, with my pack, my husband and two dogs, a week or so ago. This is something we do a few times a day. Nothing extraordinary, right?
When I looked at these asters, everything else in the world disappeared for me. They drew me like a magnet, and I fell in love with them in that instant. And the thought that came into my mind was “Best Year Ever.”
“There are a multitude of ways you can cultivate a sense of gratitude.” The Art of Pilgrimage, page 205
This is the gate to the city of Pamplona, Spain.
In the memoirs I have been reading about the Camino, all pilgrims seem to mention the immense sense of gratitude that they feel upon reaching the gate of a city, or the outskirts of a city that is their destination for the day. This special threshold heralds the upcoming proximity of the albergue, or pilgrimage hostel, their shelter and respite for the night.
I spoke of Waking Up in my last blog post, and I realized that one of my favorite ways to Wake Up to my life is what I call the Appreciation Buffet.
I carve out 10 or 15 minutes in my day to sit down and reflect on all the things that immediately come to mind, in that moment, that I appreciate.
These are things that are really easy to appreciate, and the key for me is that I can easily feel (italics) a strong feeling of appreciation when I focus on them.
Things on my list: my dog Cinnamon making snow angels or how the light shining through my stained glass panels enlivens them.
I don’t just create a list. It doesn’t matter if there are only one or two things on the list. It matters that these are powerful things for me, and that they evoke that full, wonderful feeling of great and deep appreciation.
Visiting the Appreciation Buffet wakes me up the abundance that is my life.
More than one client has said to me: “Why can’t I spend just 15 minutes per day checking in with my inner guidance? I know it would make a big difference in my life. Why don’t I just do it?”
I ask a different question: What would make it easy for you to do?
Changing habits reminds me of swimming.
Some people like to get into the water gradually, acclimating to the water a bit at a time, until they are all the way in. Those are “Dippers.”
Others prefer to jump in. I call them “Jumpers.”
Think about the times when you have been successful changing a habit or making a new one. Did you do it a little bit at a time, until it was fully implemented? Or, did you “just do it,” full blown, right out of the starting gate?
When it comes to changing or making habits, are you a Dipper or a Jumper?
Both of them work really effectively, and when I think of habits that I have changed or made in the past, I’ve actually used both strategies. But I think I am more naturally a Dipper.
Tip for Dippers: Commit to a very small amount every day, something that is possible, rather than what you think you “should” be doing. It doesn’t matter if you connect with your inner guidance for only 5 minutes per day. Consistency is what you are going for, and that is your measure of success. It will build it’s own momentum as you do it consistently, and then you can increase the time.
Tip for Jumpers: Ask yourself: “If I say ‘Yes’ to connecting with my inner guidance for 15 minutes a day, what am I saying ‘No’ to?” And then make sure that your new habit is important and meaningful enough to “trump” the thing that you are saying No to. It helps to be consciously aware of what we are saying No to, rather than just adding one more thing to our plates.
Whether you are a Dipper or a Jumper, I’m wishing you many blessings on your journey of implementing habits that will be nourishing, exciting, and meaningful for you.
