Seeking Serenity

Is there a place that brings you
such peace, just by being there?
Where every breath of air just takes you gradually
into a deep state of ease and fills you with a strong sense of
"this is where I belong?"

A place where the cares of the world simply melt away and slip out of sight for awhile.

A place of relaxation, rejuvenation, even bliss...

A place where your heart sings, your soul rejoices, and every fiber of your being
is bathed in the incredible "rightness" of it all.

For me, that place is on the water with nature's sounds, sights, and smells filling the air.
All I have to do is enter this water zone and my breathing slows and deepens,
my smile broadens, my heart swells, and my eyes sparkle with a light from deep within.

The lake sparks something inside of me that lets me know that this is part of me,
and I am meant to be here.

Here I can simply BE.
Here I feel the oneness and the connection with all living things.

In this heaven on earth, I feel free.
I feel whole.
I am serenity.

In the Swamp

Every now and then I find myself
Stuck,
Deep in a dank and dark place,
Unable to see the light,
     even though I know it's there. 

Held here by my fears.
Held tightly by the negativity I feel
     within myself and from others.
Bound to this nasty place
Too weak to fight for fresh air

I feel the thoughts and attitudes of others
     wrap around me and pull me in.

I can't breathe here.
I can't remember who I am.
I don't know how I got here
     or how long I'll stay.

But for now it feels like this is
     all there is.

And, so I surrender.

And in that moment of letting go,
     a light of possibility emerges.
As I embrace the discomfort that
surrounds me, it loses its hold
and I no longer have to stay.

You're Already Here

Step on the path - any path.
There...you've arrived.
Precisely, perfectly where you are
     meant to be in this moment.
What glory greets you here?
What joys await?
What can you celebrate?

Too often we get tricked,
wrapped up in thinking,
"I'm getting there" or
"Someday, I'll get it."

There is no "there" and there is no "it:"
This is all you have that matters - 
     this moment.
What will you do with it?
BE.
That is all that's asked of you.
Breathe.
Be.
Experience.
And say "thank you."

It truly is that simple.
Why is that so hard?

Walk through the World Awake and Aware

What does it mean to be awake and aware?
It means to notice,
to listen,
to really hear,
to see,
to take in
the messages that are all around me.

It means to be conscious,
to notice how things affect me
and how what I do impacts others.

It means to choose consciously
what I do,
what I am around,
where I put my energy.

It means to be wise,
to listen to my own inner guidance,
to heed the red flags,
to breathe,
to learn,
to grow.

It means to face reality
and not sleep in denial.

And when I see reality,
to consciously decide how I will show up.

Who am I?
Who do I want to be?
Who is my best self, and
how do I access her no matter what?

Who do I align myself with?
Who drains me?
How do I stay in the right arena?

When I am awake and aware,
my mind can sleep, and
my heart will drive,
and I will end up where I am
     meant to be. 


(thank you to Robin Higgins for teaching me about being awake and aware many years ago!) 

Find the Truth

Find the truth...
In the midst of all the stories,
In the midst of all the rage,
In the midst of all the FEAR.

Dig deep.
It's in there - 
     inside your protected heart.

It's there.
Find it, 
Own it, and 
It will set you free.

Find your truth 
And live it. 

Numb

I can't even breathe.
There is no space for it.
I don't even know what I feel.
His intensity, his rage
     consume the space.

There is no space for me.
My body rigid,
My mind blank,
Trembling, unaware, and
    all too aware all at once.

No idea what to do,
No idea where to turn
     or how to feel.
I can't even cry
     on this horrible, unimagineable night.

I feel my heart shrivelling
     inside of me.
I feel the walls going up.
All I need to do now
     is survive.

No thought,
No hurt - it's too deep.
If I cry, the floodgates will open
And I will be consumed
     by what's in front of me,
     by what's incomprehensible,
     by what's real.

Numb....Simply numb. 

The What ifs

The What ifs can make you wonder.

The What ifs can make you cry.

The What ifs can stop you in your tracks,

without even knowing why.

The What ifs can be paralyzing –

they can take your breath away

and make you question yourself.

The What ifs can stop dreams

                from becoming reality.

The What ifs can keep us stuck…

What we know is safer – why push our luck?

HOWEVER, the What ifs can also sometimes

show up as a spark –

an inspiration,

an inkling,

a yearning deep down in our soul…

that creates a stirring,

an awakening of something long lost,

or long forgotten.

And, those What ifs can send us into

a land of new possibilities,

new dreams, new adventures…

It all depends on which What ifs you let into your life.

Which ones have a voice?

Which ones have a power?

Are they driven by fear and dread?

or are they driven by hope and anticipation?

Do they come from within or

do they come from others’ thoughts or voices?

Listen to the What ifs of the heart –

answer their call,

and the others will become more quiet,

more unfamiliar, more unnecessary over time.

How often do we let the pressure of what others think or want

drive us away from the amazing What ifs of our own Spirit –

the one that already knows the answers?

What if we listened to our hearts?

What if we followed our dreams?

What if?

What if we embraced each day with gratitude

for the gifts it brings?

What if we seek the nuggets of wisdom and perfection

in each and every experience, including the uncomfortable,

challenging, or scary ones?

What if we quieted the noisy mind and listened to our perfect inner guidance?

What if then?

Who knows?