Hello friends!
I write to you this afternoon balancing on a brightly colored green stability ball… desiring a playful, mobile seat, as well as a fresh perspective from which to share with you today! I think the temps in Las Vegas have been in the 115-117 degrees the past few days- sure to challenge even the most committed of positive thinkers. If I were to use Tony Robbins’ “Transformational Vocabulary”, I’d call it ” just a tad bit warm out today!”
(Rolling on my green ball laughing enthusiastically).
As some of you know, I thoroughly enjoy reading… especially non-fiction, psychology and self development themed books. I honestly believe there are not enough hours in our lifetime to read all the greatness that exists! I love sharing this info with you, as I trust there are some of you who can relate or share with a friend or family member that may benefit from the message.
There has been a reoccurring theme in the pages of a few books I’ve recently finished encouraging me to discover a bit more of the child within. Seems life, if we lose awareness, has a tendency to become routine, drab, and downright uninspiring, holding us and our creativity prisoner behind locked bars of cast-iron rigidity. We have fallen into auto-pilot making decisions and behaving in a manner controlled by our thinking mind instead of operating from a place of conscious awareness– the present moment- our essence. This co-mingling of our minds with our identity, easily clouds our thinking and will gladly assume control over us rather than aiding us on our journey towards freedom from suffering.
In the opening chapters of Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now, he shares this insight on observing thoughts and emotions in our mind:
One of the main tasks of the mind is to fight or remove that emotional pain, which is one of the reasons for its incessant activity, but all it can ever achieve is to cover it up temporarily. In fact, the harder the mind struggles to get rid of the pain, the greater the pain. The mind can never find the solution, nor can if afford to allow you to find the solution, because it is itself an intrinsic part of the ‘problem’.
This is very interesting to ponder. Stop and think about that for a second.
He goes on to suggest we may delight in being aware of this thought process in our mind, and act merely as an “observer” of these thoughts. Recognizing that we are not our thoughts. Ego is a distinct persona- separate from our true selves. In other words, we are not our minds.
So how do we disidentify with this mind that seeks to dominate our thinking, propelling us continually into the false realities of the future or reeling us backwards into the antagonizing imagery and pain of our pasts? Tolle continues to say,
“That by learning to rest in states of being- Love, Joy, and Peace, rather than emotional states (happy, angry, anxious, irritated, etc. ) we are able to avoid being part of the dualistic mind, which are subject to the law of opposites- and usually are short lived pleasures, perpetuating the pain/pleasure cycle. “
In summary, we focus on the NOW. Sounds simple enough, right?
Well, if any of you suffer from an over active mind contemplating everything that may be, (future projections) along with everything that ever was (past grievances), you will undoubtedly find yourself in a state of mental and physical exhaustion. I speak from experience. This brain has an ingrained habit of recycling emotions, overanalyzing situations, and causing unnecessary stress to the physical body.
Guilty as charged.
Time for a little self-check. What is your mind doing to you? Serving you or using you like a wheel on a Tour-de-France cyclists’ bicycle-spinning and undulating hundreds of revolutions per minute along with the same recurring thoughts.
Time to interrupt the pattern.
You can decide to make new ones. All it takes is a decision, and what marvelous power there is in decision-making! (thank you Tony Robbins for emphasizing this distinction!)
I’ve been blessed to spend time with a couple of friends lately, one of whom had a baby just 10 weeks ago. We agreed ( read – DECIDED) an overnight , girls-only slumber party involving deep connection would awaken our inner child and remind us how incredibly grateful we are to enjoy the abundant pleasure of each others’ company. With Hannah-endearingly nicknamed Jumping Bean thanks to her world-traveling, adventurous parents- we giggled and embraced the grounding effects that a newborn baby brings.
We prepared and feasted on a palate pleasing dinner of baked eggplant and zucchini lasagna layered with a richly textured northern bean and spinach filling. Angela Liddon at www.ohsheglows.com, you continue to amaze me! Love your recipes and thank you for sharing with the world! (your really have to try this, it’s simply de-LISH!)
How might you embrace your inner child this week? What does letting go a little look like to you? Is there something new you have always wanted to try, but felt silly or too embarrassed to start? A new way of cooking? A dance or exercise class? Trying your hand at a musical instrument, maybe volunteering in a child-friendly environment…. Calling a friend, or downloading a chic-flick and having a good old-fashioned slumber party- and yes, I’m talking with blankets and pillows on the floor!! Old school- It is AWESOME, and I promise the deep engagement will make the lack of sleep well worth it! Give yourself permission to create NEW habits! Interrupt the patterns keeping you tied in a knot of monotony! It feels so good!
Take this thought with you:
Here’s to all the connections that happen!
Please share how you let your inner child loose in the comments! We learn best from each other!
Standing in love with you all!!
xoxo Jennifer
Stand In Love 