Friday, October 28, 2011

Release


Have you ever noticed that the lessons we are to learn come in various forms?  Sometimes, the lessons are subtle, sometimes in your face, wrapped in nice packing or perhaps in an experience.
Please allow me to introduce Mitch, our 14 year old Papillion; he is “our boy”.
Beginning as a puppy, Mitch has been resilient from one adventure to another! Mitch may be small, only weighing 9 lbs, but he has a heart as big as the world, full of love, fun and an adventurous personality!
Over the past couple of years, Mitch has been experiencing his age, loss of hearing and vision. But he continues to adapt, putting one paw in front of the other! I have adapted as well to ensure his safety and ease of moving around the house.  At first, I felt sad about his loss of sight and vision, but watching him adapt and not miss a step, warmed my heart and feeling blessed that he looks and acts like a puppy!
This year I have been struggling with making a major decision on closing something that I have put my heart and soul into for many years. Energy, resources, time, creativity and so many other activities have gone into this venture. Yes, I was emotionally attached!  Struggling to make “the right” decision, my head and heart were in conflict as to what to do. Sound familiar?
One recent evening, fell into bed exhausted with Mitch lying next to me. I was reading and writing in my journal. All of a sudden I felt Mitch twitch, nothing unusual as when he sleeps he sometimes twitches. I call it “Mitch is dreaming again”…
All of a sudden, Mitch’s twitch turned into a continual shaking and twitching. I leaped off the bed and picked him up holding him close. This continued for what seemed an eternity. Holding him, kissing his head, sending love to him, didn’t cease his experience. Finally the tremors stopped only to start up again.
Not wanting Mitch to pick up on my concern and being scared stayed in the moment with him, it was later when he was resting that I fell to pieces.
When the shaking and tremors ceased, after he was cleaned up and he was lying in front of the fire in the fireplace, all warm and snuggled in his bed, I sat on the floor thinking about what we had just gone through together. Then a light went off!
Mitch once again, taught me a lesson – Release! No matter how much I wanted to help him in the moment, no matter how much love, I could not change, fix or stop what he was going through.
Lesson: Release what you cannot control!
Release, Allow and then respond to the outcome which best serves.
Mitch is doing fabulous; he is lying next to me as I am working. I am doing fabulous!  Releasing the venture has worked out better than ever imagined. New doors are opening up while winding down.
Is there something that you are holding onto that is out of your control?
If so, evaluate if  no longer within your control regardless of the emotional attachment – Release!
“Every minute of every day is a perfect miracle”   Walt Whitman
Consider not wasting on minute on what you can't control as the magic is in what you can control!
 Dream, Believe Again and Achieve all the You Desire!


Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Reflection and Gratitude


For the past few weeks I have been enjoying the transition of Summer to Fall.  Hope each of you have been enjoying as well!
My experience has been totally enhanced for the past few weeks with warm temperatures and beautiful days.  Though I enjoy the experience of four seasons, my preference is definitely warmer temperatures.
Suddenly, in a course of twenty four hours, woke up to a high temperature for the day in the 50’s! Now that isn’t freezing by any definition but a twenty degree temperature swing for me is significant. Sweaters, here I come!!
As I was preparing for my day, the sudden temperature shift triggered an opportunity to reflect on this transition. I began thinking about Spring/Summer, all the special events and places visited, friends, the fun stuff everyone does in the summer. The more I reflected the more apparent it became that reflection and Gratitude went hand in hand for me. Does it for you?
Time for me now to share that taking time to reflect on a season, a day, a year or perhaps a life will provide an opportunity to realize what an amazing life we each live. Yes, there are challenges, struggles or perhaps uncertainty, but that is also called “living life:
Reflection provides an opportunity to realize all things do pass, the sun comes up in the morning and knowledge or experiences have been gained. For that, comes gratitude for the experience, the interaction, and the lessons and importantly for the people in our life!  Thank you!
Reflection and Giving of Gratitude
*      What special adventures so far this year? Did you have fun? If so, why?
*      People in our lives, any significant interaction, did they help you, did you help them?
*      Vacation? Where? What did you do? Who shared the experience with you?
*      Any major decisions? If so, how did it turn out? Is it what you expected?
*      Family Member or Friend there for you? Support system?
*      Realized a dream, achieved a goal? How did it feel?
*      Major life event? Married, Divorced, birth of a child? Support system?
*      Good Health?
Take a few moments to reflect, acknowledge and give gratitude for there lays the calmness for the day. cl
“To me, every hour of the day and night is an unspeakably perfect miracle.”
            - Walt Whitman