It is so simple…

How simple it is to see that all the worry in the world cannot control the future.

Here’s the thing. There is always going to be something going on that could get in the way of your happiness. There are, and will be, wars and illnesses and violent crimes that make no sense. There will be extra weight or not enough weight and that hairline that isn’t quite where you think it should be. The guy in the office next to you, the neighbor across the way or the instructor you avoid – all of whom seem to be hellbent on making life tougher for you? They are not going anywhere.

It’s true. Life can be challenging.

Does that mean, though, that you can’t be happy until the day you wake up and find that everything has gone Disney and is perfect in your eyes?

I think not.

It’s all about finding a way to stay steady in the midst of chaos, or lack, or darkness. It’s about knowing that, no matter what, everything really is ok, and perfect, in it’s own way. It’s about believing that you are just where you are supposed to be, right here, right now.

It’s that simple.

So today, how can you choose to be happy? What can you see clearly in the fogginess of life? Where can you just be you – the marvelous creature that only you can be?

I see you. I do.

It is Wednesday, not Tuesday and yet… I am still joining Heather and the wonderful writers who Just Write here… hope you will join us!

The best day…

The best day
of your life
is the one on
which you decide
your life is
your own.

~ Bob Moawad ~

The way…

The way is not in the sky.

~ Buddha ~

You, as much as anybody…

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

~ Buddha ~

On Valentine’s Day, and every day, this is true.

Fear, fuel and other f words…

Fear is excitement without breath.

~ Robert Heller ~

I’ve been wondering for a while now – what if a lot of what I label as fear is actually excitement? Excitement with an edge, maybe, but excitement, nonetheless. And if the “fear” is actually excitement, couldn’t it be used as fuel to propel me forward?

That thought has been floating around my noggin for an embarrassingly long time, actually. I’ve been playing with it, and doing what I ask my clients to do. Getting curious, just observing, letting it hang out with me and watching where it goes.

It went to Google, finally, typed in “fear and excitement quote” (I know, you picture me pulling these quotes out of thin air or leather bound books. Sometimes I do, and sometimes Google does it for me), and up popped just the answer I was looking for.

It’s true, isn’t it? When we are afraid, we tend to hold our breath. And when we hold our breath, energy gets stuck and whatever emotion we are feeling isn’t really going anywhere, is it? Or at least that’s how it feels. When I operate from fear, time slows down to a point where molasses would seem to pour at warp speed. And when I move from excitement? Things happen so quickly that I am hoping there’s a brake pedal somewhere, just in case. Minutes expand into hours, days open up into weeks and it is all ridiculously fun, no matter how difficult the actual task might be.

So that’s the other “f word”. Fun. Not, perhaps, what you were expecting.

I’ve been having fun playing with fear, watching it swirl around me, trying to upset my stomach and scrunch up my brow. Just like fishing – I let it take the line, and then I reel it back in, with breath and attention and a whole lot of compassion. And when I add all that? Things get exciting. They move forward at incredible speed, doors fly open, and I just watch, in complete awe, taking it all in.

I suspect I’ll be having fun with fear for quite some time – want to join me? Just notice when you tighten up, when you resist what is. Take a deep breath or two (or thirty), move your body and see if you can find a thread of what might be excitement. Go to that edge. Stay there. See what happens… let me know!