“Our lives can be built, not as a reaction to a problem but, rather, as a living testament to a solution.”
Courageous Living
Hello Beautiful,
Welcome to the holiday season! I hope you and yours are well. May this season be one of choice not obligation. One of inspiration, not exhaustion. As the days grow shorter and we enter Winter, it is the natural rhythm to slow down and replenish.
To the contrary, our consumer culture makes this the busiest time of the year. It’s your choice how to participate in the season. I encourage you to remember this and to choose carefully what you want to give yourself to.
This takes courage and clarity. These two virtues allow you to make choices that align with your heart and spirit rather than be carried by expectation and momentum.
Courage comes from the old French linguistic root for heart: “corage” —heart, innermost feelings. To follow your inner most feelings and your heart is to be bold, brave, and different. If what you aspire to seems too big to be believed or too simple to be honored by others then you are probably listening well to your soul.
When what we aspire to falls outside of the traditional track people take, then it is often genuine and not manipulated by the surrounding influences. Of course, the insistence on being different can be it’s own conformity. Some people instinctively rebel against the expectations of the group.
Their non conformity is predictable. There is a distinct energy of those that are oppositional. But, we aren’t trying to be different as a matter of course. We are different in a non-referential way. We aren’t “this” because of the bad “that”.
If you begin to notice that you have constructed any part of your life as a bulwark against something you dislike….congratulations! That’s the first step to your next level of freedom. What comes next is determining what you are FOR.
What are you living in service to, in support of? How are you an example of freedom in spite of prevailing fears? We are in integrity in our Soul when we are living in alignment with our priorities. It is a waste of energy to build any part of our personality or life in reaction to a real or perceived problem rather than as a living testament to a solution.
For example, you may begin gardening because you fear food shortages, hate agribusiness and its polluting practices. You can also begin gardening because you love the idea of becoming more self sufficient, you want greater connection to the seasons and the soil, and you know that you can create the highest quality sustenance by growing it yourself.
In the first scenario, your fear and resentment fuel the action. In the second scenario, your desire to thrive in health and connection to nature drive the action. Both result in your gardening habit. But only one is deeply restorative to body, soul, and spirit.
Courage to care about getting to the root of our motivations is key because it illuminates the core beliefs that are running our “programs”. The ability to sit in silence, be still, and listen will develop your ability to discern the hidden things.
In stillness, the water and mud settle into two distinct layers and you can see clearly through the water. When everything is stirred up, no visibility is possible in the water. The discipline to be still and breathe deeply while quieting your mind develops true discernment.
And that is what I wish for you….courage, clarity, discernment, and integrity of life. Those are the best gifts to give yourself and others. May you orient your pace of life and subsequent choices in service of these anchors.
Cheering you on,
Rachel
PS If you are looking for support in re-imagining your life, reach out to schedule a discovery call.