“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
(From Mary Oliver’s “The Summer Day,” New and Selected Poems)
September is upon us. Before you know it, Halloween will be here, followed closely by Thanksgiving and then, yes, Christmas! Where has 2014 gone? And what have we done in 2014 to further our self awareness and personal development? Have we touched upon our soul, our very essence? Have we plumbed it; explored it? If the answer is yes, superb. Bravo to you! If we have not, perhaps we need to lay aside the daily, weekly, monthly, burdens, i.e., our day jobs, that divert our attention from those tasks that nourish our souls and are the essence of each of us, long enough to do so.
Affirmations Recalled
Way back in January, I challenged Joyful Life Tools’ readers to create affirmations that embodied each of our goals for 2014. If you have not already done so, now is the time to find those affirmations, dust them off, and re-evaluate them. Are they still pertinent to the essence of who you are or who you want to be? Do they embody you in your truest sense as you know (or want to know) you today?
My Soul Revealed
From a personal perspective, my affirmations need some revamping. Over the last few months, the universe has dealt me some cards I did not see coming back in January. But, because of these cards, I have been presented with opportunities to grow in ways I did not foresee.
What about you? Are there changes that you need to make because of unexpected, albeit not unprecedented, circumstances in your life? If so, what are you doing to make those changes? Or, are you resisting change?
Change
Neale Donald Walsch wrote a book in 2009 entitled, When Everything Changes, Change Everything: In a Time of Turmoil, a Pathway to Peace. The fundamental premise of his book is to focus on change in every aspect of your life when one aspect is thrown into unexpected change. He writes about such things as “Changing Sadness into Happiness” and “Changing Reaction into Response.” He focuses too on “Changing Enragement into Engagement” and “Changing a Time of Turmoil into a Time of Peace.”
I read this book in late 2012, when the universe set in motion events that would change my life forever, both in 2012 and beyond. Some of those changes I refer to as positive – like selling a house that was never a home and re-connecting with my spouse after a year’s separation. Others led to what my physical, human side categorized as negative – a disastrous diagnosis that would, too soon, claim the life of my dearest friend, my soul sister. In both situations, the positive and the negative, the book offers insights on the way to move on and quintessential reasons to do so.
Each of the changes we are faced with serves a purpose in our development and our pursuit of a fulfilling and fulfilled life, even if we don’t yet cognitively know what our true purpose is.
Finding Your Purpose
As you dust off your affirmations from the beginning of 2014, and as you analyze whether they still support your direction for 2014 and beyond, keep in mind these words from Max De Pree: “We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” And “The greatest thing is, at any moment, to be willing to give up who we are in order to become all that we can be.” Allow yourself to dwell on these words, focusing your attention on the past, present and future you.
As this year starts to wind down, I personally will be meditating more and more on the sage advice of Max de Pree and Neale Donald Walsch, while keeping my focus on a beautiful and prophetic Mandala by a very talented artist, Vikki Reed. That Mandala is of a flowing female spirit with her heart exposed over and over again whose message is simply: “Embrace What Is”
Blessings to You
May you be blessed with the grace and wisdom to change so you can become who and what you need to be and accepting enough to “Embrace What Is” until you arrive and even after you arrive in your space and time.
Namaste
For the complete poem, “The Summer Day,” by Mary Oliver, go to The Library of Congress Poetry 180, a poem a day for American high schools, Poem No. 133.
You can view “Embrace What Is” by Vikki Reed at www.chakramandala.com.