awareness

Daring to try: the power of mistakes

I've been thinking about mistakes. Why we dare to make them, how we respond when they happen, what we say or do next.

Do you get discouraged when you've made a blunder? We've all been unkind or less than helpful towards someone we love, and sometimes it's easy to slide into over-criticizing ourselves for that 'whoops' moment.

Awareness is key. Simply becoming more aware of when you are getting frustrated, tired or impatient is helpful in lessening the impact of these uh-oh moments. Self-kindness is also major. Remember that you are growing as a person, which naturally means that you won't be perfect at all things, all the time.

Daring to try. What conversations have you courageously brought up? What changes have you started to make in your daily lifestyle that supports your well-being in better ways? I don't take trying lightly. Sometimes we forget to honour the simply fact that we are doing our best, in this moment of time. And something little is better than no movement at all; or being rigid in how we see what we're capable of.

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.
Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something. 
-Neil Gaiman from http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2011/12/my-new-year-wish.html

I am grateful for all the little (and very significant) conversations that have sparked my interest in mistakes. The very ground of honest living upon which great things are grown!

KD

Being awake

The other morning I asked myself -'What might help me be more awake as I move through my day?' A bit of self- research. I found that simply being curious about my level of awareness allowed me to notice lots of small details- The intricate colouring of blossoms, the way shadows meet light on the sidewalk, the feeling of my steps meeting the ground. I was able to pause and notice the moments I was breathing easily, and when I held my breath for a second when I was facing a challenging situation.

Giving myself a fuller freedom to take small pauses boosted my energy level too! I could reflect on what I was needing in that micro-moment. My body responded... that tight place in my neck held less crunchy tension, and moved with more ease.

More ease- that  phrase spoke profoundly to me, and  I embraced it as a mantra for daily life. I am inviting more ease into my day. Yes!! That is a kind of wakefulness, for me.

'Never lose hope, my heart, miracles dwell in the invisible'   -Rumi