Paying attention

"Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it."

-Mary Oliver

I first encountered Mary's writing while on personal retreat in a peaceful setting. I was touched by her honest, lusciously descriptive and achingly human way of putting words together. Tender tenacity comes to mind.

I have been tuning into my own capacity to notice the world around me- little details that strike me as beautiful.  The fading of a wild flower that gives way to seed; how much I enjoy the first juicy bite of watermelon; the moments of twilight when softness falls across the landscape; the sound of my laughter when I realize I am being ridiculous about something. Noticing is where I am invited into a more regular flow of awareness, a stream of consciousness that moves with and responds to my day.

What is making you feel astonished these days? 

 Will you soften just a little bit in order to welcome surprise in your days?  

 - KD

Inviting Ease

As-you-start-to-walk-out

I am enchanted with Rumi's poetry even more than usual these days.

My heart feels ripe for his kind of soul-full words, where he describes the essence of a person or a beautiful act of living; something real in a simple and profound way. His writings required attentiveness and carefully chosen words I am sure- though they offer a sense of ease when I read them.

I am learning to invite ease into my life. A friend and colleague shared this wisdom with me the other day, and I was touched by it: There is plenty of time to be doing what you love.

Aahh, yes there is. I am taking step by little step, and sometimes great leaps! I am learning to BE IN each step, to embody each movement with positivity, awareness, gratefulness for what is and what is coming to be.  This is a moment-by-moment practice.

A thought to ponder: Where could you invite more ease into your life?

-KD

* Thank you to quoteswave.com for the amazing image I shared above

Bathed in Beauty

Bathed in beauty.

That's how I felt one afternoon this week, singing in a garden under a sycamore tree with a kindred soul beside me.

Fun songs that made us laugh, our own created song about summer, a reflective tune that I like called Silver Moon.  It was simply what I needed: To allow my brain a few moments to connect with laughter, sound, my own voice alongside another's tone.

There is something very powerful about singing together. It breaks into the 'fun' side of the mind, freeing us from the routines of life, from worry; from the list that was previously bogging down my mind.  Singing together encourages fluidity, and being fully present in the moment.

There are studies on the positive effects the brain receives while creating music in a group. Certain areas of our emotional access points are engaged, relaxing the mind in a way that's similar to meditation.

The synergy of breaking into song is so joyful for me.  A nearby man in the gardens thanked us for inspiring him with our music, and spoke of the joy he sensed in us.

A crow landed near us a few times, as though he too felt the magic of our voices, this shared moment of savoring life.

Synergy.  Freedom.  Surprise.  

Love letters to self

Love letters from the street:

I was thrilled to find this phrase on a brick wall in my neighbourhood. How delightful that people are creating uplifting public art!  It is a nice complement to a book I've been reading: Brene Brown's Daring Greatly. I am grateful to Brene for her consciousness around vulnerability, and for bringing this concept more into my  awareness. She is transparent about her own process of living with vulnerability, and I feel like this book is offering a way to trail blaze through my own life stories and explore them with curiosity. Or meander through them perhaps:)

This concept of vulnerability offers lots to chew on, and is prompting me to notice the moments when uncomfortable emotions arise for me, and to welcome them as normal aspects of being alive, seeing my own  own unique kind of vulnerability, as well as the common threads shared by others.

I am seeing more fully how  being a courageous, vibrant human being means encountering the layers of vulnerable feelings with a softer gaze.

This quote resonates with me:

The most valuable and important things in my life came to me when I cultivated the courage to be vulnerable, imperfect, and self-compassionate.

What  love letter will you write to yourself today?

-KD