Connection Is Radical Love

Negative patterns, habits, and beliefs can change. That’s enough to move forward. You gain a deeper knowledge, to discern the journey to your own unique spiritual center. You are forged in the fire and shaped by your adversity. Many of us get addicted to the stories we tell ourselves about why we aren’t where we want to be. We tell ourselves that we don’t care or that we really didn’t want something, but we have created impressions in our minds that say otherwise. Maybe we weren’t born into it. Maybe our bodies weren’t meant for it. Maybe we aren’t enough. There’s a fine line between recognizing shortcomings and setting up camp there. In order for you to grow, you must recognize what your impressions, patterns, habits are, especially if they weren’t placed there by you. Remember, you get to decide whether to perpetuate patterns, impressions, and repeat habits.

Human Nature

Repetition creates and reinforces new impressions. Notice how these impressions affect your body, even right now. Observe if there is any tension, and relax your shoulders. The mind will not stop, but it can be directed. Allow your experiences to serve as catalysts to challenge unhealthy narratives, habits, and beliefs. The mind is powerful, and it is here to support you. If you want to change something, you have to recognize and take action differently. In order to rebuild, we must first break things down, remember? No one will do it for you. Discerning what will and won’t serve your highest good is hard, but it is possible. You can attempt, again and again, to let go of attachments that cause you harm. You are both fluid as a river and grounded as a mountain. You are one of a kind.

An Ordinary Miracle

The love you seek is already here, present, in this moment, and this moment, and this one. When you feel helpless, help someone. I believe that we must get to know surrender, like getting to know a friend. Connection is radical love. Surrendering with action creates opportunities for transformation. We don’t experience love in the past or in the future, we experience it right here, right now. Surrender, and know. Acknowledge the impressions in your mind that aren’t serving you. Know and trust that you can slowly but surely minimize them by being present in your own life. Make surrender your friend. Positive impressions build quickly. Repetition is the key.

Hurts Just A Little

Direct your attention to what you want to feel and feel it now. What does surrender mean to you? What was the most powerful decision you had to make in your life? How long did it take before you saw any results? How often do you make time to think about your dreams? If you could spend your time doing something you love without worrying about resources, what would it be? Why would you do it? Allow your attention to be consumed by the life that is happening around you. Listen to whatever sounds are present, and feel yourself immersed as if you were in an amphitheater. Bring your awareness to your breath, inhale, and exhale calmly and smoothly. As you breathe in, feel the weight subside, and as you exhale, feel it move out of your body and into the space before you. Bring yourself back to the sounds and the space around you. Repeat this as many times as you wish until you feel a deeper sense of comfort. You might be a diamond in the rough, but remember, you’re still a diamond. My body, my money, and my time. You value everyone else’s time more, and you overindulge in habits that don’t serve you. Your environment is full of clutter, and you exhaust yourself trying to be all things to all people. You omit the truth for fear of making waves, and you lack the ability to see beyond the perimeter you’ve created. You value your time and respect your body. You build yourself up by nourishing your mind, body, and spirit. You create an environment that is decluttered and with items that reflect your character and bring you joy. You remain honest and communicate how you feel. You speak your truth. You listen intently. You have healthy boundaries and respect your time. You honor your failures and see them as valuable to your growth. The only way I was able to see this was by recognizing how I just threw myself into everything I did. I let other people’s lives infiltrate my own. I am a nurturing water sign, so I have a disposition to give up all of myself to caretake someone else’s needs. This is not sustainable. At some point, these cracks will turn into fractures that are difficult to mend. For some, it may show up later in life in the form of an abrupt job change, a breakdown, an affair, or an addiction. I was working so much I hadn’t had a chance to stick my toes in the sand. The salon didn’t survive the housing crash. I got a job as a personal assistant working in Malibu, and I took solace in being able to see the ocean. The ocean had always given me a sense of grounding and helped me remember I am still here. It had been months since I had done that. Torry and I were having a particularly difficult time in our relationship, which I decided to ignore, and instead I put all my energy into my career. It sounded interesting, I wanted to try it on for size. The more I practiced yoga, and the more I meditated, the more I realized how unhappy I was. I was experiencing withdrawals from my anxiety medication, and my body was starting to feel it. I woke up with back pain, everything I ate was bland, my joints were inflamed, and my head hurt constantly. You go into this space because at one point or another, you felt unwell. To me, yoga is about the mind, body, and spirit connection.