Anchor Management
- Details
This week was one of those busy, stressful weeks. Consequently, I blew off my morning ritual of meditation and journaling–something I hadn’t done in many months.
As I review my week, it is interesting to observe what happened.
Without that morning routine to anchor my days, I was adrift. I felt as though I was being swept away by the day’s events rather than leading with purposeful action. Worse, I lost touch with my happiness. I was moody and edgy; I lacked clarity and focus; I was impatient and abrupt with my husband and daughter. ????
This morning routine of tapping into my core of peace through meditation, and reconnecting to what matters most to me through journaling provides stability to my days.
Grounding our days in this way increases our ability to lead our lives in accordance with our highest values, and helps is us to manage the vicissitudes of life with equanimity. Without this mooring, we are often reactive and at the mercy of our emotions as life tosses us to and fro.
This week I recommit to dropping anchor, connecting with what really matters, and leading my life with steadfast integrity. –I wish the same for each of you! 
A Little Present
- Details
On Friday, I had a fitful night’s sleep. I was worried about the stuff of life that can get us down–in this case, my teen’s worries became my own.
Feeling tired on Saturday, I tried to catch a nap before heading out to an event later that evening. I settled into my Yogibo (
my Yogibo!) to meditate, hoping to quiet my mind enough to drift off to sleep.
My nine-pound dog, Juliet, climbed up from behind, draped herself over my shoulder, rested her little head on my heart, and let out a big sigh. That was all I needed to settle and refocus my mind. That little gesture filled my heart with joy and in that moment life was perfect.
I didn’t need to distract myself from my worries. I didn’t need to turn to Netflix. I didn’t need to shop, to eat, surf the web, get together with friends, clean the house or engage in any other impulsive activity as an escape route from my worrisome thoughts.
Juliet’s tiny head on my heart and the sound of her sigh dropped me right into the perfection of the present moment. I could feel the love of her tiny spirit and that brought me joy. This reminded me that worries are just clouds across a pristine blue sky–and all clouds pass or dissipate.
It's possible to experience profound happiness–even on a cloudy day! We access this happiness by dropping into the present moment through stillness, music, prayer, nature, or through BEING with a loved one–even if that loved one has four legs and fur! 
As Joseph Campbell said: "Find a place inside where there is joy, and the joy will burn out the pain."
Wishing you a joy-filled day! ????
????
Building Blocks
- Details
"The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."
(I *LOVE* this quote!)
Sometimes, life presents us with challenges. (Have you noticed that? ????)
Our impulse is to fight, resist, and resent those challenges. We wish that things could be different. We just want the problem, the pain, the challenge, or the illness to go away so that we can go back to our lives. We want the obstacle removed so that we can be happy again.
What if we viewed the obstacle as a path to advance and deepen our happiness? Is it possible to take what is holding us back and use it to propel us forward? I have contemplated these questions in recent years.
Pain, adversity, and hardship are intrinsic to life. When confronted with these obstacles we are often thrust on a new path–a path toward growth. This new path provides us an opportunity to rise, to become bigger than our problems, to become more of who we are capable of being. And isn’t that the purpose of life?
Where there is a purpose, there is meaning, and where there is meaning there is happiness.
Viewed in this way, our problems are no longer impediments to our happiness. Indeed, our problems can put us on a path to deepen, expand, and strengthen our happiness.
Let what impedes us, empower us. Let what stands in our way, become the way.
