For sometime my daughters and I have been sharing an everyday ritual. We tell each other, "The gift I see in you..."
This morning, my eldest daughter said, "The gift I see in you mom is patience."
Who me? Patient? Well, most days. Generally. When I think about it. Except in traffic! Especially in Calgary.
Time to reframe the thought. I am patient with my daughters because I love them. I am patient in my world, because I love myself, my life, my family and friends. Ellie ate the bum out of a pair of L.s' jogging pants -- and we were all patient with her. We love her, though L was a bit annoyed! And I'm patient in traffic. Most days! When I'm not, I know I'm not in balance. I know my essence needs a tune-up. Fast. Which generally leads me to asking the question, "Hey Louise. What's eating your peace of mind?" And the answer isn't, "The stupid driver in front of me!"
As soon as I make my answer about someone else, I'm dodging the question.
Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, "Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions."
Some days, I don't want to live the question. When I wake up tired. When I'm feeling stressed. When something doesn't go my way or I don't get my way or when I feel like I've been ignored or overlooked or unappreciated, I end up wanting to behave badly.
And behaving badly is not healthy! For me. For my daughters, my family and friends. When I'm behaving badly, I'm not taking responsibility for myself. When I'm acting out I'm projecting my bad humour onto the world around me. When I'm blaming others for how I'm feeling, or how their behaviour has effected me -- it's my boundaries that need strengthening, not my bad behaviour.
I have found it's very easy to identify who caused the problems in my life. Who is responsible for the way I'm feeling. As long as I don't have to take ownership, it's pretty easy to point the finger of blame for anything and everything that's going on. -- have you noticed thought that when things are going right, the tendency is not to point a finger but to accept the credit!
I like days when I feel I'm in the flow. When I feel the universe is 'on my side' and I'm in sync with the world. Those are my favourite days.
So, my question for today is, What kind of day do I want to live today?
Do I want to step through each moment as if I'm battling the winds of change, constantly out of breath as I struggle to find my place in the sun?
OR
Do I want to flow calmly through each moment setting my sails to adjust to the weather so that I am flowing with the winds of change, patient and loving, confident in my knowledge that when I stand in my own light, my shadow does not block the sun.
In knowing what kind of day I want to live today, I set my sites accordingly, I adjust my journey so that each step I take is focused on my goal of being in harmony with my day.
I let go of discord and stand true to myself.
I keep myself in balance.
I honour my truth.
I love myself and the world around me.
I am patient. Kind. Caring. I stand in love.
In living the day in harmony, each breath revives me, restores me, envigorates me. I breathe in and feel the oxygen flow freely through my body, enlivening every step. I exhale and imagine my breath transformed into a gift for the world around me. What I take in. What I give out. Each is in perfect balance, in harmony with my day.
That's the kind of day I will have today.
When I'm in harmony with my world and the day, it shows!
What about you? Will you be driving patiently or impatiently to your next appointment? Will you be bucking against the wind or flowing freely, the wind a joyful whisper at your back?
I pray for you a joyful, loving day filled with the strength to be patient, loving and kind with you and your world.
May we all have a 'showy' day!
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