Hope | Awakening to the Dance

Tag Archives: Hope

AWAKENING TO HEAL

Posted on January 20, 2021 | 2 comments

“Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it.” Tori Amos

How do you feel today? Are you celebrating the change of power or mourning it? How are you feeling about your own power?

Today is supposed to be a day of peace and hope – a day when we begin to heal our broken democracy. We may accomplish some movement forward by learning to talk with those who do not share our beliefs, but real healing will take place only when we heal within us the pain that causes us to feel we have to push others away or turn to violence.

Healing Often Requires Change

Years ago, I had pain in my legs and back that wouldn’t go away, and drugs only dulled it for a limited time. After visiting an integrative doctor who suggested that acupuncture might help, I recoiled.

The idea of letting someone stick needles in my body was jarring – create more pain? Not a solution I wanted. But I decided to trust this doctor because he had begun to heal aspects of my illness when other doctors had no clue about their cause. So I needed to experience the discomfort required to relieve the pain and heal the inflammation beneath it.

As I result of my courage I was able to heal many physical problems. Over time, I found that the pain of the needles was minor compared to the persistence of pain. I didn’t like the moment that the needle was inserted, but I loved the peaceful feeling that came as the pain diminished.

I wish it were that simple to heal the inflammation in this country. At the moment, many of us hope that the new president and his administration will erase all the problems that Trump ignored or created. Biden has announced that he will offer workable solutions.

Why Change Frightens Us

Regardless of what the new administration does, together we still have to face the divisions and challenges before us. Some of the solutions are frightening or uncomfortable. How willing are we to find the courage to do what it takes to heal?

We often fear that sharing our true feelings with a family member or friend will destroy the tenuous relationship we have. I have had those feelings, and in some instances talking about the problem improved how we related. In other situations it created a distance that couldn’t be bridged. It’s the risk we must take.

Looking Within Helps Us To Heal

Often, the reasons for our divisions are mysterious. Those are the most challenging to fix, for they may be so deeply hidden that we cannot see the source of our discomfort even in ourselves. It may take therapy or a spiritual practice for us to truly understand why we feel like we do and why we sometimes act against our own self-interest.

Anytime we feel the need to hurt another person, physically or verbally, it is often because we feel powerless and are letting fear, not love, control our actions. At that moment, we need to release the fear and try to understand why we feel so powerless that we want to dominate another person.

As President Biden and Vice President Harris find ways to heal the conflicts and divisions in this country, it is a good time for us to address what needs to be healed in our own lives. Let’s all find the courage to dig a little deeper in search of the unity and peace we all need.

AWAKENING TO RELEASE OUR FEAR

AWAKENING TO THE HEALING DANCE

AWAKENING TO WHAT IS BETTER

2 Comments

Posted in Inspirational Posts

Tagged Change, Conflicts, Consciousness, Courage, Emotions, Fear, Going Deeper, Healing, Hope, Inspirational, Spiritual Journey

AWAKENING TO NATURE’S SURPRISES

Posted on July 1, 2020 | 2 comments

“Perhaps the safest prediction we can make about the future is that it will surprise us.” George Leonard

Are you a nature lover? How do you spend rainy days? When nature surprises you, does it irritate or delight you?

Sunday was rainy, as is today, and it’s probable that we will have a rainy week. While I appreciate the rain nourishing the earth and aiding the growth of beautiful spring flowers, it may be a challenge at times.

Floods and the subsequent devastation are the worst problems, but even the lack of rain I experienced when I lived in New Mexico was a challenge when the dryness required us to shower only every other day. While there are many things we can control in life, the timing of when it rains is not one of them.

Unpredictable Weather

Sunday, as my husband and I attempted to celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary, Mother Nature was not our friend. The rain’s behavior throughout the day was unpredictable.

After treating ourselves to a delicious breakfast, we headed for a walk around our favorite lake, a home for ducks and geese, before the clouds darkened and the rain fell. It was cloudy at the lake but bits of blue sky showed through the clouds and the darker ones were at a distance so we thought we were safe and didn’t carry our umbrellas.

Walking from the car to the path, we sauntered through a large flock of geese as the males hissed at us for invading their space and bringing our dog along. About three-fourths of the way around, it started to rain and we rushed to the car hoping it would pass quickly, but it didn’t. Resigned to having only a short walk, but grateful we had some time there, we drove home.

At home it wasn’t raining. So when the mail arrived, my husband and our dog went out to retrieve it. Just as they reached the mailbox at the end of the driveway the heavens opened and the rain poured. Fortunately with trees overhead, they made it back to the house without getting soaked. Resigned that it would be a rainy afternoon, we curled up in the family room with our books.

Hope May Lead To Wise Decisions

But hope never dies, and we continued to hope that the rain would clear before dinnertime. We had plans to eat on the terrace of our favorite restaurant, but thirty minutes before our reservation a torrent of rain continued decimating any possibility of an outdoor dinner. I set the table with our nicest silverware and plates and my husband picked up the food at the restaurant.

While the rain replenished the earth, we replenished our bodies with Chicken Marsala, mashed potatoes and spinach, watched an episode of “Poldark,” and confirmed how lucky we were to have each other to love. After all, it’s the love that really matters. It can fill us in any weather.

Our special day was not perfect, but the nourishing rain certainly entertained us with surprises, and afterward more Black-eyed Susan’s bloomed in the garden off the deck.

AWAKENING TO SURPRISES

AWAKENING TO REALITY NOW

AWAKENING TO EFFECT CHANGE