So looking forward to this weekend! Both days are fully scheduled, but full of fun. Hoodoo workshop Saturday at Mother Grove, then getting my first tattoo at 5:00. Trying not to chicken out! Then on Sunday, going to morning devotional at Mother Grove & then on to Charlotte with Angela for a blogger something. But it has free food & stuff, so it's all good. Angela & I will be talking about planning a summer fete for Mother Grove to help raise money for In the Arms of the Goddess - the temple's charity outreach. Really looking forward to helping with this -
Had my first chat with my life coach. I wasn't sure what to expect but it was really neat. Just answering the basic questions helped me think of ways to achieve my goals in the different areas of my life. I can see this experience being very helpful for me -
Have started planning for Carly's graduation trip[ to the beach this summer - we are going down to Ormond by the Sea for the first week of July. So excited to be going to the beach! I haven't been in almost 15 years & I need some ocean time so bad! Put money into a separate bank account to start saving. A big chunk of the tax refund will go int here too, but it is going to be so much fun -
Am really feeling at peace with a lot in my life right now. It is so nice after all the recent craziness. I feel that I have a chance to stop & take stock of what is going on with me & take a deep breath before making any decisions. Haven't been in this place in so long! Maybe never - or at least since I had kids! :) Don't want to squander it. And I am very thankful that I have friends who will talk straight to me -
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Conformity
For some reason, thoughts about conformity have been flitting through my mind all day. And not necessarily good ones!
I am beginning to realize that we are trained to conform from practically the minute of birth. The color of clothing we wear is dictated by others - girls wear pink, boys wear blue - we don't stand out if we look the same. Our sleeping & eating is dictated by the 'norms' of our society, not our biorhythms. As we grow up, we are inundated with the calls to conform to those around us - you know, peer pressure. Though it's not just our peers, but our parents also want us to conform to the standards they have. They want us to be like the always exceptional & extraordinary children of their peers (if they only knew!). You hardly ever see parents encourage their kids to be different - to stand out - to be true to themselves.
But think of the heartache we all would have missed out on if we had been allowed to follow our spirits & hearts. Just think of how complete & whole we would all feel if we had known we didn't have to fit in with everyone else & could be different. Those awful, crushing, teenage years could have been filled with adventure & excitement & the discovery of true realness in ourselves. It seemed that no matter how hard we tried to fit in, we never could. Even those that we held up to be the epitome of teenage perfection will tell you now that they never felt perfect either - there was always something that kept them from feeling like they had arrived. That's where fads & trends come from - someone trying to find the piece that will complete the picture of perfection. No one ever really attains it - it is as elusive as the glancing breeze on a summer day.
Perfection lies within each of us, not without. It does not come from the opinions of others or the malls or the accolades or the money. It comes from our spirit - when we listen to the whisper of the Divine in our heart & not the words coming from another man's mouth. When we follow the labyrinth to the center of our soul & find our own reality & totality. We each came here to fulfill a destiny & then we sabotage it by striving to be what is expected instead of what is real.
As children we hear that calling of the Divine much more clearly than we do as adults. But as we grow, it gets walled in by the expectations of society & by life. Then we spend our adult years trying to knock those walls down & be who we are supposed to be. Or at least, some of us do. Some are content to be what they are told & never again hear that whisper of the Divine longing for her children to come out & play.
But I am finally tuning into that call again - I am running for the path of the Divine - the freedom of being true to me - and each step I take makes me more complete than I have been since birth.
Conformity be damned! Here I come world! Can you handle me? Do you dare try?
I am beginning to realize that we are trained to conform from practically the minute of birth. The color of clothing we wear is dictated by others - girls wear pink, boys wear blue - we don't stand out if we look the same. Our sleeping & eating is dictated by the 'norms' of our society, not our biorhythms. As we grow up, we are inundated with the calls to conform to those around us - you know, peer pressure. Though it's not just our peers, but our parents also want us to conform to the standards they have. They want us to be like the always exceptional & extraordinary children of their peers (if they only knew!). You hardly ever see parents encourage their kids to be different - to stand out - to be true to themselves.
But think of the heartache we all would have missed out on if we had been allowed to follow our spirits & hearts. Just think of how complete & whole we would all feel if we had known we didn't have to fit in with everyone else & could be different. Those awful, crushing, teenage years could have been filled with adventure & excitement & the discovery of true realness in ourselves. It seemed that no matter how hard we tried to fit in, we never could. Even those that we held up to be the epitome of teenage perfection will tell you now that they never felt perfect either - there was always something that kept them from feeling like they had arrived. That's where fads & trends come from - someone trying to find the piece that will complete the picture of perfection. No one ever really attains it - it is as elusive as the glancing breeze on a summer day.
Perfection lies within each of us, not without. It does not come from the opinions of others or the malls or the accolades or the money. It comes from our spirit - when we listen to the whisper of the Divine in our heart & not the words coming from another man's mouth. When we follow the labyrinth to the center of our soul & find our own reality & totality. We each came here to fulfill a destiny & then we sabotage it by striving to be what is expected instead of what is real.
As children we hear that calling of the Divine much more clearly than we do as adults. But as we grow, it gets walled in by the expectations of society & by life. Then we spend our adult years trying to knock those walls down & be who we are supposed to be. Or at least, some of us do. Some are content to be what they are told & never again hear that whisper of the Divine longing for her children to come out & play.
But I am finally tuning into that call again - I am running for the path of the Divine - the freedom of being true to me - and each step I take makes me more complete than I have been since birth.
Conformity be damned! Here I come world! Can you handle me? Do you dare try?
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Winter Musings
This winter has provided ample time for musing on different things. Too many home bound snow days already! So here goes -
1. I love to look at winter trees. Their bare limbs reaching for the sky & the sun are beautiful. Without their covering of leaves they show their real character to those who care enough to notice. Each has a slight difference from the one next to it - some differences are very obvious - others take a minute to see. It makes me realize that without my facade of correctness & propriety I am also a very unique & special person. I am different from the one next to me & no one can be like me. I need to learn to celebrate my differences & not hide in conformity. And I need to see the uniqueness of those standing next to me & help them celebrate the treasure they are.
2. I am surrounded by mountains here in western NC. These mountains give me such a sense of protection & security & home. Watching them in the changing seasons is a wonderful thing. Fall & winter are the most fun seasons for me. As the trees lose their coverings, you begin to discover aspects of the mountains that are hidden during the spring & summer. You see houses that you didn't know were there - roads that wind up & down & around - hidden clearings amongst the trees & deep coves between the ridges. It's like a treasure hunt! And when it snows & those mountains are covered in a soft white blanket that really delineates all the clearings & roads & coves it is a spectacular thing to see!
3. This winter is proving to be one of introspection for me. I guess the winter before my 50th birthday should be. I am figuring more about myself & realizing that some of my treasures are ready to be shared. I am realizing that my differences are a cause for celebration, even if they make some feel uncomfortable. I am finding my voice again & I am glad. I have been silent too long & need to speak out, even if it's just to a few friends or my cats. I need to speak for as I speak I clarify; as I speak I testify; as I speak I help; as I speak I educate; as I speak I blossom. I am ready to blossom!
Goddess, grant me the courage to speak!
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