Full Appreciation

Oh dear body, how I appreciate you. I honor the ways in which you carry me through my days. I celebrate the gifts you bring to me as I evolve in my human form. I recently tweaked my back. It is simply an old back injury from 30 years ago that surfaces from time to time. I know what needs to be done to restore the balance; rest, strengthening stretches and slow and gentle movements. I can do that. And while I rest I cannot help but recognize and appreciate how tremendous my body is!

It is funny how we tend to forget our gratitude for the basic everyday gifts until they are taken from us. With our body, this happens far too often. And yet we fall into that pattern from time to time.

The simple movements of my body are compromised right now. Stairs, bending to put on my shoes, petting my cat, even sleeping all have become a challenge. It gives me reason to reflect upon how much I appreciate my usual good health, flexibility and strength.

What else do I tend to take for granted? This will be a great day for reflection and appreciation! Some of what comes to mind immediately is the abundance of choices available to me daily, whether it be in what I eat, where I go, who I share my day with, where I shop, what I read or even what I can discuss! Imagine any one of those things being restricted or taken from you. How different life would be!

Why wait for life to tweak something for you to have an enforced day of pause and reflection? Take a moment now. Right here at the end of this blog. What in your life do you tend to take for granted that you truly appreciate and would sorely miss if it were any different? Take a moment to acknowledge your appreciation, to share it with someone and to breathe in gratitude for the many blessings in your life, no matter how big or small.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

One Ordinary Day

I had to run errands today. Just an ordinary day. My busy schedule included grocery shopping, holiday shopping and more. The faces are what I was drawn to. So many different faces holding so many different emotions. Smiling faces made me smile back. It felt contagious. Twinkling eyes met mine and we smiled, nodded even gave the right of way to one another with grocery carts or at entrances. Holiday cheer was radiating from many faces as the hustle and bustle was carried with joy and delight. For them I allowed my soul to dance with. Our energies celebrated each other and we enjoyed our kindness and pleasure of humankind together as we faced the ordinary tasks at hand with a lightness and grace that flowed through and around.

Irritation and annoyance was also present in many knitted eyebrows and downturned mouths. Mere utterances from clerks as they checked me out, barely meeting my eyes when they handed me the receipt with an almost inaudible “thank-you” spoken in terse tones. I would imagine this is a taxing time to be a cashier, but so much of their attitude is setting the momentum of their day. For them I felt compassion as I have often had to pull myself out of a bad moment or a bad day and try to salvage it, try to rise above and make something good come from it. If anyone had offered me a small dose of compassion on those days, it would have carried me so far. And so I dosed it out today, like Mary Poppins and her spoonful of sugar.

Then there were those who simple were not engaged in any way at all. They looked like walking zombies, their minds and hearts elsewhere, vacant stares, plodding along down aisles with a step that lacked any intention. For them I felt the most love of all. Where had they lost themselves? What could be so heavy that their burden was obvious and palpable? My silent prayer of hope for lightness to rest within their spirit was made and I offered as much kindness as they would allow, if any.

One ordinary day spent among so many strangers, some more familiar than others. One ordinary day where I crossed the spectrum within my heart errand by errand, face by face, chance by chance allowing the ebb and flow of my spirit gracefully weave its way through the hearts of the community.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

Inner Champion Celebration

“Honor your inner champion, the one that chooses to confront and work through your obstacles to wholeness, the one that slays the inner dragons with tenderness and persistence. Isn’t it time we soulebrated our courage to take on our patterns time and again? Isn’t it time for an up-framing of our often negative view of our challenges? Instead of “oh no, not that pattern again”, how about recognizing that we are CHAMPIONS for simply taking them on? How about seeing ourselves as some of the first humans with the blessed opportunity to shift the negative patterning intrinsic to the collective unconscious? We are PIONEERS, for God’s sake! What a fantastic thing—to be pioneers in the inner world! Every little step is a radical paradigm shift for humanity.” ~ Jeff Brown Above is a quote that I find so inspiring! Today my thought patterns no longer hold the thought of “Oh well, that is just how it is, or that's just who I am, or that's how it has to be done, or that's what I always say, or just what I do.” Nope, all that has changed! I am a Champion! I have courageously faced and taken on the challenge of renewing myself, switching up my perspective, and asking myself tough questions.

Do I have it mastered? No! I am still a work in progress…but isn’t that what being human is all about? But what I can celebrate and applaud myself for is that fact that I am learning to do things differently. We read the quotes all day and hear others speaking the clichés often. But truly, IF you want things to change about yourself, your life, your future…you DO have to do things differently! The same old you will remain the same unless you venture out and take a risk. It is sometimes difficult and often a bit unnerving, but ever single new step, new view, new dialogue brings us closer to shifting into a new way of being!

I find this so exciting. Every day gives me yet another brilliant opportunity. I don’t bother looking back upon yesterday, mulling over my failures or short comings…instead I look at this moment, this opportunity, this gift of possibility and bring my authentic self to the front of the line and begin! The Universe supports my greatness. Spirit celebrates my inner light. My Soul quickens with every possibility I am willing to explore. And my heart grows with compassion of myself and others as I learn we are all pliable beings attempting to find our form with grace.

Celebrate you champion today! Recognize your ongoing efforts as dedication and commitment. You are worth every moment of acceptance, support, honor and appreciation.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

Nature Guides

Out among the blue and silvery sky today I saw two hawks dancing in the air currents. They were in a sort of synchronization with one another, sometimes almost clipping wings and then swaying further apart. I heard their cries to each other as though calling out the next move. Later I watched a squirrel jump from limb to limb in my back yard trees. Perfect balance, no fear in sight, only obvious intention and unique perspective. Higher and higher further and further into the trees they went.

Nature shows us the perfect performance it keeps each day, only focusing on the one moment, the one flight, and the one branch at a time. How much I can learn from these lessons that are created outside my windows.

If I keep my perspective and vision focused on what I have to do in this moment, I keep my anxiety down, I keep my energies concentrated and I move further and deeper along my path. There is no need for the concern that is often brought along, there is no place for the worry of what if, and there is no room for the what is next at all. So I leave it behind.

With some aspects of my life it is easier said than done, but my intention is to get become stronger at this life trait. I continue to turn to nature for Her guidance and demonstration. I know it can be so, if I get out of my own way, if I open myself up to some trust, if I listen closely to my intuition and let Spirit be my guide.

What I have noticed is nature has a way of uncomplicating my life, making things look simple…I just need the patience and the practice to bring the ease and grace into alignment with it. That is what life is for.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade