Love in My Life

Sometimes lessons fall on us hard, hard like a rock on soft ground.  While I always have considered myself a pretty fast and adaptable learner, there are some things which I turn away from, ignore, or just simply don't hear.  It's not  because I don't want to, but it's often because I simply can't believe that things are other than the way I have built them up to be in my head.  The last several weeks, however, have been a time when I have had to admit to myself that I do not have all the answers like I might have thought, that life might function in a different way than I had imagined.  I am humbled by what I am learning.  I knew these things all along, but ignored my own instincts, until it was impossible to go on.   Here, in a little nutshell, are some of the discoveries I have made:

Example One.  I have always been one of those nose-to-the-grindstone people.  Keep on working, keep on doing.  While a good work ethic is not necessarily a bad thing, I grossly, and I mean grossly, underestimated the need for relaxation.  Our bodies and minds cannot unite with our soul if we are not still and quiet.  I learned this the hard way, working myself into a place where there was nothing but emptiness, and I could no longer figure out why I was doing it.  We need to listen to ourselves.  Even if we have taken on things which are all-encompassing, a little scary and a tremendous amount of work, we need to be able to step back.

Example Two.  Worrying will hurt you.  It will.  We worry about everything, don't we?  How much the electric bill will be, if our family will stay healthy, if we have enough to retire.  We worry today away.  Things always happen differently than you think.  I have always known this, spouted it off on numerous occasions, but it came back to rest with me in the last weeks.  In the wise words of Nancy Greer, my best friend since we were five years old,  things have a way of working themselves out.  I am trying to unlearn my knee jerk worry reaction, which has caused me only aggravation, and has paralyzed me into inaction. I am learning to put worry and anxiety aside, to let it be there, not to deny it, but to move on with what I have to do. This takes discipline, but it is a habit, just like worrying is a habit.  I want to do this to improve the quality of my life.  Worry and anxiety rob joyful moments!

Example Three.  I am overwhelmed by the amount of love which I have in my life.  I never, ever want to take a moment, a thought, or a gesture for granted.  From my husband and my family, to my friends, to my beloved guests (who have made me laugh, encouraged me, written unbelievable reviews, trusted me), to my dog and my neighbors, I am surrounded with love.  When I brood, or worry, or fear,  I miss out all of that love.  We need to notice and absorb all the love in our lives so we can reflect it back!

Example Four. I can see, clearly now, that I am only one human and that if I don't take good care of myself, I won't be able to create, do, give, love, cook, be in the ways that I am capable.  And this is true for us all.  Listen carefully to yourself. Learn when you need to say no, and then say it!  Often if necessary!  Don't wait until you collapse in a heap before you learn what your limits are. 

My dearest blog readers, I wish you peace and tranquillity, and the knowledge that everything really will be ok. Honestly.