Falling in Love With Life
So often we get stuck in the cycle of waiting. We’ll love our lives when we have more time, money, space, friends, likes, etc.
But the thing is, we live our lives in time. And in time, we are in constant change. We're getting curve balls all the time!
How do we love our lives in the thick of it?
We don’t control the outside, and there is always something big or difficult to navigate: loss, breaks, despair + disrepair, schedules, self-care, conversations we’d rather not have.
In the real thick of it, start small.
Notice something beautiful in your immediate field of vision
Count to 10 slowly, forwards & backwards. Your breathing will slow as you count
Begin to see or label out loud something you’re grateful for; see what’s there, not what isn’t
Go outside if you can. Feel & breathe in the elements
The moments we spend in deep practice or meditation, in nature, lost in the zone of creation or meaningful work remind us there’s something more. And that more resides within.
Yet we’re meant to live a full life out there, not just within. We want to bring our moments of union, tenderness & bliss out into the world.
Those moments of connectedness are what give rise to us being able to love the parts of us or the parts of our lives that feel unbearable.
Often it’s the part of us that felt unloved/unloveable when we were kids. Not because there’s truth in the unlovability, but because our caretakers weren’t allowed to express that part of themselves when they were kids. And so it goes in a lineage, up to 14 generations of trapped, stunted emotions.
It’s ok. You’re in really good (and plentiful) company.
Meanwhile, there are moments in any given day that we’ll not be proud of. These moments are our crowning glory. They remind us what we’re made of. They unite us with all of existence. They remind us of what needs tending within.
When our inner child throws a fit, dives into judgment or righteousness, it’s time to slow down. Be with that part that feels gutted.
Every time we suppress our inner child, it’s agonizing for that innocent part of us that just wants a big hug. That part of us wants to be seen, appreciated, invited to share her feelings. And there we go again, trying to control her + shove her down, to keep up appearances, so the neighbors don’t hear.
Every time we show up for the part of us that we wish was over & done already, we send a signal to our whole self that we matter. That part of us is loved not shunned, deserves respect, and a space to be witnessed regardless of what shadow needs to be expressed.
Only then are we able to hold that same space for our kids and loved ones. We don’t have to get it perfect. We just keep growing, and showing ourselves & others that growth happens in stages, and we’re always in the right place.
The beginning of falling in love with all of life is the beginning of an adventure in integration, where all parts of us get to participate in this life. When there's nothing left to hide, there's nothing left to fear.
We forgive ourselves as much as needed in a day.
But all parts are invited to the table, even the part that wants to flip the table upside down. Gotta love that girl!
What spirited parts of you can you begin to love on right now?
All my love,
Heather