“A person must live in harmony with his or
her inner self while recognizing a vital connection to the entire world. A
quiet and virtuous mind can live contently no matter what their circumstances,
because they do not spend their precious time engaged in worthless
faultfinding. Like all despairing men, I need to cease expecting anything from
life while expecting more from myself. I aspire to find beauty and joy in the
humblest of human activities. I must learn how to ride the clouds and mist, be
unperturbed by the petty disputes of humankind, and imperious to other people’s
unfavorable opinion of me.” ― Kilroy
J. Oldster, Dead Toad Scrolls
Isn’t it awesome when we are open to new experiences
and get the opportunity to feel both the negative and positive results? Isn’t it awesome when we can control negative
feelings and respond to them in the best ways?
Isn’t it awesome to feel satisfied with the way one’s life is
going? Isn’t it great to find yourself not
prejudging people, places and things and allowing your own decisions rather
than lean on other’s gossip and applications?
Aren’t those ah hah moments poignant when we place ourselves in ways to
experience them? Isn’t it wonderful to
be creative and to take the risk to try new things in new ways so that we learn
to adjust, to change and even seek challenging artistic situations? Isn’t it incredible to have those moments
where we totally trust ourselves and actually feel our intuition at work and we
listen? Aw, to experience all these more
often than not, be in balance, and feel whole, and be a fully functioning
female!
Every morning I wake up with a list in my head. The Dr. says it is a bit OCD and ADHD but
that is what I do. I make a list in my
head of things to do, and, as I age, my lists are getting shorter, but
nonetheless more important to my functioning.
I have something to look forward to:
I get to finish that danged list.
I have a daily purpose. It feels
so awesome to get it done and I reward myself with a block of time to
create.
The List helps me make priorities and they
automatically find their way on the list as to what is most demanding and
important to get done. I know, from
these daily lists, what is important to me and why.
I make a commitment, every morning, to do
what keeps me healthy, so I can take care of others and myself. I try to get enough sleep and rest during the
day when the need comes. I stop
everything when I feel energy lowering.
I do not neglect self and have become more in tune with my body. I usually try to eat properly (I am diabetic),
I make homemade foods, and once a month I get Chinese food or a treat out.
Yes, we can go through life happy, happy,
joy, joy and then be levelled when something unexpected happens that blows us
down. If you tell me you have a
wonderful great life absolutely all the time, I am going to question you;
perhaps, not literally, but I will lose trust in you for you have to be in
denial or are telling me an untruth. Life
is disappointment, is full of unhappy incidents, is full of times you will have
fear, sorrow, and rejection. Our lives
can not be perfect. We cannot be perfect
all the time. When we learn to accept imperfection,
you gain a sense of grace and how to surrender and how to change with some sort
of dignity. Learning that one moment in
time does not equal ALL moments, is crucial.
Attitude is everything!
Having a positive attitude does not mean that
we live in denial. Just because life
can be hard down here on Mother Earth, does not mean that there can not be
peace and joy. Take time to do what you
love. And do not allow a sense of guilt
creep up on you when you do. You do not
need to control everything, nor does your Evil Inner Witch (Ego/Lizard
Brain). Find time, make time; live; laugh;
love; find that sweet spot of personal peace for a block of time every
day. I use creativity as reward as my
day goes on. Discover new ways to be a
fully functioning woman.
Take some time to know what you feel like
your life is lacking. Discover ways to
fulfill that need. Do changes bit by
bit. I am one of those crash-course diet
people that has never been successful at it.
It is because I dumped everything that I should not eat and then, a week
later, buying replacements that were the same danged thing. It is
hard not to be all gung-ho. I want
instant gratification. When it does not
sustain, I dump that idea or project or whatever it is and go back to same old,
same old. I am learning, still, at 74,
to make changes in bits. It will be the
same with giving ourselves permission to feel joy, to feel balanced, to feel fulfilled. Our main goal is to find balance in order to
be fully functional women.
Above all, be kind to yourself.
©Carol Desjarlais 8.29.21
