When I am in the throes of self-judgment, there is no room for any other part of me to show up—compassion, curiosity, patience, kindness, generosity, forgiveness, etc. Self-judgment is all consuming.
Pushing the edge
The pace of life + cultural conditioning makes it easy to forget ourselves. That's why we need reminders and nudges to wake us up and help us connect with our souls and the truth of who we are. When you are actively pushing against this edge, evolving into a newer, more expansive version of you, you need support. A lot of support.
Let yourself be changed
On April 30, my husband and I marked our five year “Bendiversary”—the day we moved from California and became Oregon residents. The years feel like they have passed in a flash. Some days it doesn’t feel like much at all has changed in those five years. But when I stop and reflect, I can see that so much has changed—namely, me.
Own what you know
In the pursuit of knowledge what we often overlook is the knowledge we already have—not just in the form of external information but also the knowledge gleaned from our own thoughts, feelings, felt senses, and experiences. Tapping into that wellspring of information very often gives us the answer we are looking for.
The skinny branches
Lying fallow
The space of change
A few weeks ago a photo from when my husband and I moved into our new house came up as a memory on Facebook. The picture reminded me of an exchange we had last year when this anniversary rolled around. My husband commented on how many changes we had made to the house in those couple of years. I responded with how much the house had changed us. What I realize now is that the space hasn’t changed me but rather it’s the space I needed to change.
Growing pains
Quitter
“Don’t be a quitter.”
I can’t tell you how many times I have heard this during my life from my parents, friends, family, significant others, and other insidious sources. Eventually I internalized this message and, because of it, ended up sticking with things longer than I should have—and always to my detriment. And when I did quit, I was made to feel bad about it from others or (worse) myself.