Tag: resilience

as long as you’re breathing

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sometimes we are lost in questions
which is to be lost in things unlived.

ghosts of the past, no longer alive
or ghosts of the future, not yet in form.

but we may make use of lifeless thoughts.

we may recognize the fear in them
and where there is fear
there is the chance to face it.

there will always be the question of giving in.
of loss
death
or any number of misfortunes.

but the choice to face fear anyway
is the end of lifelessness
and listlessness.

each breath you take may be a question:

do I have the strength?

the answer:
as long as you’re breathing

you do.

dialogue

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your pain is alive
it has a pulse
a heartbeat
and it needs to be acknowledged
as a living being.

ask what it needs
thank it for being the messenger
you don’t want but know
deep down you need.

nurture it with questions
with listening
and with silence

with not demanding answers
and with patience

and someday it will whisper
the words it has waited
all this time to say.

off to work (note to self)

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I will try not to think about the hours

or count down the minutes.

If I need a rest, I will take one, whether it’s an actual break, a deep breath, or a gesture of

self-compassion.

If I need stimulation, I will seek it in a healthy way in the moment.

If I get bored, I will remember that it is my responsibility to engage an element of

interest.

If I encounter a challenge, I will trust myself and have confidence that I can handle it,

step by step.

If I want the day to be over already, I will bring my attention deeply into acceptance of

the present moment.

If the present moment contains discomfort, I will hold it and be with it rather than

push it away.

beyond happiness

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maybe it’s a relief to be unhappy
because trying to be happy all the time is exhausting.

maybe there’s a place beyond happiness and unhappiness.

not between.

not in the middle.

BEYOND.

BEYOND = accepting both happiness and unhappiness.

they are part of every day.

expect them.

you don’t have to welcome them.

you don’t have to be glad to see your old friend unhappiness.

but if you’re upset, be upset.

if you need to cry, cry.

maybe if you allow them to be there
your tears will dissolve.

remember, your tears won’t dissolve into happiness.

don’t fall into that trap—
doing your spiritual work and still waiting for perfect happiness.

my hope for you is that you come to a place where you’re unhappy—
and THAT’S OKAY.

you haven’t done anything wrong
unless being human is wrong.

do not mistake peace for happiness.

peace is not a utopian state of ecstasy, pleasure or even comfort.

peace “goes beyond understanding.”

i can tell you this much—you know it when you feel it.

your heart settles
and your body is lighter.

gravity is less of a burden.

and even if things aren’t good, they’re still alright.

no matter what, my hope for you
is that you find a place inside yourself
BEYOND yourself
where you can finally rest.

two kinds of fear

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there are two kinds of fear:

one tells you to turn on your heel, honey, and walk away.

this type of fear whispers you know better.

the other is a big, fat neon arrow pointing toward your dreams.

with this type of fear, you’re petrified, but you sense something delicious in your soul, something that’s begging to be brought into the world.

trust your heart to know the difference.

one day you will dance.

face2facewiththeskyLeave a comment 
it is right for the human spirit to have endured something.
this is why we must not shelter ourselves overmuch.
it is something to have been in distress

yet find yourself undeniably alive.
to have fasted
 & find yourself still whole.
to have been panic stricken

yet find your legs standing.
but if by chance they give way beneath you
 & you don’t get up for an hour
 a day
 or even a decade
 it doesn’t matter
 so long as there is a day that comes 
that you dance.
my own grandmother
 bedridden
danced under the covers.