Going With the Flow

 

Going With the Flow

                 This time last year, I was on an extended leave from my job as Executive Director of a statewide nonprofit focused on child abuse and neglect. I called it a sabbatical of my own making; I asked for eight weeks off and my Board of Directors approved it. After 25 years of “sowing” in my career, that was my reaping. While I did have to take care of some things for my job here and there, I was able to unwind for the first time in years. When it was all said and done, I was ready to go back to work a week early. And the past year? Well, it was filled with new ideas, creativity, energy and successful implementation. So great was my experience that I decided I would use my vacation time to do a shorter, modified version this year.

            As I write this, I am on “leave,” and I have to tell you, it’s not unfolding as I had hoped. It’s like the lineup of the stars is creating circumstances that are keeping me from reaching my creative goals. Then something hit me; in fighting this reality, I’m going against the flow. And by flow I mean The Flow—of life, energy and the universe.

            I am a big advocate for making a list, checking it twice, and doing what needs to be done to meet a goal. As they say, “Someday is not a day on the calendar.” We have to make a decision to do something; schedule it in, and do it. But what if, in spite of our commitment and diligence to meet a goal, we still can’t make it happen? Or if it seems like we are repeatedly derailed, or the creative juices aren’t running through our veins in the allotted time? It may mean that instead of floating on our backs and riding the river of life (riding the flow) we are swimming against the current.

            As you move through your day, consider if there is an area of your life in which it feels like you are swimming against an invisible current. If so, ask yourself, "Am I willing to lay back and let the water carry me, even if it's not taking me to the destination I had in mind?"

            Remember, sometimes the universe has something else in store for us; and it might even be better than what we had in store for ourselves!

Many Blessings,
Sheryl

Re-Creation

 

Re-Creation

     Counter to conventional “new year” goal-setting wisdom, I have a tendency to drag mine out. For that reason, I am still plodding through my workbook for 2015 even though it is already mid-April. This may not be the most effective means of setting goals, but for right now it brings me joy to look at what I have already written and accomplished, and to experience my own evolution as the year progresses.

     A few weeks ago I sat by the lake wrapped in a blanket, looking out as the afternoon sunlight reflected off the ripples in the water. I had just read over something I wrote back in February while in New Mexico with my kids skiing. I wanted one of my themes for the year to be recreation, and how appropriate it was to read that message to myself after a lovely walk in the woods.

     The fact that I chose recreation as one of my themes is significant, and showed real intention to move away from my “overworked” work ethic and requirement for constant productivity. Big stuff!

Recreation. I repeated the word in my mind a few times, responding to it like it were a meditative mantra. Recreation. Recreation. Recreation. And then my mind lit up in an instant --
 

Recreation…. Re-creation.

 

How beautiful is that?

     Recreation creates opportunities for re-creation. If I want to re-create myself, renew my passion or commitment to my life’s work, the answer isn’t necessarily to work on it or focus on it. Perhaps the answer is to relax, play, and participate in life in new and different ways. And with that epiphany, my theme word of “recreation” took on an even more wonderful meaning.

Many Blessings,
Sheryl

 

A Long Winter's Night

 

As I watched January come to a close, I breathed a sigh of relief. In spite of the festivity at the beginning on the New Year--the dreaming of what we want the upcoming year to hold and the goals we want to meet—for me it has historically been one of the most difficult months. Perhaps it is the cold of winter, or the clouds, or the post festivity dip? I am not sure, but for the longest time I have given poor January a bad rap.

As much as this is the case, I also know that every coin has two sides, and January has its own beauty and symbolism. Added to the calendar in circa 700 B.C., the month is named in honor of Janus, the Roman god of gates and doorways. The image of Janus is depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions.

The symbolism of that speaks to something in the deepest recesses of my being; the part of me that feels such an internal struggle this time of year. One might say that the two faces looking in opposite directions represent the past and future. But for me, it represents two opposing aspects of Self. The first is the aspect that inherently turns inward this time of year; a hibernation of sorts. The other is the part that must continue to operate and exist in the outer world, setting sight on the future.

January is like a long winter’s night. The pull is to delve inward and the yearning to quietly curl up by the fire and simply be with Self, yet we still have the push of daily life- complete with new goals, dreams and aspirations. In that light, my inner conflict with January makes so much sense.

In more traditional terms, Janus has invited us to reevaluate where we have been and set our sights on where we are heading. In order to do that, we must honor both sides of ourselves, each looking in opposite directions.

We now stand at the threshold of Janus’s doorway. Let us each pass through it with wisdom, understanding, and inner peace.

Many Blessings,
Sheryl

Happiness

Years ago, I had a repeated conversation with a dear friend of mine about what it meant to be “happy.” Neither could adequately explain our concept of what happiness was, but when he disagreed with my idea that it had to do with contentment, I gathered his sense of it was different than mine. This elusive concept of happiness; what is it?

When I think back to when I was in early adulthood, I felt most happy when I was seeking an experience, going someplace new, and feeling like I was living my life with gusto. As I got a little bit older, my emphasis shifted. I met someone, got married, had kids, built a home and life in all the ways that we are raised to believe are related to happiness.

In a nutshell, happiness was about the HIGHS in life.

I had an idea of what happiness was and what it might look like. What I now see is that it is possible to have picture perfect moments and experiences in life that make us feel those highs we think of as happiness, but at the same time have an undercurrent of discontent.

Another decade has almost passed. The pieces of my puzzle “fell apart,” and being a single mom, my adventures and ability to live my life with gusto are slightly reduced. Yet, for some reason, I am content in a way I have never felt before. My life and heart are full, and I go to sleep each night with a sense of joy and peace.

Coming back to the original question, what is this elusive thing we call happiness? Going back to my original thought that it was related to being content, I took it upon myself to look up the definition of “content” and this is what it said:

                          

                       “a state of peaceful happiness; satisfied, pleased, fulfilled….”

And I let out a deep sigh…. this is what happy feels like. 

Many Blessings,

Sheryl

Releasing Fears and Trying Something New

Well, after an almost three month sabbatical from writing, I composed one of these messages a few weeks ago. When I saw the final copy after it went out, I cringed, for in my haste I apparently didn't do a final proof? A word was missing; there was a typo or two. I then spent the following week feeling mortified, talking myself through my shame and hiding in my cave. 

Did I say shame? Yes, I did.

Let’s talk about that, or more specifically, the idea that it is unthinkable to make a public mistake. I say something incorrectly, don’t catch a typo, or make a fool of myself in some way, and I spend the next few weeks beating myself up and spinning in my self disappointment. I hate being so ding-dang human! Funny thing is, I would never describe myself as a perfectionist or anything remotely close.

When I confess this problem I have, I hear from others that they too have these experiences, so I am glad to know I am not alone. The problem is that these very fears of imperfection, making a mistake, or being judged that keep many of us from putting ourselves out there and sharing what we have to share with the world.
 

 You know what else? I have written about this before! Where’s the progress? (You can read it here.)

This rediscovered discomfort with my many imperfections almost stopped me from something I have been working on; a short email series on “everyday mysticism,"focused on sharing ideas about how to tap our inner mysticism while being fully engaged in this very busy and distracting physical life.

I consider myself a bit of an expert when it comes to being in the flow of the mystical river, complete with amazing metaphysical experiences, only to somehow find myself in the desert again. It’s a circle within this life of its own kind. I know I am not alone. So when I start the series, read it. Save the emails in your inbox until you have time. Create a space where you are focused and relaxed; read while you savor your morning coffee or your evening wine. Get out your journal and make notes to yourself about your own life and experiences, whatever works for you.

Okay, did I catch all my typos this time? Is it safe for me to hit the button?  
 

I hope so...

In the meantime, keep an eye out for an email labeled "Everyday Mysticism."
I look forward to sharing this time with you!

Many Blessings,

Sheryl

Going Within

“From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow.” – Aeschylus

Greetings to all, and I hope the last two months of summer were wonderful for everyone.

Wow, it has been quite a while since I sat down and wrote. What happened to me? I was simply living life. My sons and I took a trip to New Mexico and Colorado. We spent time with close friends, and time together with just the three of us. We watched for bears, hiked, visited places we loved and explored new ones. I worked my nonprofit-social work job and within that created two day-long presentations, brought a few projects from my mind into reality, all the while feeling blessed that within my work there is so much room for expression and creativity. 

We got the school year started, and last week at work I facilitated a retreat for a group of non-profit executive directors at a state park called Quartz Mountain. In preparing for those three days, I took of my usual professional hat, creating room to develop a presentation that enabled us to explore neuroplasticity; have fun, new experiences and bring what we learned personally to our jobs.
 
But I wasn't writing and it bothered me. I felt unusually silent. Yet, within my silence I was aware of a deep, inner stillness. I felt peace. I felt a quiet joy.
 
There is usually a reason when we feel we need to be quiet and go within. Often there is a seed - an idea, wisdom, or understanding- that is taking root.

I feel myself emerging from my quiet space, and am going to trust that from a small seed a mighty trunk may grow. As autumn approaches, stirring the mystical inside of me,  I am awaiting epiphanies.
 
Wishing Epiphanies for Us All,
 
Sheryl

Rocky Mountain High

            

           The other morning I vividly recalled a precious moment from when my son oldest son was five and his younger brother was three. We sat on the ground in the park watching the fireworks. I had one sweet angel in my lap and the other tucked under my arm. Beneath the bursting sounds of the fireworks, I heard my five year old begin singing, quickly joined by his younger brother. “I’ve seen it raining fire in the sky…”  It was John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High; they clearly had an affinity for their mother’s music! This memory was quite timely as Independence Day will quickly be upon us.

            Later that same day, I walked back out to where I was sitting in the shade with a cup of Bailey’s and coffee. As I did so, I heard John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High coming from Pandora on my phone, just as he sang my very favorite line, “talk to God and listen to the casual reply…..”

            Listening to the casual reply; I hear it in the rustle of the leaves on the trees, in the way the clouds float across the sky or in the breeze as it touches my skin. Or I simply feel it in the gentle stirring that speaks to me without words. Such is communing with Spirit, and in that I find the richness of connectedness, peace and understanding.

            I smiled to myself as I sat down with my coffee, and thought it interesting that I was connecting to the lyrics of this specific song twice in one day. And then it occurred to me— we are leaving for Colorado in about a week!

            I’ve never really been a Colorado girl. New Mexico? Definitely. Arizona and Utah? Absolutely. But Colorado? Not so much. And you know what? It’s about time I visit that fourth corner of the Four Corners region.

Thank you, John Denver and Pandora, for the perfect timing and setting the perfect tone. Or should I just thank Spirit? Regardless, the message was heard. I will keep my eye out for “raining fire” in the sky, and will seek the divine in quiet moments surrounded by nature. And along with that, I have no doubt that the boys and I, along with my dear friend and her two sons, will create our own special kind of Rocky Mountain high.

Many Blessings,

Hear John Denver's Rocky Mountain High - Click