I’m looking out my window. Snowflakes are falling gracefully, swirling here and there in a gentle nonsensical way, riding with the wind while the sunlight glistens upon them so beautifully.
Something so simple and yet very soothing.
I find it meditative to observe. There is a message in this for me.
What is it about the snowflakes? What it is about this moment that feels so inspiring?
I ask these questions and then listen.
My inner voice speaks and says, ‘there is an aliveness, a freedom’.
The snowflakes aren’t moving in a uniform direction. They are moving freely like a beautiful dance.
I’m aware of an aliveness in my core. Watching freedom play out in front of me has inspired freedom within me.
Where are the snowflakes going? Where do they end up? Who knows? They have no agenda.
Which got me thinking. What does it feel like when I have no agenda? When I can be fully in the now and go with the flow.
In last week’s Mindful Monday, I talked about my relationship to the mystery of not knowing how things will go, how it’s what I am most curious about right now.
There is a part of me who knows that big changes are underway. But how, when, what will it look like, remains to be a mystery.
Some moments I find myself totally fine with the mystery and other times my ego self wants to know the details and wants to know them now.
So, what’s one to do?!
This is where our mindfulness practice comes in. We have an opportunity to observe it all with curiousity and compassion.
I know that in the past, when I let the ego mind drive the show, this impatience created anxiety, fear, frustration, and depression saying ‘Nothing is happening. When will it ever change?’
The focus was on a future moment and things changing in order to feel ok/enough/safe/whole/happy.
The ego mind places conditions on our peace. This moment is never enough. We are never enough.
The ego is not bad. It is what it is. When we acknowledge this truth, we can work with it rather than be controlled by it.
When we practice mindfulness the game changes. There is greater willingness to be with our experience in the moment. It is a choice.
In Ontario we find ourselves under restrictions once again. For some people there is fear and anxiety about the uncertainty and the thought ‘is this ever going to end’ might be present.
Collectively we are in a place of not having control of a lot of things that have always been there. We don’t know how this is going to play out.
What if we explored the not knowing?
Exploring the mystery takes courage and perseverance. It also gives us a freedom when we can access our inner resources including trust, clarity and strength.
So, we explore with compassion.
Can we let go of comparing ourselves to others knowing just like the snowflake we are on our own unique journey?
We weren’t born with the need to control everything. We were conditioned this way.
Right now, we are collectively being given an opportunity to shine the light inward. To access our inner warrior and take our power back. We have a choice of how we respond to the mystery.
As I look out the window again, the snowflakes are still falling. The flakes are bigger and moving faster. The sun is fainter hidden behind the clouds.
Each moment is new. Never to be the same again. That is guaranteed.
What we choose to do with this moment is up to us.
Observe, let go of the outcome, be free.
With love,
Diane