The end of this month puts us in a place of transition. Harvests are complete and winds shuffle the falling leaves all around. We prepare for colder weather in the northern hemisphere. It's a perfect time to shuffle things around in our own lives and name intentions for the inward dwelling months to come. This is a time of identifying what we're hanging onto in our lives that we no longer need. It's a good time to let go of these old things that are meant to be left behind in this season of this year. If these things no longer give us life, then they are also holding us back from our own full expression and self-completion. It might be time to transmute these parts of ourselves from their place in our life story into something that connects us with our creative wishes and visions for what is to come. Leaves blown by the wind have already let go to make way for the next cycle. They teach us to do the same.
"...winds move through a person's life. They shake some things loose and maybe even turn some things upside down. Wind shakes off what's really loose that needs to be swirled around, and brings with it also a fresh breath, a fresh air. If some things have been knocked down or turned over, it's okay. Within and around that you will find some sprouting. You will find the fresh green edges of what is trying to emerge."
--Mary Morissey
It's autumn again. An ending--a beginning. Leaves are coloring, falling, announcing change. Plants and animals prepare to go inward for protection from the cold. People go inside as temperatures cool. Our energies also go inward as outside activities slow down. These cycles keep us connected with nature, and also connected as a human tribe. Times of gathering and harvest, as well as collecting seeds for future undertakings. Times of taking on and letting go. Life cycles.
"Cool, cool evening
White moon
Autumn wind blowing"
--haiku by Uejima Onitsura
These days are filled with the challenges of polarized energies. As we move through co-creative processes of change, we feel the push-pull of things that have been and things that are trying to be. We are flowing in a river that is transporting us to new places, to new experiences, and we can ride the stream or push against the current. What we know and what we don't know must be held in compassionate and All-inclusive balance as we live through these times.
"Non-dual thinking is the highest level of consciousness."
--Richard Rohr
"Feeling vulnerable, imperfect, and afraid is human; it's when we lose our capacity to hold space for these struggles that we become dangerous."
--Brene Brown
We all come to this life with strengths and gifts to offer. It takes a village or a community to accomplish all of the complex tasks and goals that we humans want to accomplish. Within that village we have the opportunity to find a niche, to express our gift, to offer our unique strength toward serving the larger endeavor, the greater good. In its highest expression, this is what coming to this life is all about. It's about each of us offering our best selves. In so doing we find that we have enough people to create a harmonious gathering of talent, and enough resources to complete all of our complex and necessary tasks for meaningful livelihood. Subsequently, we then have enough of everything for everyone.
"The One Mind
Of heaven and earth is dyed into
A thousand different
Grass colors."
--Unattributed poem from Japan
This feels like such an auspicious time. Webster's dictionary describes this word as "good omen, boding well for the future, favored by fortune." That makes it feel even more "awe-spicious." This year of large changes and high energy is having a crescendo at this summer solstice time. Our world is in some chaos, yet for me it feels like creative birthing. We are all helping to unfold something creative that bodes well for the future. It feels important to continue to steadfastly hold up thoughts of mindful compassion for ourselves and toward others.
"Our compassion for ourselves and for others is one way to invest our life force energy in order to collect the benefits of unswerving compassion and inner peace. We can see that in order to maintain balance, walking our talk can involve a whole new set of disciplines that require boundless energy, grounding, compassion, focused intent, and mercy toward ourselves and others."
--Jamie Sams
I have been doing a lot of thinking about life purpose. We don't always have to be clear about what our life purpose is or how we are to "make it" in the world. Our culture has taught us many negative things about competency, money, success, and power. Love is our life purpose. We are loved by the Universe, and love is what we can share with others. Being who we are is also our life purpose. The closer to this we can come, the more joy we are able to experience. Others benefit from our love and joy when it is true to who we are. These are the building blocks of our life purpose.
"The purpose of your life is to serve in a way that brings great joy to yourself and others. Don't worry about finding your purpose. Instead, focus upon serving a purpose, and then your purpose will serve you."
--Doreen Virtue
So often we carry more than we need as we travel through life. I have been doing this much of my life. The other side of this is that I have also been letting go. This letting go clears the way for new expressions, new exchanges, and takes us to new places. It also releases burdens that are not necessary on our paths. This process brings us peace, calm, and courage in these high energy times. I am daily finding the ability and the permission to let go, and to rest and relax as I release.
"I used to carry the weight of the world, but now all I wanna do is spread my wings and fly."
--song lyrics by Chantal Kreviazuk
