Being seen

In an article I was reading online today, a line jumped out at me:

"I am not used to being seen"

As I read it, someone I care about deeply came to mind and I thought, yeah, she really isn't used to being seen, and the thought made me infinitely sad.

Then I had another thought.  People often serve as mirrors for us, especially those that we seem drawn towards for no apparent reason.  As my friend is fond of saying, every projection finds its appropriate screen, and often what we think we're seeing in others is only a projection of what lies within ourselves.

So the question then became, am I not used to being seen?

Hmmmmm.  An interesting question indeed.  I'm so used to the focus of most of my relationships being on the other person that, yeah, I guess I'm not used to being seen.  Does that make me as sad for myself as what I felt when I thought about my friend not being seen?  No, I don't think so, but it does make me feel like maybe I need to be seen more.

Can relationships exist where both people are equally seen and heard?  The answer to that I know is yes because I am involved in one right now, and it's very revealing for me in all kinds of wonderful ways.  It has opened my eyes to a great many things, one of which is the predictable pattern of most of my relationships.  And now I see that the idea of being seen, or not seen, is something that I need to explore some more.

I think deep down we all want to be seen, and to be loved for who we are, not what we do or what we can give to others.  We want to be accepted just for being who we are.  And so being seen, for that reason, becomes very important... even when one is not used to being seen.  Yes, it is very important indeed.

What makes a person beautiful?

That question has been simmering at the back of my mind for days now, and when I consciously think about it, it seems like there is no clear answer. However, when I acknowledge the feelings that come to me if I just sit with that question and let it be, some very interesting things arise.

On two separate occasions last week I had conversations with people about beauty - on seeing it in others, and feeling it about ourselves - and it got me thinking about how I perceive beauty in people and in myself.

When I look at myself in the mirror, some days I feel like I look good.  It could be that I'm having a good hair day, or I like how the clothes I'm wearing look on me, but it's not because I think I'm beautiful.  I just don't see myself like that. Yet I have absolutely no trouble seeing beauty in others.

So today I thought of all the beautiful people I know and I thought about what it is exactly that makes them beautiful.  And it was then that something occurred to me, something I hadn't thought of before. It happens to me quite often that someone that I hadn't previously noticed as being beautiful, suddenly becomes quite beautiful to me. Most of the time this will happen when I get to know someone.  It's as if the more I get to know them, who they are on the inside, the more I see their beauty. The more I see of the real person - the one who has insecurities, has faults, is vulnerable - the more beauty I see in them. To me it is their realness that makes them beautiful. And when they let this show on the outside, when they let their light shine, that's when their beauty shines bright like the sun.

So maybe this is why I don't see it in myself but others seem to see it in me. Maybe our beauty comes from what's on the inside and that's why others can see it but we can't.  And maybe that's why we should believe others when they tell us we are beautiful and look closely, not in the mirror, but deep inside, and we may just catch a glimpse of that beauty.  I believe that it is when we are being ourselves, our true authentic selves, that is when we are most beautiful.  And what better reason could there be to let our real selves shine?

What will this day hold?

Today is a brand new day.

It is... it truly is.

Not because it follows yesterday does it mean it will be the same, or even close.

Today can be anything I want it to be. 

Yes, you heard me: today can be anything I want it to be.

By concentrating on what I want, rather than what I don't want, I can move towards making today what I want it to be.

So... the question is... what do I want today to be?

I would like today to be a day filled with wonder... a day in which I discover new things, have new experiences, meet new people maybe, or just simply feel new feelings... and feel the wonder of each of these things.

I would like to feel things deeply today, not withhold feeling - and showing - love, or hurt, but feeling them fully and then moving onto the next feeling. 

I would like today to be infused with the scent of forgiveness... of myself and of others... because only when I forgive will I be able to move on unburdened by thoughts, feelings, and events of the past.

I would like today to be an adventure, one I live fully and completely.

And really, shouldn't every day be approached as a new adventure, to be lived fully and completely?  Absolutely!

So with that thought, I am off to live my new adventure... will you join me?

A time to give thanks

This past week was American Thanksgiving and, although our Thanksgiving had already passed, stores in our area decided to adopt Black Friday.  Although financial gain was the obvious reason, it somehow surprised me.  I think it surprised me because, of all the things surrounding Thanksgiving that one culture could share in with another, why would it be the commercial aspect that prevailed?  I guess it is, sadly, just a sign of our times that we would choose the material over all else.  But does it really have to be this way?  I think not. 

Thanksgiving is all about, as the name says, giving thanks... for all that we've been given, for every good thing in our lives, for the people that surround us, for our health... and the list goes on and on.  So, instead of getting carried off by the commercial aspect of Thanksgiving, ours or some else's,  why don't we instead take a moment, just a moment, to realize how blessed we truly are... and give thanks for all of these blessings.  Doing this - particularly right now, as the Christmas season approaches - will open our hearts to the blessings that surround us and help us focus on what is truly important, so we do not get lost in the commercial aspect of the season. 

So on this beautiful Sunday morning, as I look around me at all the wonderful people and things that make up my life, I give thanks for it all and I know that I truly am blessed.

In my head

How often have you been told, "it's all in your head" ?

Frustrating, isn't it?

Yesterday after a particularly powerful Reiki session performed on me by a very dear friend, I was told that it was while she had had her hands over my head that she felt the most energy - crazy energy, with almost a franticness to it - and I immediately knew why. 

I have been told something along these same lines various times over the last few years by various holistic health practitioners and each time it surprised me and it didn't.  I know I can be very much in my head, thinking too much, over-analyzing stuff, trying to come up with an answer for everything; but I truly thought I'd been able to make the shift to listening more to my feelings and not being "in my head" quite so much.  Guess I'm not quite there yet. 

So what will it take to get out of my head and truly start living from my heart?

Well, for one, I need to trust my intuition more... listen to what my heart knows and not question it with my head.  I've always known that when I do this it ends up being exactly the right thing.  It's when I let the questions and fears in my mind get in the way that things go wrong.  My body and my heart know what it is I need to live, and live well, and my input is not required for that to happen. 

I have a friend who does this... she does not try to live her life, she lets life live her... and this is so beautiful to watch.  I know I have much to learn from her, and I am realizing just how fortunate I am to have had her put in my path at this very time in my life.  It is by watching her that I have discovered some very great truths, and I know that the more I watch, listen and learn, the more I will be able to stop living in my head and start truly living.  And for this I will be forever grateful to her ♥♥♥

Believe

How often do we stop to think about all the little (and big) things in our lives that happen for no apparent reason?  Those things we just can't explain that we put down to "coincidence"...

Well, I don't believe in coincidences.  I believe that in one way or another we bring on everything that goes on in our lives.  Now I'm not saying that when something bad happens we're the ones that made it happen.  What I mean is that we have far more control over what happens to us, and the direction our life takes, than we give ourselves credit for. 

A lot of it has to do with our thinking.  Ever heard of the power of positive thinking?  Or the expression thoughts become things?  Although these are commonly bandied about, how often do we actually stop to think about what they might actually mean?  Probably not often enough.

What if we had the power to make our every dream come true?  What if we had the power to heal ourselves?  What if we had the power to be all that we wanted to be?  Then what?  What would we do with that?  Would we do anything or just turn the other way and pretend we didn't know?

I think we are powerful beyond measure... and that can sometimes be a frightening thought.  And maybe because it is so frightening we choose not to look too closely at it or think too deeply about it.  However I know that if we did, if we allowed ourselves to believe in our own power, a lot would change.  I've seen it, I've felt it, and now I try to live it... every day.  Some days, of course, it's easier to believe in my own power than others; but ultimately, even on the difficult days, it's worth the effort. 

So what if, just for today, you thought about one thing you would like to see happen, and believed that it could actually happen?  Try it... see what happens... you may become a believer... just like me.

A being of light

As I watch her feel her way through this journey that is uniquely hers, I stand in awe.

This being - from whom light radiates, shining bright for all those who have lost theirs somewhere along the way - is a true blessing. 

Learning with each new experience, she lets the knowledge fill her to overflowing, spilling out so that others can learn as well.

Her courage carries her, always to new heights, and her humility keeps her grounded, no matter how high she climbs.

Slowly she dances towards her Knowing, and as she does she takes us along with her, teaching us with every step... about life, about love, about kindness and generosity... and we become better people, just by following along with her.