Blossoming Feminine Wisdom: Acceptance

What if acceptance permeates my belief system so deeply that I am not even aware of all of the 'ties' it has to my self-esteem? Am I required to discover, reveal, process and release each one individually or is it possible to be as though I have truly been reborn and release them all at once?

In asking this question I am not coming from a place of avoidance as much as I am from a place of expediency and efficiency. I want to move forward. To evolve. I want to surrender to who I am and trust that I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

I understand that there is something I am getting - some psychological reason that I am hanging on to these old beliefs. I feel that it is related to feeling safe as I see evidence of issues of safety and privacy surfacing in my life.

Its like I'm seeking a safe place to be me in the physical world and there's always a reason I find to stop. The reasons appear as invasions of my private space, the phone ringing, interruptions, etc. I find myself wanting to escape to the beach or to the woods. To solitude.

And then the excuse becomes "when I have private', quiet, safe space then I will be me." What if that never happens? What if, in this physical world there really is no quiet or safe space? What if the space and safety I seek is inside of me? What if its always there, easily accessible, even in a crowded room? I am simply required to create it.

I keep hearing Dr Sugar saying "if you want to" in relation to my weight and letting go. I realize that is also true about everything. Its as simple as "if you want to".

I want to.

What's next?

I’ve shared a little bit about my ah-ha moment(s) in experiencing Oriah Mountain Dreamer’s book The Call which, among many other things invites women to stop doing and rest. I have also shared my resistance to rest and observations that when the “is” (it is what it is) is accepted, embraced and thereby removed from the word “resist” the word is then transformed into “rest”.

This call to rest has been challenging. My husband and I recently spent an incredible week camping in the woods. In preparation for this week I packed a lot of things that I thought I might like to do while camping. In my backpack were several books that I am reading or re-reading, art supplies, my cameras and lenses and various other tools. I packed these things thinking that I might feel called to ‘do’ some of them.

Halfway through the week I realized that I had been so enjoying being in the moment experiencing camping in the woods that I had ‘forgotten’ about the things I brought to do. This observation brought a scolding with it and I observed myself ‘beating myself up’ in admonishment for resting and not being productive. I again remembered Oriah Mountain Dreamer’s call to stop ‘doing’ and rest and gave myself permission to do just that – to let go of the ‘busy-ness’ of doing, to rest and be still with myself, to be quiet enough to hear the truth of my own quiet voice from deep within, to connect with the Divine Essence of who I was born to be.

This morning as I was on my way out to the front porch to sip my coffee in the comfort of my wicker rocking chair I noticed a praying mantis clinging to the house near the door frame. I observed it for a few minutes noticing that while its body remained still, as if frozen, its head rotated around to follow me keeping an eye on me as I moved to capture it with the camera. The moments spent with the mantis inspired me to contemplate the symbolism of its appearance at my front door this morning. What message am I to receive from this creature?



The Praying Mantis is a messenger that carries the essence of the Power of Stillness. An appearance from the mantis is a message to be still, go within, meditate, and experience quiet and calmness. It can also indicate the need to be more mindful the choices you are making and confirm that these choices are congruent with your purpose.

The origin of the word Mantis comes from a Greek word that means “Prophet”. Perhaps if we can be still with ourselves we can open to our own prophecy. This stillness can be practiced as simple contemplation in the moment, in meditation or the restorative stillness of sleep and dreams.

Being still with the essence of mantis can teach us how to let go of the outer layers of thought and connect with our own inner power so that when we do take action we do so with confidence, precision and with great power.

There are many stories of the mantis across many cultures, one of the most widely known being from African lore. The Kalihari Bushmen of Africa believe that Mantis was a Bushman who carries plentiful tales of his many adventures. When he found that he got himself into trouble he would go off alone, go to sleep and dream a solution to his problem. This tale embodies the essence of this curious insect and brings with it the gift of the power of stillness. When we learn to still the outer mind and go within we can draw upon a greater power in the physical, mental emotional or spiritual realms to create peace that comes from being truly connected to our own Divine selves.

Chinese martial arts evolved around the activities of the praying mantis. In the practice of kung fu there is a meditation called “chi kung” which uses the breath to go within and direct the life force of the body along the seven major energy meridians or chakras of the body. This healing meditative practice can strengthen and empower the many organs and systems of the body and through it we can learn to use the gifts of this stillness in varying degrees from creating to healing.

The mantis hunts by remaining still and blending into its surroundings making it a great hunter. When the time is right it suddenly grasps its prey in its long forelegs folding them over its victim like a jackknife. This stillness before acting can be applied to ourselves as we contemplate the message of the praying mantis. Mantis asks us to observe our own actions in life. Are you sharing your plans and ideas prematurely? Are you impatient or acting in a haphazard or chaotic manner? Are you missing opportunities to receive life’s many gifts due to acting or speaking to quickly? Being still with the Essence of Praying Mantis can assist with these questions.

I am humbled and grateful for this Universal affirmation appearing at my front door this morning. Within its stillness mantis carries the essence of Awareness, Creativity, Patience, Mindfulness, Calm, Balance and Intuition. It brings peace and acceptance of "It is what it is." and "I am what I am." I allow myself to experience the healing stillness of going within and connecting to the truth of my deepest self.

Hello my BraveHeart Sisters,

I have been practicing letting go of "do-ing" and simply "be-ing". I am growing. I had a small ah-ha moment this morning which prompted a series of questions that I am beginning to explore. I would love your perspectives on this.

As I practice loving and accepting myself, just as I am, I am conscious of being required to also love and accept others, just as they are. I see my degree of love and acceptance of others as a mirror indicating my own love and acceptance of myself.

Is there a fine line between 'loving and accepting' and 'enabling' when it comes to behavior that is not self serving? Does love and acceptance mean "without criticism or analysis"? What energy is required to tap into to fully embrace "I love and accept me/you unconditionally" yet that also allows for or nurtures the energy of growing?

When acting in a relationship in such a way that I am enabling negative behavior am I also enabling a variant of the energy of the behavior in myself?

How do I release enabling and embrace fully honoring myself and others? I am not sure I even fully understand how I am enabling, however, I am conscious it happening ... at the same time, the warrior within me is whispering louder and louder ... there seems to be a connection between allowing that warrior to use her voice and breaking the cycle of enabling that is creating challenges in some of my relationships.

What does your feminine wisdom have to share about this? Are any of you seeing this manifest in your lives? How are you embracing this challenge?

with humble gratitude,
love,
Lisa

A quick look at the news these days and I come away feeling sad. There is chaos happening that feels beyond my control. People are suffering and dying. How can I possibly make a difference? Can there ever really be World Peace?

I have been exploring the concept that the world as we experience it is simply a larger reflection of our how we see ourselves on an individual level. That our outside world mirrors what is happening personally inside each of us and that we may be making a contribution to that chaotic global reflection whether we realize it or not.

Mirrors are fascinating things that we are both attracted to and attempt to hide from. They are truthful in ways that we may have a difficult time accepting. It is different for all of us, yet also very much the same. The first step in creating a Peaceful World requires being able to look in the mirror and make peace with what is reflected there.

Listen to what is said in your mind as you look in the mirror. What are the words on the tapes that are playing in your head? Are they critical? “My nose is too big ... my hips are too wide ... uggghhh my hair! … I look horrible today …” These are the silent messages that are being repeated in your subconscious mind all day long - whether you intend them to or not. These reflections on your Self ‘color your world’ all throughout the day to reflect many different aspects of ‘not being enough’. Not very peaceful is it?

If you pay attention, you will also see this ‘not enough’ as it manifests in your day. You will see it in what you complain about and what ‘sets you off’. At the end of the day, again whether you intended to or not, you’ve had many reflections, many replays of ‘horrible today’ being delivered through many different situations and messengers. Not only do you feel horrible but everyone you came in contact with that day also shares in carrying some of that horrible feeling. Some brought it to you and some left you with it.

So what’s the secret? What if you could subconsciously push the play button on tapes that are loving and supportive of you all day long? What if those tapes YOU create also transform ‘whether you intended to or not’ into conscious and purposeful intention? What if you transformed the silent words playing in your head from subconsciously creating horrible to instead creating acceptance or love or peace?

I invite you to try this for yourself. While preparing for your day, as you see yourself reflected in the mirror, make a conscious point of allowing a moment to look deeply into your own eyes and say aloud, “I Love and Accept my Self unconditionally.” Allow a full minute to be in that space and repeat those words over and over. Smile at your Self. Breathe.

Allow this moment of nurturing YOU to become an essential part of your morning routine and then just be curious and watch as unconditional love and acceptance ‘colors your world’. You will begin to see that it is replayed and reflected through many situations and messengers in your daily life. Some will bring it to you and some will leave you with it.

The way to a peaceful world begins with YOU!



with much love and gratitude,
Lisa

What Would You Say by Trailer Choir

My son Josh shared this song with me on his way out the door this morning. As I listened, I felt increasing waves of emotion roll through me with each line of the song. The words and the music seemed to touch so many things … all at once.

When my tears started and Josh moved to comfort me, I said “It’s okay. I’m okay. This was just what I needed to hear today … the tears are perfect and cleansing ... I’m not hurting I am just releasing old bullshit through the tears … clearing the way for the journey ahead. It’s all perfect … Thank you for sharing this with me today … it’s all perfect.”

Thank you, Joshua. I love you and I am honored to be your mom.

What would I say?



What would you say?

...

There are so many shifts happening in my life and so many ways that I am opening to and blossoming into my own, inherent, feminine wisdom. There has been transformation in many aspects of my life. Some I’ve accepted joyfully and some were and still are a bit more challenging to get through. Collectively though, they’ve ALL collaborated to bring me to right here … where I am right now ... experiencing a joy-full, peace-full and beauty-full moment in my own evolution.

To me, transforming means that I fully realize that I am not bound by the "rules" of yesterday. This realization allows me to sever the connection and “pull the plug” on yesterday with the understanding that the severing of the connection does not have to come from a place of rejection, but rather it can come from a place of acceptance. Acceptance brings peacefulness.

I can now remind my Self that “it was what it was” in “that moment” but that moment is over now; that this is a NEW moment with no attachment to prior moments; that it is what it is … right now; to be in this moment not with the attachment to all of the moments that have come before but to really BE in THIS moment with the WISDOM of all of the moments before.

I am beginning to see how this acceptance can assist me to celebrate every moment, in the moment, whether it feels joyful or is challenging. The acceptance of all of them leads to inner peace.

I wonder ... is transformation is a deeper level of blossoming or is it perhaps an entirely new bud on the same flower? Or perhaps both?

What does transformation mean to you?

with love and BraveHeart hugs,
Lisa