Day 365/366 days Towards Self-Mastery.
Everything has a beginning and everything has an end. That seems to be true, and it's certainly a welcome truth for 2020.
Yet what will change as the clock strikes midnight and we enter into a New Year? Will all the madness and hysteria that inhabits social media fall away? Not likely. Can it fall away from your life? Yes, if you choose.
As the New Year begins, where will your focus be? On the old, tired thinking patterns, well-formed analysing and ruminating neurological pathways, or on discovery, experience, excitement for something new to begin.
Where ever you are on your path, discover what is working for you and keep doing that. Observe what is holding you back and move on from that. We are all on different paths, exploring our own solutions, answers, or simply being with what is. Know where you are and do it with as much authenticity as you can conjure.
Authenticity is about being the real you. It takes courage. It takes skill. It takes discernment supporting a sharp perception of what is happening around you. Be as real as you can be while being aware of your impact on others. Sometimes that means not saying a word, not taking an action. Other times it means speaking up. You decide in each moment what is needed and what to call forth from your most authentic self at that time.
I love Sarah's writing this morning and quote, "The Soul's awakening is gratitude. The Soul's essence is simplicity. The Soul's serenity is order. The Soul's serenity is harmony. The Soul's passion is beauty. The Soul's purpose is joy." I would agree. This is my experience, although I would replace gratitude with appreciation.
For me, I am consciously changing, reshaping neurological pathways, old well worn roads of enquiry that are no longer needed. I'm doing that by healing the deeper wounds as they surface, then focussing on the new. In the very first day of practice the world is opening up for me. So much information becoming available.
Sarah reminds us to ask. Ask for support, ask for insight, ask for direction. Ask for joy to be your daily companion. Ask for resources. Ask, ask, ask.
My mantra is, remain curious. That curiosity is the ask. Curiosity always expresses itself as a question. That's the ask. Be curious about life, about your way of doing life, about other's way of doing life. Remain open to learn something new.
May love bless you as you move into the New Year. A new beginning. A new exploration to unfold.
366 days Towards Self-Mastery
When I considered my New Year's intentions for 2020 I had just one: To allow my heart to love what it loved...and let it lead me. (If not now, then when?)
I've spent months working on integrating my life. To live life more fully with my home life, my interests, my work, my responsibilities, all coming together, all connected. I want to give each the attention that they desire and need, and still have time and energy for the others. That means living and working from the heart.
As I was clearing out my bookshelf over the Christmas break I discovered Simple Abundance. I set it aside to explore it on New Year's Day as I lazed through another delicious day of nothingness. Sarah, the author, says this book is about living in grace. Living in grace I realised, is about Self-Mastery.
My thirst for understanding the human condition has driven me all my life, and hand-in-hand with self-mastery it has been a life-long goal. And seeing as I love to write, that living in grace is about self-mastery, and I love a bit of a challenge, then if I am truly going to let my heart lead, I really don't have any other choice. So scary as it feels, I'm starting out on a daily mission of leaning into the suggestions of this daybook and making a daily post to keep me accountable. If not now, then when?
I'm Josie. You can find out a little more about me here.
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy: by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
This book is written for the Australian and NZ market because it refers to seasonal changes. It's available on Amazon here if you'd like to follow along.