My Temple Within

Mindfulness, living in the present moment, balanced, intention, being compassionate, finding your purpose, movement, good health, staying grounded, being passionate about what you do, peace of mind . . . .

These are all ways of living your life to achieve happiness in who you are and how you are living your life.

It wasn’t always apparent to me that my life’s passion and goal was to be healthy, happy, and balanced in all aspects of my life. As a child, that’s the only way I knew how to be. It was great! As I got older, with all the pressures and demands of our society and it’s set of values, I forgot about the basics of simplicity. I was allowing myself to be defined by outside influences. I became someone who did not feel like me. So I had to take a step out of the box. I evaluated my life, took a different perspective, found my passion, learned how to work through emotions I didn’t realize I’d been hanging on to, practiced becoming more accepting of all kinds of things, and decided to get back to the basic fundamentals and values of being a human being . . . . of being me . . . . of feeling comfortable in my own skin. This was no easy task . . . . but OH!, so worth it.

We each have a purpose for being here regardless of social status, monetary wealth, profession, level of education, material possessions, etc. We all strive for good health and happiness. We all have the ability to make choices that are in our best interest. Sometimes we focus so much on “being of service” to work, community, loved ones, things outside of ourselves, that we forget to take care of us. How can we become stronger and more instrumental in our work, our community service, being there for our loved ones, if we are not taking care of ourselves?

The more “selfish” you are, in regards to your health, your state of being, your compassion, maintaining balance in all aspects you, the more empowered you are to be “self-less”.

We come into this world with no possessions. We will leave with no possessions. Our souls will be filled because of the way we’ve chosen to live our lives. We will remember the experiences that made us grow. We will treasure all that we’ve learned and the wisdom that has been bestowed upon us. We will reflect on the memories of friends and family, and in our minds eye, we will know that Life is Good. Life is a gift. Life is to be lived.

Eyes Wide Open

I’m not really a person who journals, or keeps current with writing a blog, or even posting on any social media platforms. However I am a person who, when inspired, will sit and let my thoughts and feelings flow through my fingers as I magically see them appear transformed into written form. I guess that would make me more of a ‘go with the flow’ kind of person . . . . maybe.

Throughout life, there are unexpected opportunities that present themselves to us, perhaps ones that we never considered, that can change the course of our lives. I am blessed to have had many of them. Whether you call them blessings or curses, I would imagine, depends on your perspective. I guess I’ve always had a ‘glass half full’ outlook on life and the many experiences I’ve gone through in my lifetime. Now this doesn’t mean that I wasn’t vulnerable to the so called ‘negative aspects’ of these experiences, it just means that I took away invaluable information that I may not have otherwise gained had it not been for these experiences. And with each one, I have become a better version of me.

I’ve titled this blog “Eyes Wide Open” because at all times, we need to be aware of what is transpiring around us. We need to be present in our life, in the here and now, living our lives from day to day, with the presence of mind that we get to be here. Growing up I spent a lot of time body surfing. I suddenly had an inspiration to write so immediately grabbed my phone and this is what I wrote:

10/4/2022

Take the Plunge

Jump in with eyes wide open

Feel it, look at it, touch it, taste it, embrace it . . . . let it surround you. Swim in it. Sometimes you have to go against the current. Always be mindful and go against it with grace and ease. BREATHE! When you feel the current change, go with it baby. You’re in it! Always be respectful & mindful. Let the waves knock you down and get back up. Move however you need to adjust to the movement around you. See what’s on the surface, feel the change in the undercurrents. Always have respect for where you are, where the current is taking you, and where you have been. Know that the unknown is not something to fear, it helps us to become stronger. Listen to your inner self. It is where you connect with Source, the One.

That is the ‘unedited’ version.

“When nothing goes right . . . . go left.”

These days, there are a lot of unanswered questions floating around about our future and what that may or may not look like. I’ve gotten to the point where I can’t really, well, I don’t really want to spend anymore time or energy trying to figure it out. I have no control over what’s going to happen with our government. I have no control over how our politicians are going to decide the state of our country and it’s people’s welfare. And I most certainly have no control of COVID.

I’m concerned about whether I’m going to be able to continue working in my present profession because of COVID, the fear and apprehension it has created, and the limitations and restrictions that have been mandated and enforced. Some of us are concerned about our health and our mortality. Most of us are having to re-adjust, revise, reassess, rethink, reassure, re-evaluate . . . . all of these ‘re-’ things are making my head hurt. Everything seems to become more amplified!

The world outside of my world seems to be closing in on me. It’s gotten a lot more personal, creeping into my space. I sometimes feel like I’ve gone into survival mode and my brain starts over-thinking, going into that ‘hamster running 100 miles a minute on that little metal wheel going nowhere’ mode. It’s stressful! I start feeling all overly-sensitive. The one brain cell I have left starts cramping, my adrenaline goes into overdrive, and I not only start driving myself crazy, I feel it necessary to take everyone else along with me.

It affects my relationships and my family. I have to pay more attention to keeping all of that “stuff” outside of my work space. It even affects my eating and sleeping! It creeps into everything and everyone around me.

This, is not good! So in re-evaluating, re-assessing, re-adjusting, and revising, I’ve decided that the best way for me to move forward is to choose a different direction. Oh I’m still very active in keeping myself informed of current events, but I’m not going to let that consume me. Like the quote I used for the title of my blog says, “When nothing goes right . . . . go left.”

I have control over making this choice. It’s personal, and I don’t expect everyone else to ‘hop on my wagon’, but I feel better about my days, my future doesn’t look so bleak, and I’m making choices that help me to be in a better space.

• I accept each day as a brand new day. I would rather be an optimist.

• I accept that I am responsible for me and how I choose to interact with others, and the world outside of myself. I cannot control the actions, thoughts, and feelings of others. I cannot control current events. To what degree am I going to allow that to impact me? I have a choice in deciding that.

• I choose to be open and listen. I try not to take things personally, after all, it’s not always all about me. And, I may learn something.

• I choose to accept that I am not always going to complete everything I planned on doing on any given day and that’s okay. It’ll still be there tomorrow.

• I accept that it’s okay to give myself some “down time”. That helps me reset when I start feeling the weight of everything closing in.

• I choose to be happy and appreciate the humor in life. I accept each day and it’s challenges with optimism and I spend quality time with family whether it’s just sitting quietly together, playing games, or watching a show. Sometimes, most times, it’s the little things that we do together that bring us closer.

• I choose to appreciate that I get to go to work. I love my work! And I’ve made a choice to find ways to continue doing “The Work”, whatever that may look like.

I’ve made a choice to look at, and appreciate, the positive instead of focusing on the negative through this time of chaos, uncertainty, and confusion. I appreciate what I’ve learned and experienced, through this tumultuous time, which has given me a better understanding of myself. This has helped me to better understand others, as well.

Now that I’ve said my piece, I would say, “When going right no longer serves you . . . . go left!” I encourage you to try “going left”. It’s easier said than done, that’s for sure, and it can be challenging in so many ways but . . . . it can also be very rewarding!

In love and light . . . . be safe, enjoy life, and remember to laugh! It’s good for the soul.