Nature Nutures!

As a person working in veterinary medicine,  I am blessed daily with interacting with animals.  Of course I have my own menagerie of animals at home!

I watch the squirrels daily.  I have an outdoor/stray cat I enjoy watching as well.

I can honestly say I learn....and re-learn things all the time.  Squirrels might not be the sharpest knives in the drawer in terms of intelligence....but really who am I to say?

Regardless, I see them play regularly.  Sometimes with each other, often times on their own.  It's entertaining and remarkable to watch!  They don't need a therapist to tell them that play is an important part of life.

How many of us put "play" or recreation on the back burner...to make money...go to work or do what we "think" we should be doing?  How many of us really value play and fun in our weekly schedule?

Take time to play.  Have fun.  It's more important than we might think it is!

Nameste

Oh Universe...when will I learn!!

I had a few things happen in the past week that caused some distress for me. 

The first was that I lost my keys.  Actually scratch that;  the first was that I lost my apple TV remote - the thing is so small!  I looked high and low - inside my pillow cases,  tore my bed apart got out the flashlight to look under everything....and just...couldn't find it. 

Kevin showed up on the weekend and found it;  inside a pillow case - I thought I checked it thoroughly...guess not! 

Then it was my keys;  very distressing as I had my bus pass, my home keys and my work keys!  I tore my house apart.  Moved every couch.  Googled..."how to find your keys".  I lost them for 3 days.  It's interesting to see how much stress and anxiety showed up loosing a few little pieces of metal! 

In life, you can choose to do what many of us do;  search and search.  Drive yourself crazy and never accept that maybe you won't find them.  I did this for 3 days.  

I don't believe in giving up .  However I also am willing to look at my own state of being and wellness.  I was loosing sleep, being obsessive and making myself crazy.  I said to myself, I'm going to have to ACCEPT that I might not find them....and be OK with that. They are just keys!  Sure it'd be 200 bucks to replace my work key and I'm sure some hefty judgement....but isn't that ok in the big picture? 

I said to myself;  Tara - be Ok with this.  It's not that bad.  Stop worrying.  Literally 5 minutes later I went to water my plants and found them. 

The universe is a funny lady!  I truly believe she thought....until you accept your loss, you won't get what you want!

A silly anecdote perhaps.  But isn't this the stress we all deal with day in and day out?  Isn't the lesson timeless?  Stop looking.  Stop trying to control.  When you are supposed to find something....you will. 

Nameste

I don't feel OK - but that's OK

... the ability to rest comfortably in the present moment regardless of its imperfections is the foundation of all true happiness." Sharon Salzberg, Real Happiness at Work.

I think being OK when things are not is a skill we can all improve.  I have to be honest that I still struggle when chaos is present.  Again, for me, physical "imperfections" seem to be the most difficult to be OK with.  

I'm not talking about aesthetics - sure I hate my body - I'm a woman and I'm not getting any younger!  I am talking about when my health feels jeopardized.  I don't consider myself a hypochondriac, but I do worry with certain symptoms... when I don't know or can't figure out what is wrong with me or why I'm not feeling better.  

Regardless, when I feel off and don't know why I'm certain I am not OK.  I am not able to "rest comfortably" because I am worried.  And I am very unhappy. 

Lately I try and tell myself that it will pass.  And it does.  And it has truely helped.  

I hope that this insight might help others as well. 

Nameste. 

Keep your comments to....

“When we attend to the moment-to-moment flow of experience, and recognize what’s happening…fully allowing it, not adding judgment or commentary, then we are cultivating a mindful awareness.” 

Tara Brach

One of my favorites - Tara Brach - thank you Heather for introducing her to me!

Not adding judgements or commentary - what a hard thing to do!  Making an attempt is half the battle. 

Nameste

Attachment

When you feel anxious about something in your day, quickly check if you might be more attached to the outcome than is necessary. Mindfulness for Worriers

I think attachment is something we all need to evaluate.  What are you attached too?  A relationship?  A job?  An image?  Your physical beauty?  Your intelligence?  Being accepted or liked?

When I say "attachment" what I'm really referring to is how much something affects and impacts you.  Am I OK if any of the above listed were to dissapear?  

I need to be OK today with who I am.  I can't depend on my external attachments .  Ask yourself this.  If I were to loose _________today....would I be OK? Would I still be me? Could I cope and function?

Today, I am choosing to be free - unattached.  

The only thing I might attach to is the fact that the sun will rise and fall tomorrow and time will tick on...regardless if I believe in it or support it.  External things come and go.  Internally, I will always be me, and their is always a present moment that I can be in. 

Nameste

Thoughts Evaporate...

"The thought you are having now will evaporate, probably in moments. Thoughts are like that - they come and go, so there's usually no need to take them terribly seriously.  Observe and move on."

Padraig O'Morian

Sometimes I am truly shocked at how quickly my thoughts and moods can change;  they really do eb and flow and rarely last for much time.

Today I had anxiety in the morning before work - off for 4 days and wondering how things would be after a long weekend I suspect. I knew that by the time I arrived at work - literally an hour away - it would dissipate and crumble into nothing.

There are times when I question my thought - why am I thinking this!  I am quick to judge myself with catastrophic and black and white thinking:  "why do I always expect the worst".  Truth is, it was only one thought...and it means very little.

Do I recognize all the great thoughts I have?  Do I appreciate the times of peace, joy and empathy I feel?

I believe there might be some merit in not putting too much weight into our emotions or  what we think.  They seem to be very fluid.  They will change.  Who knows what we will think or feel later today, tomorrow or in a week!  The only constant in our lives is that things will always change.

When things are challenging - be it a thought or feeling - knowing that there is a real possibility of feeling or thinking differently can be a great comfort.

Nameste

Pain vs Suffering

"… we can distinguish between the normal pain of life – difficult emotions, physical discomfort, and so on – and actual suffering, which is the mental anguish caused by fighting against the fact that life is sometimes painful." Kristin Neff, Self Compassion

We will have pain and discomfort.  However there is always some control in the amount of thinking we give these states.  We can choose NOT to suffer.  

Nameste