Kristi – thank you so much for this lovely blog. I am teaching a women’s mindfulness retreat in two weeks and am planning on dedicating a section to mental habits. I love your bullets on the process of awfulizing and think I will share with my class to describe so elegantly what each of us goes through.

Several years ago I made a decision, on the day I got laid off from a hated job, that I would try my best to shift out of fear and negativity whenever it arises. I am dedicated to this and am grateful when I find expressions of this commitment in others. Thank you so much. This piece deepened my understanding and fierce dedication to this practice.

i am constantly reminded how important it is to carefully choose the information I take in. I read the daily quote from this site as the very first thing I consume most mornings and it always brings me comfort and sometimes a sense of wonder. I find if I even skim the news headlines my mind starts to swirl. Continuing onto this site from the quote email allows me to further my sense of gratitude and wonder and compassion. Although I am not always successful, I try to choose love over fear.

This summer my daughter brought her big, energetic dog to a lake house I was renting. He and I hung out together. He brought me endless sticks and tree limbs to throw into the lake for him to retrieve. We took long walks and swam together. For the brief moments he would settle, he would lay next to my chair on the dock. I found that my heart felt more open and I was excited about the little things in life when I was with this dog. A month later I miss this dog terribly and wish he and my daughter lived close enough to visit regularly.

This question reminds me of one of the methods for working with chaos from a lecture by Pema Chodron. In her book When Things Fall Apart she says:

“The third method for working with chaos is to regard whatever arises as the manifestation of awakened energy. We can regard ourselves as already awake; we can regard our world as already sacred.”

I have been trying this approach to things that would usually disturb me and it makes a big difference. What if that painful email from a friend contains wisdom for the whole of our relationship? What if something is ready to arise and change? What if all the images and examples of racism that seem to be on the news too often is “the manifestation of awakened energy” and is taking the veil off of truth that has existed all too long and is leading us to true change – to a different sense of community and oneness? What if the systems and structures of racism topple because of this new awareness?

My head is spinning from the possibilities that arise if I look at everything as wisdom in action.

Thank you for this beautiful story. It made my heart swell and brought tears to my eyes.

Just lately I have become aware of how many people are uncomfortable with other people’s pain. I have noticed a lot of advice giving and testimonials about how they had that pain and how they got out of it. There is a busy energy that arises that feels like it is pushing the others’ pain away.

I love the sentence “He could meet another person’s pain head on.”. It is was I hope for all of us to be able to do for everyone in our lives. It takes presence and being with what is, in the moment without fear.

I love, love, love the quote of the day by Toni Morrison. It reminded me of how much I love this author (i have read every book), how profound she often is in her observations, and how freedom brings a responsibility with it to make others free as well. I am totally inspired by this one sentence.
I am also inspired sitting in my backyard, surrounded by old, mighty oak trees towering above me. I know I am sitting on top of the roots of several of these trees because their spread is often wider than their canopy. I am filled with awe by these beauties.
I am inspired by this site and the daily reminder to be grateful and live in appreciation of oh so much. Thanks.
Enjoy your 4th everyone!

I just finished a terrific book (Find Me Unafraid) by a young Kenyan man who grew up in extreme poverty in the Kibera slums in Nairobi. bY his mid 20’s he built a school for girls, a health clinic, water tower, public toilets, a safe house for girls, and brought hope to people who had little. This book helped me realize that here in the US we have our basic human needs met daily and I often don’t give it much thought. So my shift is to be grateful for a toilet that flushes, running water, plenty of food, a comfortable bed, shoes for my feet, a life free from violence, and a culture that supports women to pursue their dreams.

I have spent the last year surrendering to something that seems to be signaling me from deep within myself. There is something emerging within that feels sacred. This is uncharted territory for me and can provoke fear and a sense of instability. What I am clear about is that my sense of being is much more essential than any accomplishment, material thing, or title that I have enjoyed in the past. My focus is to be present for whatever I am birthing, be grateful for this life of mystery, and stay dedicated to my daily practices.

I had an experience this week that felt like a YES. I have been worrying about lack of clarity in the direction of my work and my purpose in this life. I sometimes wake up worrying about this. Yesterday I felt this nudge to journal about what I DO know. I had a long train ride so spent it just doing bullets of “the first thing I know is…”. I got to eight bullets and realized I know so much about my life right now and my experience of it. I realized my great clarity around my actual experience. I also felt grateful for the clarity. This seemed to help me feel more powerful, especially in relationshipt to any ambiguity that exists. I can do this. I can say yes and keep moving forward.