Space.
Space to be who I am,
want more,
go deeper.
Space to realize what needs to get done
and space to allow some things left undone.
Space for silence.
Space for being.
Space for right now.
(I found the image above when I Google searched “Images of space”. If I knew to whom I should give credit for the photo I would…Hubble Telescope perhaps?)
Settling into our new space,
committing to being present, honest,
honoring ourselves and others,
embracing this new experience,
giving ourselves permission
to be and to feel…completely…
I’m reminded of what a retreat really is:
a stepping back from the everyday routine
allowing deeper wisdom to emerge,
wisdom that has been obscured
by habitual modes of existence.
It’s seeing with new eyes
and feeling with an open heart.
It’s resting and nurturing one’s spirit.
My inner critic has been loud,
asking How dare you do this?
But it’s getting a little quieter
as my true self emerges
ready to learn,
to be grateful for the learning.
Trust in the enfolding.
Your little eyes see enormous things
but they can’t see everything.
Isn’t life more beautiful
when viewed from the mystery of being?
Give life a chance to surprise you.
Follow your own star,
see where it leads you.
Everything is not what you think it is.
Drop your awareness deeper,
beyond what you think you know,
into the realms of your heart
and your gut.
This deeper listening
will open you to a world
that was always there,
but wasn’t available to you
because of the fortress of thinking
you built around you
to give you ground
in a groundless, eternal
experience of being.
Let go of any notion
of control, of a fixed reality,
of how things should be.
You might just be amazed
with things
the way that they are…
Settling into the gentleness of night,
noticing my body asking for rest,
a wave of gratitude sweeps over me
reminding me of what is right in this world.
When my mind and heart are open enough
I can see that everything is right with the world,
and even the things I don’t like
or the people with whom I don’t agree
all have their place in this world.
My heart opens even further
and a perfect breeze stirs me to my depths.
I could spend my whole life
seeking to understand the mystery of this moment.
What does it mean to let go?
It means setting down
goals and agendas
and opening to this moment.
How do we do this?
First we recognize
that we have been attempting
to further our own interests,
gritting our teeth,
pushing against reality,
trying so hard to make things happen
according to our idea of how they should be,
holding onto expectations
until we are white knuckled and exhausted.
Then we choose to stop
this stressful way of being.
We take a deep breath and let go.
Some might say that letting go
is giving up,
but I say it’s an opening to peace.
With such clarity
we intuitively know what is to be done.
This kind of surrender
makes available our most precious resources.
If you find yourself stressed
and anxious about something,
ask yourself where you are at war with reality,
and if you’re ready for it
choose peace instead.
Choose to let go.
For one moment,
stop asking
Why
How
When...
and just observe.
The consciousness in you
can take in this moment,
can see all of it,
experience it fully,
without the labels
the mind invents
in its desperate attempt
to comprehend the incomprehensible.
And as soon as we start
labeling,
our focus in narrowed
and we can no longer see
the big picture–
we see only the thing
we are labeling.
Let the one who questions
rest for one tiny moment
in the neutral space of being.
Turn your awareness back inside
to look at your awareness.
Begin to sense the infinite nature
of consciousness.
You will grow giddy
and be delighted
by the most simple
little things.
