by Beth Haley
The planes criss-crossed
Long trails through the skies.
A heavenly display,
For our eyes.
The sea and breeze and land, do meet.
This day, we joyfully greet.
And, thank the boat,
For its rocking seat!
Which gave such a view,
For this crew.
by Beth Haley
Gathering around the table for a wonderful meal with good friends, great conversations, and a fun game – was a Hygge moment for me recently. I don’t always take the time, but when I do, I realize how much I’ve missed it!
I wonder how it is that the things that nourish my soul the most, many times end up last. When this gets done, or when that is finished – then I’ll take, make, create, or set aside those few, truly needed moments.
It took 5 months of “thinking” about taking the time before I made it to that table. As with so many other things that we schedule into our “to-do” list, it’s time to get out the daily planner or calendar and also schedule in our own nourishment.
What could you add into your schedule that will nourish your heart and soul? Make the appointment with yourself, set the time, and show up!
Go to the beach 🏖 ✅
Spend time with friends 😊 ✅
Don’t forget to nourish your soul!
by Lightbringer
Guest writer Lightbringer (age 22) talks about nightmares in a unique way. You can see his full post on Instrgtam. He not only writes about complicated and emotional subjects, but in addition, his photos are stunning as well!!
Some may encounter a nightmare in the darkness of night, while others find waking up each day to be some sort of living nightmare. I liked the thought of mantling the mare and riding into the night, sure-footed in the knowledge that as you ride through the dark, the sunrise will come.
•
A beautiful sunrise comes – not despite the dark…
•
The most beautiful sunrises are because of the night that came before.
God made the night,
God made the mare.
So when the terror comes
To shake you from sleep,
Know that God won’t leave you
Alone to weep.
•
Look up into the night and smile.
Mantle the mare and ride forth.
The sunrise comes.
Photography and writing © Lightbringer 2019 all rights reserved.
Examining the soul
Taking an inward journey
Looking within
Observing thoughts and feelings
Self-examination
Inner-analysis
When you are inspired, the work of creating just seems to flow. It is found by you in connecting with “why”. It is remembering the vision and passion behind your goals or projects. Why did you begin this journey or project to begin with?
When you know the “why” behind the vision, the steps to “how” just seem to fall into place, and you’re working in a flow that leaves struggle, force, dread, and “this is just too hard,” behind. It is a joyful flow of doing what you love to do, or have the passion and desire to do.
Reconnect with the passion and inspiration behind what you are doing. Enjoy your process of creation and the steps toward your destination can come together effortlessly, almost without you realizing it. Be in, and flow with, the joy of creating.
Why are you doing what you’re doing? Why was a goal set to begin with? Why did you decide to pursue a dream?
I’ve found myself in the middle of some projects recently thinking, “What is it that I’m doing again?” It’s easy to see the work involved and forget the inspiration and passion that started it all.
If you have gotten bogged down with the daily grind… remember why you began your journey!
by Beth Haley
If you get stuck or lost as you journey, you most likely don’t want to know where not to go. I mean, you’ve already been there. You probably want step-by-step instructions, or to be led directly to your destination. –Mark Tyrrell
The City of the Mind is a place that contains cities within cities, within cities: There’s the City of Depression, City of Doubt, City of Fear, City of Regrets, City of Stress, City of Bitterness, City of Loss… the list is as endless as the revolving loops and dead-ends are. One can get lost in these cities, looking for a map that leads to quieter paths and straighter roads, and each city has its own emergency routes back out.
More…found. What does found feel like? What does it look like for you?
Even cities that are familiar can seem foreign when you are stressed or traveling through dense fog. It can be difficult to remain centered and calmly plan your route. Strategy and logic? They flew out the window as the fog thickened and the steam engine of your mind jumped through the hidden pot hole. You were looking for the City of Hope, but now you’ve found a sink-hole somewhere else.
So, where’s the map?
I transported a patient and his wife yesterday through a torrential downpour and they got into a discussion on the difference between a pothole and a sinkhole. One said that there was no difference. The other one clearly stated that a pot hole is something you sink into and bounce back out of, and that a sinkhole is something you lose your car in. All gone. Bye.
…just in case anyone wondered what the difference was between the two. I never really thought about that before. Now I know. 🤪
The first Step: Where are you right now?
“Where are you?”
This is a question I have gotten often while I am traveling. “I’m between the last tree and the next tree,” I answer.
Mile-marker numbers are always a winner.
I’m not much help with feedback. But oddly, I’m not lost either. Somehow, it just works. A wing, a prayer, and “Proud Mary” get me there.
They stopped asking. Where is the fun in that?
Even though one can spend hours talking about the city that they are currently lost in (depression, fog, situations, disappointments, sadness, fear), what is needed most is:
Second Step: Now that you know where you are, where do you want to be instead? What is your ultimate destination?
Third Step: How will you know when you’re leaving that city behind? (I won’t be afraid anymore. So, what will you be, instead of fearful?). How will your thoughts change? How do your emotions change?
Fourth Step: What signs show you that you are getting close to your destination? (That supermarket on the corner with the big red sign that reads, “City of Hope’s One-Stop Market?”) What do your landmarks look like?
Fifth Step: How will you know when you’ve arrived? (I know I left that city behind because…) Touchdown!
Photos by: T.H. Chia and Andrew Neel
Dedicated to MVBFA&F, Alysia.
Alysia sent me this the other day. I am not sure where it comes from, except from the heart, and to the heart.
“The woman you are becoming will cost you
People
Relationships
Spaces
and material things.
Choose her over everything.”
-unknown
Who do you choose? Nothing compares to happiness – yours… and mine.
Thank you for the reminder dear friend!
In a stillness
That isn’t silent.
In the silence
Which isn’t still.
Yet, still and silent are the waters,
Which soothe my Autumn Soul.
How does a silent reflection
Speak so deeply?
How can the still surface
Shift and change and move?
This is how the silence speaks.
How the stillness ripples.
Just for you, my Autumn Soul.
© Thela Foxgood 2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
When is the last time you let silence speak, and stillness move your soul?
by Beth Haley
Every day we encounter situations that we have the opportunity to respond to in a positive and calm way. On the other hand, we can live reactively, by going into anxiety, fear or stress. However, our happiness and health depend a great deal upon how well we can manage our emotional responses, reactions, mental perceptions and beliefs.
We all know that continuous emotional stress is hard on our bodies. So really, being able to regulate our emotions and develop self-coping/soothing practices may very well save our life. Developing the ability to walk through our everyday circumstances in a calm and clear-headed manner, can get us farther than fighting battles we don’t need to fight, or by running when we need to calmly stand.
Imagine that you are connected to the most sophisticated and sensitive machine (like a polygraph) ever made. It measures your feelings of stress, anxiety, or fear. If you feel even the slightest bit of these emotions while you are hooked up to this machine, it will deliver a shock which will end your life.
The thing is, if you make it through the test, you win a million dollars. So with this in mind (death or a substantial prize), imagine that you are hooked up to this machine and your test is about to begin. Your directions are as follows: Imagine a situation in your life that brought/brings you anxiety, fear, or stress. If you can stay completely calm and relaxed, you will win the prize. If not… ZING!
The next time you’re about to jump on the “Anxiety, Fear, and Stress Express,” remind yourself of the choice between the zing or the prize. It’s not just an interesting exercise. It is the training and retraining of our minds.
We don’t actually need the “fight or flight” response all that often. Maybe if you’re being chased by a bear? Were you chased by a bear today? Some of us are so used to living with stressed-out emotions, we don’t even know how to let ourselves be calm, at ease, grounded, centered and at peace. Let alone shut it all down to even rest.
The choice is ours. Will we have an internal forecast of calm today ? Or, “fight or flight?”
My choice today is to win the cash prize of self-possessed calm, and avoid the zing of the machine.
What does stress solve? Zing! What does anxiety fix? Zing! What does fear prevent? Zing!
Breathe! The chances are really, really good that you are not currently being chased by a bear – and that whatever you are facing, will be easiest to handle with a calm and clear mind.
Sources: The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety -Forsyth and Eifert
Photos by Faye Cornish and Harli Martin
New skills take practice and commitment. In time, our practice becomes routine, and the chain-reaction of negative thinking is replaced by the learned habit of catching emotional reactions and dropping the story lines.
Healing 💓 thoughts, PS
Pilgrimage Studio 