Unfolding My Potentials

Something I've have been realizing lately... Every day is different. My initial reaction to this is anxiety.  I want to have control. Want to plan. Want to KNOW. Then, I say it again:  Every day is different. I try letting it sink in... Slowly softening and opening to the truth of it.  Looking past my knee-jerk reaction/rejections of the thought. Allowing myself to see the opportunities and excitement in this truth. When I'm feeling discouraged/groundless/grasping, and through this lens of discouragement, I foresee more bleakness in the future...  I remind myself: Every day is different.  This reiterates that I DON'T know. And that's a good thing.  Even when I have an established routine.  This routine reassures me (falsely) that I  know what to expect of my days.  This knowing may even lead to an element of boredom/restlessness because "Everything is planned out." But, really: Every day is different....

Today is the Spring Equinox. It's always helpful for me to pay attention to the cycles of the Earth, as it has an impact on my own cycles of motivation, productivity, energy levels, etc. Spring is about starting anew. Awaking from hibernation. Reconnecting with the world.  For me, it involves cleaning and rearranging; making space for new opportunities. Today, I am thankful for bird sounds and house plants.  We are transitioning into a new season. Moving from quiet introspection and a metaphorical hibernation in darkness, back to warmth and light, feeling vulnerable but voracious. I am ready to get my fill. Ready for action. How will I celebrate? Lighting a candle from The Wilderess , bought early winter and saved. Peony and Cardamom. I bought it because it smelled like spring to me.  Getting pictures taken of some of my artwork (by Stickley Studio ). Beginning of something new. I can offer prints and postcards of my art. Making meals u...

A favorite saying of mine is, "Stop 'should-ing' all over yourself." It's funny, but also true. Sometimes it's easy to look at life with a critical eye and a negative perspective leading to thoughts such as: I should do this.  I should be that.  I should be meditating regularly.  I should exercise.  I should read more books, watch more documentaries, be more active in politics, create more art... and so on. We can get caught in a spiral of beating ourselves up because we're not meeting certain expectations. And how does that help us?  Does it get YOU excited about doing any of those things? For me, all the "shoulds" make me just wanna give up!  Which is the opposite of what I want. When I notice myself getting caught in the "shoulds" (sometimes it's immediate, but other times, it might take a day or two!!), I try to shift my perspective into letting myself be, as I am, in that moment. This is the same as accepting mysel...

Today, I wanted to share about being introverted, and being able to take care of myself as such. Being introverted means that 1. Being around people depletes my energy at varying rates and 2. I am able to regain this energy and recharge by being by myself, preferably in my home. Does NOT mean- I hate people, I'm socially awkward, I don't have fun... so on and so forth. lol Conversely, extroverted people gain  energy by being around people.  This isn't cut and dry because introversion and extroversion exist more on a continuum, but I won't get into that right now. I am constantly learning how to take care of myself as an introvert.  Situations and circumstances are always changing, so I feel like I really need to know myself well and I have to be comfortable with setting boundaries when needed. As with any self-knowledge adventure; one must strive to be gentle and patient with the self.  I have to remind myself of this ALL the time!  I am a perfec...