I love this quote from Pirates of the Caribbean. I have no idea who wrote it, I only know Captain Jack Sparrow said it in the first installment of the franchise.
This quote sums up so much of what the real problem almost always is: how we view it, who we think is responsible, and what, if anything, we think can be done about it. For example, I will oftentimes think I cannot achieve or get a certain thing because of someone else. I can't get that job - someone else is more qualified! I can't win that contest - too many other people will enter too, and the odds are against me. And so on and so on. But the truth is, the only person in the way is me. My doubt is the problem, and not the other people. My fear of being seen is the problem, and not the people I want to work with. When I ask myself if there is something within me I can resolve rather than trying to change things outside of me, I usually find both an answer and a feeling of relief. Next time it feels like you are stuck in a deep, frustrating problem, take a moment to sit quietly. Ask yourself where the root of the problem is, which can be difficult because it means transferring responsibility onto yourself, but if you can do that, you will find life doesn't feel so out of control. Instead, it feels like a series of inner challenges, each one leading the way to greater freedom, success and ease.
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Today I made it out to my favorite place for soaking up nature, slowing down and tuning in. I love how this place always reminds me that the natural rhythms of the earth are slow, peaceful and harmonious. The wind rolls through the grass, bowing the stalks in a gentle movement, the eagles glide through the sky, the water meanders past.
It reminds me that no matter how chaotic and unbalanced the world might seem, below it all, there is always a harmony and a sense of connection that pervades it all. We are more akin to this than we are to conflict and division. We are, after all, created from this. The food you eat grows from the soil, and your body is fueled, rebuilt and regenerated by the gifts of the earth. We are the earth. Taking time to get back to that, to pause, breathe and just be, is essential to our mental and spiritual health. I hope you also find a time to get into nature soon! It did so much for me, and now I'm ready for a warm cup of coffee and a little jazz music while I relax.
Recently, I have been thinking a lot about what strength and courage look like.
I have been reflecting on the moments when I was the strongest, the most courageous, or when I did something that amazed me. Looking back, it wasn't the moments when I spoke boldly and felt confident. It also wasn't when I finally accomplished a big goal. When I look back, one of my most courageous moments was the first time I called someone to pitch a screenplay. My heart was racing, I stumbled over my words, and I felt completely unprepared. And I was. I wasn't ready at all. The script I pitched wasn't ready, but I had no way of knowing it then. My skills were still too rough. I had no faith in myself as a writer, and yet, I did it anyways. And that amazes me. That person who did that, she makes me so proud, which is incredible, because afterwards, after that phone call, I felt naive and incapable. I felt like a loser. I was utterly disappointed in myself and my potential. I wanted to quit. I had no idea that I would look back on that moment and gain inspiration and courage from it over and over in the future. There were many times after that when I thought, I'm not going to make it. I was tired of the rejection and the doubt and fear. I was tired of living for tomorrow, always hoping tomorrow would bring good news. And in those moments I thought, I have no strength to go on. When I felt I couldn't even crawl a step further, those were the moments I felt the most broken and weak, and those were also the times when I dug my nails in and pulled myself an inch further forward. That inch cultivated more strength and resilience in me than the miles I'd traversed before it. Clawing my fingers into the soil of my path, and dragging my tired spirt on, pulled up inner resources of strength and tenacity I didn't know I had. I earned that dirt below my nails. I earned those scrapes on my knees and elbows from where I crawled over rocks and sticks, unwilling to admit defeat. Where the scrapes healed and turned to scars, the skin became tougher. And the next time I reached that point of I can't I knew I was lying to myself. I could, because I had done it before, and I would again and again, growing stronger and more courageous each time. Grit, that inner iron will that says I am unstoppable, only grows when we we think we can't go on... and then do. It's the first day of March! Can you feel the shift in energy happening? For us in the northern hemisphere, the days are getting longer, the flowers are beginning to blossom and we can feel spring is right around the corner. The spring equinox is officially on March 20th, and it feels glorious to have winter releasing its grip and allowing us room to breathe and reawaken. It has been an usual winter in many ways. There was a pressure-cooker feeling as we first prepared for the transition of power here in the US, and then witnessed a mass wave of protests and intense responses to the new president's policies. There has also been an ongoing feeling of tension, of opposites being pulled apart, as Trump's supporters went one way, oftentimes falling into feelings of fear and nationalism, and his detractors went another, dismayed at the chaos and angst being created. There were many times when I could feel that tension directly impacting my life. The feeling of unstable, shifting energy was palpable, and you could see it playing out in many ways. The Superbowl and the recent Oscar flub were no coincidence, but more of a reflection of what's happening in our collective consciousness. We are being awakened though various experiences, and being asked to question what we believe to be true. Do you believe anything is possible? Do you believe things can change in an instant? I sure do after that miraculous Superbowl comeback! Just imagine what that is telling you about your own life. All of these things are telling us to challenge reality, to not accept what we see to be true, but instead to create what we want to be true, no matter how unrealistic it might seem. Because honestly, what is realistic anyways? It is a perception that we have created, and we can change that perception at anytime. If the rest of your life seems predictable and like you have no control in changing it, think again! Anything is possible at anytime.
This winter sometimes felt like the storms and darkness would go on forever. But that immersion in what was happening pushed us to peer deep into the shadows and demand to know what was there. We no longer take everything at face value, but instead have begun to question our government, our leaders and the power of ourselves as individuals. What does it take to change the world? It takes you. And me. It takes all of us realizing how important we are, and that we can change things en masse and we can change things on our own. As the days grow longer and the light comes back it is going to continue to illuminate things. I have no doubt there are many more surprises in store for us, but we're ready for it. We have planted the seeds of hope and courage, and we can breathe easier as we prepare for them to blossom. Spring is a wonderful time of rebirth and reawakening, and I am feeling that in both my private life and in the ongoing unfoldment of these historic and wild times. Take a deep breath. Breathe in the warmth and beauty of spring. Breathe in the strength and light that is intensifying with each day. Breathe out what is over, and know, no matter how crazy things feel, the majority of people want a happy and peaceful outcome, and that is what we are all working towards (even if it doesn't look like it all the time). |