What if

 

The Invitation

By Oriah Mountain Dreamer More Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn't interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon...
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.

It doesn't interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."

It doesn't interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/the-invitation-by-oriah-mountain-dreamer

What if

 Mo Willem says, “If you ever find yourself in the wrong story, leave.”  

Adam Savage says, I reject your reality and substitute my own!

I love the idea of being so powerful we can turn a negative into a positive.  What if we all wake up to our true power?  What if we change the world?  What if we all spread love and light?

What if

 What if we better learn to cope with anxiety?  Anxiety seems to be at an all-time high.  

Let's look at some ways to deal with anxiety.  

Breathe.  That's a no brainer.  Breathe in for a count of five, hold for a count of five, and exhale for a count of five.  I am not sure where I learned that one but it works.  I have adapted it further to suit me.  Instead of exhaling for five, I exhale for 10 and then hold for a count of five.  That works out to about two breathes per minute.  Very calming.

Labyrinths.  http://www.labyrinthnetwork.ca/ontario-labyrinth-locator  I have never actually walked a labyrinth but have heard very good things about it.  I have drawn one and 'walked' it with my finger.  I definitely felt more centred.  Since starting to write this post I have actually gone and walked a labyrinth. I enjoyed it and will definitely be doing it again.

Meditation.  Oh, meditation is one of my best tools.  I am far from an expert but know it helps me immensely.  Tara Brach and Deepak Chopra are two of my favourites.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn6m0oN6cwI

Make art of any kind but I especially love mandalas.  I have made hundreds of them.  I just can't stop.  I find them to be so peaceful.  It seems working with my hands is a kind of medicine for my mind.  I am sure I am not the only one.

EFT is really helpful.  It works with acupuncture points on your body. It works by calming the amygdala in your brain. 

 https://www.thetappingsolution.com/blog/you-are-enough-the-tapping-solution-app/

Move your body.  This is super simple to do and gets the endorphins flowing.  Who doesn't want some happy hormones coursing through their body?

Sound healing has been practised for thousands of years.  Something as simple as a five-minute humming session can rebalance your nervous system.  There is so much information out there about sound healing.  

Spend time in nature as much as possible.  Get your bare feet onto the grass.  Lay back and look at the clouds.  Take a hike with a friend for double the pleasure.  

Here is a link to more resources.

https://www.anxietycanada.com/covid-19/

What if

 The author of The Courage to Create, Rollo May:

“The opposite of courage isn’t cowardice. It’s conformity.”

I agree.  People are always telling me I am brave and I am most definitely not a conformist.  When outside forces try to make me conform my backbone gets all the stronger.  Some might call that stubbornness.  Call it what you want.  I rather enjoy having the strength of character to stick to my convictions.  I am willing to change when I recognize that I need to change, or that I am wrong.  I also will not hound someone or demand they agree with me.  

The problems we collectively face won’t be solved by conformity. They will be solved by artists who create in the name of all of us.  Sorry, I don't know to whom to attribute that quote.  I don't know if my art solves any problems.  At least not for the great masses.  It certainly solves problems in my own mind.  The mere making of art sets me free.

What if

 “The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity.” – Carl Jung

What if we really let ourselves play?  One of my favourite playgrounds is my art journal.  Page after page of happy creating is good for my soul.  Sometimes the thought 'what is this good for?' creeps into my head.  Well, what if it is good for no other reason than it makes me happy?  My play instinct is definitely a necessity.  I believe it is for everyone.  The actual play may be different for each of us but it is there nonetheless.  I give myself permission to indulge that instinct.  I give you permission to do the same.  Not that you need my permission.

What if

 What if we start recognizing our patterns of thinking and interrupt them?  Those patterns that we have carried with us most of our lives.  The ones that truly do not serve us well.  We must become aware of them before we can change them.  Yesterday, I found myself going down a familiar path.  I was annoyed by a family member who made a disparaging remark about another family member.  I was annoyed because I love the disparaged family member very much.  I was annoyed because I don't particularly care for the one who made the comment.  I found myself making up a story about how rude this woman is.  She is so old fashioned and unchanging.  Well, how are those thoughts any better?  So, I am happy to say that I stopped myself.  I sat and did a loving-kindness meditation.  May she feel truly loved.  I repeated as needed.  The love felt so much better than the negativity.  I am actually a little proud of myself for taking the higher road.  Way to go!

What if

 You have power over your mind - not outside events.  Realize this, and you will find strength.  Marcus Aurelius

I am not sure when this notion became real to me.  It feels like I have known this most of my life.  With meditation, it has become even more clear.  Just because a thought has popped into my head does not mean it is worthy of rumination.  When I find myself making up a story about something said or a deed done I stop and consider do I know that to be true.  Going into the great dreamland of what if rarely is a healing journey.  More often it is taking us down the well worn path of fear.  I prefer the road less travelled.  One where I am full of joy and confidence.  One where I build myself up.  The road that leads to gratitude that spills into every area of my life.  After all, it really is my choice.

What if

 What if there is nothing wrong with you? What if the inner critic is just an excuse maker?  What if we choose to see the good in ourselves as well as others?

It never hurts to see the good in someone, they often act the better because of it.  Nelson Mandela

How much good we would do in this world by believing in ourselves?  What if we stop holding ourselves back?  We all have something to offer!

What if

 What if we were to ask why me?  But, not as a victim.  Often when I hear the why me question it is really someone asking why are they a victim.  I believe you can be a victim or you can be powerful.  It is up to you to choose which.  Personally, I like to reframe a story so that I come out a winner.  I like to mine that story for all the good, all the lessons I am meant to learn.  I genuinely believe every story has a silver lining.  It may take a lot of looking to find it.  If you are asking why me then you must have experienced some trauma.  Whatever form of trauma it was there is a way to heal from it.  Both our minds and our bodies were designed to heal.  There are many therapies we can use to heal our minds.  My favourite is art-making.  It is scientifically proven that we form new neuropathways in our brain while engaging in art centred around healing.  What a gift!

What if

"Wisdom begins in wonder." ~ Socrates

 “Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”

~ Lao Tzu

 "The role of a creative leader is not to have all the ideas; it's to create a culture where everyone can have ideas and feel that they're valued."

~ Ken Robinson

Craving and Creating Calm

 Crazy COVID times have been difficult for many.  Fear and anxiety have been running rampant.  Let’s put an end to that.  Let’s move to a place of peace where we know we belong.  Let’s be love and light in this world.

There seems to be no better time than now to use our creativity.  My creative practice has seen me through more tumultuous times than this.  Having a son with a brain tumour and needing three neurosurgeries was certainly more challenging.  Spending time in my studio allowed me to process my fears through my art.  It got me out of my head where there was an endless loop of what-ifs.  It can do the same for you.

 Don’t let a negative comment from your past squash your love of creating.  I have heard too many stories about how one comment derailed someone.  Does the opinion of someone from so long ago really matter?  Wouldn’t you love to take that power away from them?  Prove them wrong?  Reframe that story so that you can emerge victorious!  Let your creativity give you a new-found sense of power that no one can take away from you.

There is a giddy pleasure in creating something with your own hands.  Mass marketing pushes consumerism above self-expression.  There is a reason for that.  It keeps the economy growing.  But can’t we find a happy balance?  Wouldn’t choosing a creative life over obsessive consumerism and debt be a healthy choice?  Wouldn’t putting something into the world that you created be more delightful? Using our time creatively can be invigorating to the soul.

Creativity comes in many forms.  Can’t draw a straight line?  Me either.  You don’t have to draw a straight line to be an artist.  What if you are a dancer, singer, writer, chef or gardener? What if taking a small step down the creative path opens up a whole new world for you?  What if it is a world that is just for you?  No need to be productive.  No pressure.  Just pleasure.  Is doing something for your own pleasure a foreign concept?  

Creativity is intelligence having fun.  Einstein

An art practise can bring us back to ourselves. To our true nature.  To a sense of freedom and liberation.   It can be therapy or a self-soothing meditative process.  A time to play and be outrageous.   A time to heal.  It can help us express our voice as only we can.  Our creativity can be a container where we put our messy thoughts and emotions.  Allow creativity to transform you.  

 

The practice of keeping a visual journal is so freeing.  The blank page invites experimentation and exploration.  No one needs to see this journal and therefore there is not perfection paralysis.  Write, scribble, splatter paint and let your inner five-year-old takeover. Wouldn’t you love to play like a child again? This is the place to practice bravery.  There is nothing better than letting your hands work to shut up your chattering mind.  

No art supplies, no problem.  Be resourceful.  That is my superpower.  I could make art anywhere at any time!  There is an abundance of free or inexpensive materials that can be found everywhere.  Use an old book you are no longer interested in reading.  Bust out your kid’s crayons and markers.  If you truly have nothing, reach out to an artist/friend.  Most artists are happy to share.

Let your creativity loose.  You will be surprised how quickly everything else falls away.  There is no time or hunger.  Issues fall into the background and your mind becomes a beautiful playground where anything is possible.  I dream of a world where everyone connects with their true creativity.  How beautiful it will be.  Go forth, create!