What If

 I have created a deck of collages and now that they are finished I am using them for writing prompts.  I am going to be brave and publish the collage and the writing here.  Mostly it is a way to keep track for myself.  

Here we go.

See the carrot dangling.  Does it inch you on?  Will reaching it mean success?  What if you already are a success?  What if your life is blossoming and fruitful?  You are where you need to be and others wish they had your life.  You can have goals just don't forget your accomplishments.  These accomplishments are things others are longing for.  Be grateful.  Enough is always enough.  Recognizing what enough is, is a great place to be.  Chasing after more and better will be endless if you can't recognize enough.

What if

 “So every day

I was surrounded by the beautiful crying forth
of the ideas of God,
one of which was you.”
― Mary Oliver

I love the idea that each one of us can be an aspect of beauty/God.  What if we took the time to see the beauty in each other?  What if we chose to love everyone? No matter how ugly we see their beliefs, ideas etc.  In truth, I believe we have more in common than we think.  When we drill down we all want love, safety, to have our physical needs met, freedom and to self-actualize.  Sure, we don't always agree on how to get those things.  Is that really important?  I want to be the kind of person that look past differences of whatever variety.  I want to be a woman of peace.  A woman that welcomes and not rejects.  I want to be a woman of love.  It is so simple really, but not always easy.

What If

 “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”

—G.K. Chesterton

I believe that when we can be grateful for even seemingly unfortunate events we can improve the quality of our life.  Being grateful is good medicine not only for ourselves but also for those around us.  We all need a sprinkling of joy in our lives.  

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.