Sunday, March 30, 2014

An apology? Nope......

Things fall apart every once in awhile. They just do.

Being able to accept that is a huge step in our maturation process. Plus it keeps us sane when the magnetic force field of our lives shifts a bit and we are tossed off balance.

Again.

Yes, young reader, this will happen consistently and repeatedly over the course of your life. Those of us who have aged a bit--to perfection, of course!--know this. "Perfection" is an ideal, we all know that, but aging towards that ideal means, by definition, that we adapt and adjust to new directions when that compass starts to show us another way. Instead of resisting, which comes in the forms of whining, complaining, and giving up.

Those aren't options for me. It's taken me some time to get where I am, but I'm doing better every day! Which gets me to my point....finally.

I had high hopes for this year, especially with my quest to seek out new adventures every month. I enjoyed that two-year process a few years ago, and it brought me great joy in a number of ways. Then I took a year off and missed it. Or thought I did. When I started again in January, I really thought I wanted to get started.

And then the grind started. What did I want to do THIS month? I have to do something, I told myself, because I told all of you that I was started down the yellow brick road of adventure again. If I was behind schedule, which is what happened, the whole thing started to weigh on me. I was BEHIND--and those of you who know me personally (I hope that's all of you by now, even if we've never actually met face to face) --know that I don't like getting behind in anything. (Yes, something else I'm working on!) It just puts my life under duress and I don't need that stress.

So, I've put the "new thing every month" journey on hold for now. I do more things that are outside my zone of comfort on a regular basis anyway, and that may have been the whole reason for doing it in the first place.

I've gone back to dancing, which was one of my first "new" things, and that brings me great joy, more than I can begin to describe here in this space right now. But I'm not going to beat myself up about the rest of it.

After all, I'm aging toward the perfection of acceptance.

The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.

3 comments:

  1. Yes...it is true, you can always get better! When my Dad was in his late 80s people would ask how he looked so young. His reply: 'I just learned to roll with the punches'. My grandmother (his mother) used to say, 'You can get used to anything, even hanging...if you hang long enough'. But seriously, I noticed in my life a series of 'break-throughs', which helped me through my asthma problems, and led me to a great feeling of being alive (I like it so much, I may try it again tomorrow). The 2 biggies were: Yoga (1958, then again in the early 70's); Then macrobiotics...more than just a diet...it is a whole lifestyle that includes shiatzu massage, healthful eating by flowing with the energy of foods grown locally, in season, and properly balanced...and the other break-through: Tai-Chi (I studied for 5 years, and taught for over 20 years)...it helped my tennis game, my drumming, my problem-solving, and a number of other pursuits/issues, etc. I heartily recommend it...you will discover at least one miracle in your life! Breathe, move & focus...that is the trinity/essence of Tai-Chi/Chi Gong. Do I recommend a book? Try Zen-mind, Beginner's mind by Shunryu Suzuki... a small book that will take you forever to read...it is that profound. Autobiography of a Yogi is another good one (I forget the author's name just offhand). Go for it....and enjoy! LLPJ (Love, light, peace & Joy!)

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  2. You may have counted 3 things...but Yoga is derived from Tai-Chi/Chi-Gong.

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  3. Thanks, Red! I have been a follower of Zen for quite some time, and read every morning. Great practice. I've often wanted to try Tai-Chi but have never gotten around to it....maybe some day. Thanks for reading and commenting!

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