Is for Divinity

Divinity: What does that word mean to you? I don’t believe it means the same thing for any two people, so define it as you will.

For one day however I would like you to concentrate on the miracle that is YOU. The fact that you exist at all is an amazing fact.  All the things, events, people, and places, that had to intersect before you in order to combine the perfect molecular stew that is YOU is a pretty phenomenal event if you ask me.

You see the world in only one way—your way.  We cross paths with people we agree with, disagree with, understand, and don’t understand, but there is no one else who can look through your eyes and perceives the world the way you do.  That is a miracle to me.

I choose to view each of us as a tiny spark of the Divine.  We are all part of this large mass of little sparks of light each composed of our own very special pieces of Divinity.  Some of us are gifted speakers, artists, healers, writers, conversationalist, protectors, nurturers, thinkers, problems solvers, care givers, listeners, dancers, smilers, organizers, huggers, and some are excellent laughers.  Have you ever been around a person whose laughter fills you up?  I have and it comforts me.

Since this list of our gifts is infinite, and since we each can’t be all of these things in one healthy body without being completely insane not knowing which way to go with our life, I believe we each bring our own set of sprinklings from the infinite list.  It is by being in the presence of others with different sprinklings that we gain balance and joy.  When I’m in need of support I seek my friends with the gifts of encouragement, insight, and empathy.  At crowded gatherings I follow around the conversationalist like a shadow.  When others need clarity they seek my logic, organization, and creativity.  We balance each other out and fill in the gaps.

What are your special sprinkles?  Before you begin your day try to think of at least five.  If you have trouble coming up with five, dig deeper—or call me.  I bet I can listen to you for ten minutes and know what makes you awesome!!  Maybe it's your smile, your glowing eyes, your patience, your ability to doodle and talk on the phone simultaneously, or even the crow’s feet that demonstrate a life time of smiling, or maybe it’s your quiet demeanor that calms those around you, or your ability to be the life of the party and tell a great joke.  You have sprinkles I’m sure—simply because of the fact that you are here—period.

Today spread your Divine Pieces around.  I like to ask myself this question, “When I come in contact with you, what missing pieces of divinity are we getting to share with each other today?”

Is For Compassion

What is compassion really?  Sharing the sorrow of another?  Helping or supporting someone in need?  Sending someone a tiny prayer of thanksgiving, or of loving kindness, or of hope, or of sunshine when they need it most.  Perhaps it's absorbing the sadness or discomfort you see in someone for the sake of releasing it for them.  This is the way compassion feels to me.

It's easy to feel compassion for people I care about--my friends, family, pets, the usual suspects, but I try to stretch myself a bit more to include people I don't know. I like to practice sending loving kindness to people that I don't understand, or people that really piss me off, or folks that I completely disagree with.  I ask you to stretch yourself today too.  Notice someone that you typically avoid for some reason and take a moment to simply send them some loving kindness; a tiny prayer of calm, patience, or peace might just do the trick.  Sometimes I need to remind myself that I don't know what a person's back-story is, and sometimes it's a story that I wouldn't understand but that needs a lot of love anyway. Try it today; stretch your loving kindness muscle.

I also like to extend myself some compassion when I feel uncomfortable.  When I'm around a lot of people that I don’t know, or that don’t look like me, talk like me, or act like me I start to feel awkward.  This describes me at every social gathering known to man, but what suprises me is sometimes the older teenagers in my neighborhood make me feel self-conscious.  The crazy thing is I used to teach kids just like them, but still as a group I get uneasy these days because I'm not their teacher so they don't know me very well.  I'm sure they're all very nice, but they are louder than me, stronger than me, and they stare at me sometimes.  This is when I start to feel uneasy.  I smile and wave a self-conscious little wave and internally I send them a tiny prayer.  I say in my head, “Be happy; be safe.”  By doing this I feel as though I've comforted myself and extended kindness to them.

For today look around you, find the folks that need your silent wish of compassionate kindness and send it off on the breeze.  The homeless guy on the corner, the co-worker or boss who irritates you, the child on the playground standing alone, the tired looking man or woman with the world heavy on their shoulders, there are multitudes of people who just need a simple wish of happiness, joy, peace, and love.

Send it with a small smile and go about your day.  You never know what you just set in motion for their life.

Is For Breathe

Take a deep breath.  Fill your belly.  If you can’t feel your stomach expand then you have to lie back down in bed.  On your back you can’t help but fill your diaphragm.

Hold it. Hold it for maybe 3 or 4 “Mississippi’s.”             Let it out slowly.

Repeat.           Breathe in and fill that belly.         Hold it.           Let it out slowly.

Now you are allowed to get out of bed, or move from the couch, office chair, or room.

My chest and belly can get so tight sometimes that there are moments where I catch myself actually holding my breath!  Let the air flow through you today, hold on to none of it in a nervous anxious way.

When you breathe like this you are giving yourself a moment of power in a world where so many things leave you feeling powerless!  Controlling your breath in a world, or day, or moment when you feel nothing is under control can grant you a peaceful moment.  Permit yourself that peaceful powerful moment.

As you move throughout your day natural transitions will occur: rising from the table/desk, heading off to a meeting, heading off to the bathroom, turning off the T.V. before heading to bed, preparing your child for a nap, preparing to take your child to the library, on and on and on.  Before you transition from one event to the next take a moment and breathe in and out two times while you pay attention to those two breaths.  I don’t ask that you clear your mind and try to not think, go ahead think about what it is you are transitioning to or from, but see if you can fill your belly two times before heading into the next thing.

If you miss a transition moment, so what? If you get in four deep breathing transitions today that is probably four more than yesterday, so Rock On!

Try saying this at your next transition: “I will take these breaths.  They are mine to enjoy.”

  A Is for Accept

Acceptance does not imply approval or even a slight happiness that IT IS.  It just IS.

For today as each thing unfolds accept that it is unfolding without judgment—good or bad, ugly or pretty, thick or thin, hot or cold, disaster or miracle, on and on. 

Whatever happens this one day—don’t give it a label.  The dog craps on the carpet?  It is simply a pile of poo on the floor that needs cleaning.  Clean, and move on.  It happened.  You can’t un-poop it.  Accepting that it happened does not imply you approve of your dog doing this, or that you are happy this happened, it has simply happened.  Breathe through it.

The car won’t start? Breathe through it.  Make a list: who do you need to call? The appointment you will miss? Someone to come give your battery a jump? A taxi service? Breathe.  Accept that at this instant the car isn’t going to start, don’t judge this as the worst event ever.  You will never really know.  A giant semi full of battery acid could be heading for a tragic accident involving your car at this very moment had the car started—maybe not.  You just don’t know maybe your stupid not working car just saved your life.

Flat tire?

Overslept?

Child home sick from school?

Toilet over flow?

Nothing lasts forever. No event will consume the rest of your living days.  For this 24 hour period if IT comes accept IT. 

Try saying this, “Today I will accept this event as it is.  If it needs a plan to resolve it I will make that plan or find someone to help me make the plan.  This is my day.” 

The A to Z Blogging Challenge begins on April 1!  Today is the grand Theme Reveal. 

I have chosen my theme for April and it will be 26 Days to Practice Peace.  It is my hope for each of you that as the days build and perhaps you follow the ideas for the days you begin to feel a bit lighter, smile more often, and handle the various crap that comes your way with more grace and ease.  Yes, I know I used crap and grace in the same sentence.

Since I have to write one each day and it has to follow an alphabetic order I can pretty much guarantee that they will be under 500 words.  Perhaps I should make that my goal and see if I can make my point within 500 words.  I want each of you to return for the next day so I don’t want to bore you! 

I know that I need to practice peace, expect miracles, love myself more, and trust that everything is exactly as it should be in this exact moment, so I will be using my 26 days to help myself and hopefully extend a large dose of love your way as well.  Please enjoy and let me know every now and then how I’m doing with a small comment.

Sending you each a big ‘ol hug and lots of love

Conlee

For More Information about participating yourself: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/