Zentangle Reverie

A few weeks ago I was having a terrible week.  Nothing seemed to be going right at all.  Everything I did took ten times as long as I thought it would and nothing happened the way I expected it too.  I was getting a little discouraged to say the least -- alright I was getting downright depressed!

Then came Friday.  That afternoon a friend came over and after giving her an energy session, she taught me how to do Zentangle.  I had seen this before but didn't have a clue how to do it.  She took out all of her supplies and showed me some patterns and I was away.  After she left, I took out some blank greeting cards I had on hand and my gel pens and started doodling (that's basically what it is).

 

I could not believe how it changed my mood right around. I felt energized, ready to take on the world.  It relaxed me and left me feeling content and at peace with myself and the world!  By the end of the weekend, I had finished eight or ten of these cards already.

I continue to find that when I'm a bit stressed, I take out my cards and pens and start doodling.  Just the act of doing a pattern over and over again, discerning what pattern wants to go where, and just being fully absorbed in it, brings inner (and outer) peace to my life.  As I doodle, all the cares, worries, and anxieties just drift away.  I am transported to another place -- that place where I am connected to, and a part of, the inner Love of the Universe!

Thank you Zentangle!

"The Gift"

Last weekend I attended "The Gift" in Moncton, New Brunswick.  I know that's a long way to go for a course, especially since it was also held in Calgary and Edmonton, which would have been closer.  I chose to attend in Moncton so I could spend a few days in Fredericton with our daughter.  I hadn't seen her apartment since they moved to Fredericton almost two years ago.  So I decided this course would give me a good excuse to go to visit her.  As it turned out, she attended "The Gift" as well so we had a few days afterward to talk about it, make even more breakthroughs and gain more insights together!  Awesome!

Daughter Nicole at her place in Fredericton, New Brunswick

But, I digress.  I want to tell you about "The Gift".  I went to it thinking I might learn a little something that would help me on this life journey.  I've done a lot of personal growth kind of stuff so I didn't think I'd learn a lot, but one more tool in my toolbox wouldn't hurt.  I must say, I learned more than just another tool -- I learned a whole new way of being in the world.  I learned how to notice when I'm in that resistance cycle and then ways to get myself out of that cycle so that life happens from and through me rather than to me!  I learned how to create what I want in my life.  I learned that "I am a creator; You are a creator; We are creators" together in this world.  And that means each and every one of us, not just those that were at the course.  I didn't just learn all of this in my head, though, we actually worked through it so that when we went home we could continue to apply it in our lives in order to create the kind of life we want.  WOW!

The bouquet Nicole and I bought to celebrate completing "The Gift".  (We were encouraged to celebrate more often!)

Another plus for attending "The Gift" was to meet a lot of wonderful, fantastic people who became friends and whom are staying connected in all kinds of ways - Facebook, Creation Circle, more courses together........  "The Gift" was just that -- a real gift to myself in so many ways.  I thank Jay Fiset and The Creator's Code, Leanne Cochrane, and Josh Hayward for setting this up and for delivering such a powerful, heartful weekend!

Living From the Core

For awhile now I have tried to live life from the centredness at the core of my being.  When I can do that, I feel a deep sense of peace and content.  Life is easy.  Life is vibrant and full of all kinds of possibilities and opportunities.  But it's not always easy to do.  Life happens and sometimes I get caught up in all that's going on and forget to keep centred.  Last week was a good example.

I am doing a lot of homework for a weekend course that I'm taking soon.  The date of the course is creeping up on me so I'd like to get it all done before I go.  I'm also taking an online course through the community college - an introductory course to a program I purchased to format my books, etc.  I have agreed to do some work for the place where I used to be employed.  Monday night I came home from a meeting of a community group I am involved in, with a long list of things to do.  The Scotties curling was also on TV and for the first time in many years I am able to watch it.  So Tuesday morning I set out to accomplish something on my long, long list of things to do.  I tried one thing, and I just couldn't focus on it.  It just wasn't working.  I tried something else and the same thing - I just couldn't concentrate.  Then it was time for a curling game so I put the list aside to sit and watch the game.  But I wasn't even enjoying the curling -- my mind was too busy thinking about all the things I needed to do and the short period of time I had to do it all!  I finally realized this and simply said to myself - "It's okay to watch and enjoy the curling, everything will get done in its own time."  Just that one simple statement, giving myself permission to enjoy the curling game while I had the opportunity, was all it took.  I felt myself relax and a deep sense of peace and contentment settle over me.  The list and all the things on it disappeared from my mind to leave it clear and quiet.  I totally enjoyed that curling game and all the others the rest of the week.

This is what my mind felt like at first - cluttered with all kinds of things.

This is my mind after I gave myself permission to enjoy the curling.

Everything seemed to work itself out after that.  In between games I did a few little things that were important to get done right away.  I realized that a lot of the things on the list I had brought home from the meeting, really didn't need to be done for another month.  I sent an email and received a week's extension on a deadline for the other work I had agreed to do.  The online course only sends out two lessons a week and each lesson only takes me about an hour or two at the most to complete, so I really had lots of time to get them done. 

It happened again in another area of my life as well.  I love to walk and be out in nature.  The last couple of winters I have had pneumonia so haven't been able to get outside and walk as much.  Our house has no windows that the sun can get in so I can't even sit in the sun.  I was bemoaning these facts to myself one day and feeling really bad about it, when the thought popped into my head - "You are your own jailer."  WHAT?!?!?  I thought about it for a moment and decided that thought was right!  I was going to go out for a walk with my dog!  It was a nice day, sunny and a bit warmer than it has been and I wasn't going to cough (which was what had happened every time I went outside up to that point).  So I bundled up, put Sandy (our dog) on her leash and set out.  It was only about a fifteen minute walk but boy, did it feel good!!  I had almost forgotten how much I enjoy that cool refreshing air on my face and just being outside.  It was awesome!  And I didn't cough, not even once!  I've been out for a walk almost every day since, and plan to go as often as I can, if only for ten or fifteen minutes. 

Here is the lake with the beautiful valley hills in the background where we often walk.  What a breathtaking view!  It fills my heart and feeds my soul!!




Below is another part of the path home from the lake that we often take.  Sandy likes to wander off ahead of me.

These two incidents have made me realize how wonderful it is to live from the centredness at the core of my being.  I certainly hope I can continue to do this.