Friday, June 4, 2010

Just Be

I have spoken many times before in blog format about the frantic pace we lead daily, particularly here in the United States.  I'm no different from the majority of people in this regard; I've been working diligently to establish a new branch of my writing services.  The lagging economy affected everything about my writing career two years ago and I am still adjusting and laying new foundation blocks.  So focused am I that I become my own worst enemy with taking care of myself, not getting enough sleep, not eating correctly and most importantly, not taking time off!

We all know the basic rules - you can't have day without night, hot without cold, light without dark, happy without sad.  Subsequently that old axiom of "All work and no play makes Jane a dull girl" truly has merit and weight to it.  When I begin to feel smothered in this manner, I know it is time to step back.  So, recognizing that certain frustrations have been building within as I'm racing madly down the road to a serious lack of balance, my thoughts turn to the exact opposite of my current daily existence.  In a word...FREEDOM.

What does it mean to you?  Freedom.  The very word conjures up all manner of emotions and mental images, feelings, expectations, hopes, dreams and wishes.  Freedom represents my beloved country, the United States of America, with her symbol that of the noble Bald Eagle.  I cannot witness one of these beautiful birds in flight without getting a lump in my throat and feeling the sting of tears.  Watching these majestic birds wheeling freely across the blue skies seems to speak to something very elemental within most of us.  When the word 'freedom' comes to mind, invariably, I mentally conjure up a bald eagle in flight.

Specific to my current frame of mind, freedom represents making a living doing what I love.  Not being chained to a dead-end existence in corporate America, as that experience always slowly saps my vitality and energy.  I chose to leave that world and pursue my own path with freelance writing.  Yes, I am accomplishing that goal in slow and sure steps.  Yet there is a niggling sense of frustration and lack that tells me I am getting in my own way.  I tend to excel at dancing with this particular nemesis.  So, with this recognition comes knowledge that it is time to stop.  Simply stop everything and just be.

At times such as these, I always reflect on the few true vacations I've taken.  One in particular was a 12 day trip to Hawaii.  I went with a group of friends and because of the time zone changes wreaking havoc with my Circadian rhythms, I regularly awakened fairly early.  Now, if you know me even slightly, you're aware that I'm not a morning person.  Not even close!  But during that time in Hawaii, I would wake up before the majority of my room mates, shower, dress and take a walk around the neighborhood where our hotel was located.  Across the street was a Catholic church that was always open and I would stop there to sit in the quiet, holy space, listening to the birds singing and just soak in that blissful feeling of freedom we have on vacation. 

I loved it - I chose what to do each day and I answered to no one but myself and the group of people I was with.  No bosses, no phone calls, nothing but my own personal choices and whims for the day.  I can remember being clearly conscious of the delight of that daily existence, feeling the surge of endorphins and pleasure coursing through me that freedom brings.  This is what I need to find a way to incorporate in my life now.

Tomorrow will be a day of freedom.  At times it is necessary to make a ruthless shift and literally walk away from the world for a moment.  Breathing, embracing a certain isolation to purge what was becoming a tangled jumble. Focusing and being what some might deem selfish in order to come back to quiet, come back to balance and reconnect with the pureness of my dreams.  An outward, deliberate and physical act of meditation.  Recapturing that sense of absolute freedom and pleasure in just being.

Law of Attraction concepts dictate that unless we are feeling joyful, we are out of balance and out of connection with the Source, that which we call God/Universe/Spirit...the names for Divine Energy are numerous.  I am feeling that disconnect and it is manifesting as frustration and dissatisfaction.  Yet these same unbalanced emotions are tools.  I am now at a point in my life and evolution where I am able to identify these potential obstacles much sooner than in the past.  I am happy for this awareness, as it allows me to consciously shift and adjust more quickly.  It isn't always easy or enjoyable, but it is necessary.  It is also not feasible for most of us to live in an eternal vacation mindset.  This is not what I am suggesting in this post; I mean more for us to access the pure happiness we experience when on vacation and create an environment that encourages those feelings to manifest daily.  I have stumbled with this in my own personal daily experience, so it is time to recalibrate.

This moment in my life is high charged and delicately balanced.  Webster's Dictionary defines the word Fulcrum thusly:

1 a : prop; specifically : the support about which a lever turns b : one that supplies capability for action


This is what I feel to be taking place - I am at one of those pivotal points.  I can ignore the warning flags and emotions and continue to create more of a tangle in various areas of my life, or I can heed these emotions and be proactive.  Obviously I am choosing the latter.  This is not to say I am in the midst of crisis or impending doom; to the contrary, life is good.  What I am focused on is making it better, and keeping a weather eye on anything that distracts me from embracing happiness and feeling a true sense of satisfaction in my existence.
 
What will this produce, this moment out of time?  I have no idea.  The main goal of the whole exercise is to just be.  I am promising myself a day of bliss in whatever form that manifests.  No contracts will be thought about; looming deadlines will not exist, bills can wait and troublesome connections are relegated to a distant back burner.  I am taking a personal holiday and re-establishing the bonds within myself with the dreams I came here to accomplish.  The laws of quantum physics and nature dictate that energy given is energy that returns, amplified.  My intention is to dwell in an energetic mindset that is positive, happy and open to all that is good.  Negative energies and people who get in the way of this objective are stumbling blocks that distract us all from dwelling in perfect accord and balance with our purpose and dreams.  The amplified energies that return to me are within my ability to shepherd and guide.  This is my own gentle reminder to myself that I chart my own course, and it is healthy and intelligent to choose happiness and freedom.
 
Oftentimes when I begin to feel bogged down with a lot of junkie energy, I meditate on the mental image of being suspended in the mist that blows down off a waterfall.  I imagine that mist floating through my physical and etheric bodies, sweeping clean all dark spots, all smudges of other peoples' energies, dissipating fatigue and disappointments and leaving behind a refreshed person.  A cleansed body, mind and spirit.  This is such an effective mental meditation that I do it quite often...unless I allow myself to get distracted and caught up in superfluous issues, people and circumstances.  Time now, to be.  Just be.
 
I don't know if this will resonate with anyone else.  No doubt anyone reading this post will remember a similar moment in their own lives where they had to slam the proverbial brakes on and symbolically leave the planet for a while.  I'm off on a journey to reconnect with myself, take silken energetic thread and stitch my joyfulness back into brilliant, fluid fabric that will ripple and shine and as a Dream Catcher would, capture those corresponding energies that match my dreams.
 
Just be.  That's the goal.  Those are the instructions.  Two simple words that allow a world of experience, releasing of spiritual blocks, and soaring until I feel renewed.  Writing about this with clear intentions is already lifting my spirits and I am smiling as I come to a close.  Perhaps this blog will nudge you to take a personal moment...a day of freedom for yourself.  If so, don't freeze up - don't stress out, as those are contradictions of your goal.  Be good to yourself.  Be joyful.  Be free.  Breathe in each individual beautiful moment.  Absorb it all.  Release the negatives and for this one moment, concentrate completely and magnificently upon YOU.  Just....Be.

13 comments:

  1. Just be!! it's one of my rules far to many of us get caught up in the craziness that is our life & if we just take time to be & to take life in we can be replenished.

    Hugs,

    Bill

    P.S. We're actually running away Sunday night....spending 6 days at Disney World (where we were married) & then coming your way & camping in Cades Cove for 5 days....all thanks to my in-laws anniversary present...if you have time maybe we can meet...hugs

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  2. Bill, great news on your upcoming vacation time! I know you'll have a wonderful time in both locations. I agree with you, btw..."Just be" is singularly good advice for us all. Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment!

    ~ Dawn

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  3. To JUST BE is a gem that we are all given. Unfortunately we do not honor this and have taken this gem for granted. By JUST BEING we ARE doing ourselves a huge favor. We can be more productive if we JUST BE!
    Spending those moments with our new found jewels is a luxury we should indulge in....

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  4. Yoga Savy, yep, it's one of those very simple concepts that can sometimes be difficult to translate into our daily lives. OR difficult to just remember! I agree w/ you - we deserve this indulgence, and I am embracing it wholeheartedly. Thank you, my friend, for sharing your thoughts.

    ~ Dawn

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  5. i love it dawn that you are following your gut instincts that this is what you need to be doing right now...not concerned about the outcome/has to be good though. we all need to do this from time to time. it is necessary! janie

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    the Delhi metro is a new and very good step to improve the India.
    thanks
    maldives holidays

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  7. Dear Dawn,
    My "just be" moments have been very rare in the past years, but I am going to do just that when I take a trip into the past and reconnect with old friends and family that If have missed for so long. I am so glad you are off on the journey to reconnect yourself. We all need that and your words remind us all that we truly need to "just be" at times, a true "refreshing".

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  8. Being is the source of life. :)

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  9. Hi Janie! Yes, I am doing my best to listen to that still, quiet voice within. If we do take time to listen, the lessons are profound. And you're correct - not being concerned about the outcome IS important, and an integral part of the whole process! I love your thoughts, sister, and always appreciate you taking time to share them here on my blog page.

    Maldives, I'm not certain if your comment was meant for my blog page - it doesn't seem to match the content of this post. That being said, thank you for taking time to visit and leave the comment. I have read much of your beautiful country and imagine it is a sublime place to vacation and get back in touch with ourselves on an elemental basis.

    JudyJ, you're so on target with your thoughts! Taking those small moment to mentally refresh our Spirit is so important! I'm glad this spoke to your heart and that you're taking it into your conscious thoughts to embrace in the future. Unless we take care of ourselves first, we cannot authentically care for others. Recharge your dear heart regularly, my friend. You deserve it! Thank you for visiting, reading and leaving a lovely comment.

    Trulyana, I agree with you. Thank you, once again, for spending so much time here with me today and leaving such wonderful comments! I look forward to getting to know you better via blogging. :)

    Namaste' to you all!

    ~ Dawn

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  10. I can completely relate to this Dawn. I have been bogged down lately with so much work and other 'stuff' that I felt totally disconnected with myself.

    There's no greater feeling in the world than to 'Just Be' and allow ourselves to feel deep within.

    After so much 'busy-ness' in my life lately, I actually had a much needed day yesterday to do just that. I got in my car, drove into the mountains, and with my camera in hand, walked a forested path to the lake. I think that is the most alive and connected to myself that I've felt in a long time.

    And then I stopped by here, and found your wonderful post. Hope you have been able to do the same.

    Love You!

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  11. Bernadine, my sweet friend, so good to hear from you! I actually took the whole darned weekend for myself to reconnect - something I rarely do these days. I slept so long on Saturday that I didn't even get out of the house, but that just shows how drained I had allowed myself to become. Today I did some patio gardening and feel much better. I still want to do a similar get away like you did, and the Smoky Mtns are calling to me. Your own day sounds blissful to the very definition of the word! I'm so glad you took that time for yourself. Thank you for visiting and leaving a wonderful comment!

    Much love back to you,
    Dawn

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  12. You could have been standing behind a huge mahogany pulpit, swinging your fist into the sky, and occasionally looking me in the eye.

    I gulped.

    You and I both need to "Just. Be. Period." In fact, it's Friday, and I'm still not away from my desk. Sadly, this is my choice.

    Great blog post!

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  13. LOL...never in my life have I envisioned standing at a pulpit, with my words making anyone gulp! Life is definitely about choices. Even during the trying moments, I've said it before - we define ourselves with how we choose to react to a given situation. Your comment today brought me back to read this post from start to finish and reminded me to embrace this concept fully. I'm glad you enjoyed it, in between fist shakes at the sky and the occasional gulp! You always make me laugh, my friend.

    ~ Dawn

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