Finding the Patterns, Giving Credit, Living in Appreciation

Some of you may know that I am a practicing shaman.  What does this mean?  I look for the patterns in the world.  I follow the cycle of the year as a way to make sure I look at all aspects of my life.  I appreciate nature and all she has to offer.  There's more to it than that, but that's a good overview of it.

As part of my everyday practice, I take some time to notice the patterns in my life.  Recently, everyone around me has been doing a great deal of personal growth work.  This is not terribly surprising to me since I have been doing a great deal of that as well.  I'm only about halfway through the process that I started in January to open up and be more available emotionally and authentically to the people around me.  It has been a scary thing to do.  I've been convinced that people wouldn't like me if I told them the whole truth about who I am, and yet that has not been the case.  The more I share with people, the more they share with me and the more loved and appreciated I have felt.  And yet the process has been a hard one. 

Anytime you deal with core, foundational issues, it tends to throw you off balance and make you re-evaluate your life.  As part of this evaluation, I decided to move.  This has been a stressful process and one that is not yet complete.  Like most of the changes I'm working on making, it is taking longer than I had hoped. (I guess I shouldn't be surprised with 6 groundhogs/woodchucks living in my back yard - they are signs that things will take longer than expected). 

Recently, the woman who was running my women's group last month decided that we had all done a lot of work already and, despite the fact that we weren't done yet, she thought it was time to appreciate ourselves and each other for what had been accomplished already.  We all thought that this was a great idea.  So she decorated a high-backed chair with beautiful fabrics and put a pillow on the floor at our feet - making us royalty for the moment.  We each took a turn in the chair.  In that chair we received praise and appreciation from the other members of the group and from ourselves.  There were things that were said to me that I never realized people appreicated about me - things that I thought were often challenges in my life.  And I got to see from other people's eyes how much I had accomplished.  I also got to find more love in my heart for all of the women in the group because I went looking for things to appreciate about them.

So here's your thought for the day.  How much have you accomplished in the last month?  I bet it's a lot.  Before you go to bed tonight, look in the mirror and say out loud all of the things you've accomplished (don't forget that taking much-needed time off is accomplishing the goal of being loving towards yourself).  Tell the person in the mirror what you appreciate about them - what aspects of their personality most impress you.   And then, in the morning when you're feeling well rested and emotionally fed, start practicing this with your friends and family members.  Remind your spouse why you love them.  Tell your kids all the things they do right every day.  Tell your friends what you appreciate about them.  Tell your parents how grateful you are for the life they gave you. 

Opening our hearts is a scary and challenging process.  It takes practice.  But it is one of the best things we can do in care of ourselves.Share your heart with someone today, as I have shared mine with you.  Thanks for reading.  I appreciate all the support you all give me.