Recently I was thinking about what to write for my blog post to inspire and hopefully move one more person, one more step forward in their life. My wish is that many of us are progressing and working hard each day to move one more step forward in living the life we dream of. Shed all the bullshit of yesterday and just let me move one step today...no leaps, no grand measurement of time and space...just one small step.
I took a leap this past year, this summer of 15 and 'jumped off my life' with trust and vulnerability – to follow a yearning in my gut...that instinct I've been talking about.
And so I did.
Bravery & New Beginnings, written by one of my daughters dearest friends, Judy Russ, was so well written and more importantly hit the nail right on the head of what I've been feeling and what I've been practicing for myself in my next chapter here in LA. I couldn't have done a better job, so I am sharing her post below.
These are the women of our future. The nurturers and healers of what is to come. I am proud to be raising one and proud to keep precious these young spirits that have graced my life with their abundant dreams.
I watch on Facebook what gets the "likes" the "shares" and the "comments" and it amazes me that writings like this, and many others, are, for example: "liked - 9" ; "comments - 5" ; and "shares - 0". And the "big dog with the long tongue and reindeer antlers bringing down a christmas tree" gets a boatload of hits, likes, comments and shares.
What a conundrum.
Priorities, I guess.
Patience I say.
So many people are hurting, trying to keep numb from whatever reality their thoughts are producing. The "Big Dog" is a terrific distraction to what I don't want to do to change my realities.
But people wake up when they wake up. I don't hold their alarm clock. Nor do I hold any judgement. I WAS that person.
And so, I WILL be here waiting. Waiting for whenever you are ready and whenever you decide you want to live the life you are dreaming.
I get it. You couldn't move me until I was ready either.
Time is precious, least we forget, ticking away towards that tomorrow that never manifests. Put off to yet another tomorrow.
Allow yourself one small step each day. One tiny step.
Until.
Make the decision that will move you forward.
Click 'Contact' and reach out to me. We'll get on a call and figure it all out.
And we'll do it together. Remember, together is less scary than alone.
Enjoy this read.
These young women are gonna make you proud!
They already have me at hello!
Much love,
Lucia
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Bravery and New Beginnings By Judy Russ
I know for a fact that seven people read my last entry. That’s still a win for me. When I look back, I’m always pretty embarrassed by the things I’ve written- but I think that’s a good sign. I’m learning, growing, changing, and not ashamed to admit that I’ve been wrong about certain things- even stubbornly so.
So I guess, then, it’s appropriate to begin this piece with a thoughtful tie-in about Shiva, the Hindu God of the yogis. Shiva is a destroyer.
In the picture below, Shiva, crushing Apasmara Purusha, the God of Ignorance… Still, kind of a dick move.
Shiva is massively relevant to new beginnings.
Destruction has a mostly negative connotation to our minds- that’s because our minds CONstruct things constantly. Thoughts, belief systems, rules, reasons and rhymes. It makes sense we’d want to hold on to the ideas we’ve spent so much time creating.
But Shiva wants none of that. Shiva reminds us that the Universe has no time for our illusions- our dwellings in snippets of time that are, in reality, fleeting and momentary.
The Universe wants none of your controlling bullshit. The past is written. It cannot be undone. Accept it. Destroy it.
Today has come and gone. If it has changed you, if it has left you unchanged, if it has brought your pain or joy or love, if it has brought you loneliness….
Accept it.
Destroy it.
All that begins must end. And with that comes a great purification- a lightness. A feeling of relief. There is no direction but forward. The destruction of our guilt, fears, and regrets allow us to lunge into a future of abundant and endless possibility. Knowing it will be destroyed, we remember not to attach ourselves to any outcome: just enjoying the dance of our lives, the coming and going of time, the excitement of change, the beauty of taking joy in even the most simple seconds of our lives.
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You know how a bird held captive for too long approaches an open cage slowly as if unsure of its freedom before taking off without looking back?
Life seems so full of those moments. – Pavana पवन
I’ve been making a lot of changes lately.
I’ve had to channel Shiva a decent amount. I didn’t know if it was all gonna stick… I wasn’t sure I was really strong enough to be the person I always dreamed of being. For that matter, I wasn’t sure who or what I wanted to be to begin with.
However, that feeling of fragility (as though this “new me” was just the old me with some new clothes) was as fragile as the idea itself. The more I pushed forward, trudging on with self discipline and consistency through utterly fatiguing change, the more the pillar of who I was, who I’ve always been, stood unshakably in the center of myself.
Michelangelo insisted that he created “David” by simply removing the stone that was not David. He said he was always in there. That’s how I feel our identity is revealed… it’s invisible at first, shrouded by the unbelievable amount of negative bullshit we tell ourselves.
“You’re not good enough.” “You’re not worthy.”
Who is saying that to you? Why do you feel that way?
It’s time. Gather the bravery to say: “WATCH ME, BITCH.”
It’s time to change your reality. Channel the story of Shiva. Destroy your past.
Every moment is a new beginning.
Every second is shiny and new, glistening with opportunity and that new car smell!
There are a few components of reality that I think are important to beginning new. As a whole, it takes an immense amount of bravery. I wrote this recipe for fearlessness the other night in my journal:
Bravery = Confidence + Will + Energy + Fluidity
Confidence is built from consistent experience and self discipline. The key to this is baby steps.
I started small: I bought a pair of running shoes.
I stopped drinking for a few days at a time.
I rebooted a consistent yoga practice.
I quit smoking.
I signed up for a race.
I felt better every day, more capable, more confident.
Yogananda said, “Will is the tool that transforms thought into action“.
I didn’t want to run. Half of my runs started with me kicking and screaming!
My yoga sessions began with huffing and puffing! I cried! I fought! I wanted to smoke cigarettes, watch TV and eat cheese fries in my pajamas for the rest of my life. But I didn’t. I willed my way forward: consciously. It was a choice. EVERY minute of EVERY day I made those choices. It got easier as time went by until it became effortless, enjoyable.
Energy is passion and excitement. It comes with clarity, with a clear mind.
I think most of my energy came when I began meditating on a consistent basis. I was starting to feel at peace again… my mind was sweeping out its corners, scrubbing its walls, tossing the thoughts that no longer served me and keeping positive affirmations. There was more room for fun, imagination, dancing, breathing, being…
Fluidity is about letting go. Destroying your past self.
Can you let go of guilt and regret? Can you face your future fearlessly? Can you let challenge and fear pass through you? Can you be courageous enough to fail?
Bravery, persistence, and self discipline reveals a whole new beginning each day when I wake up. Every morning, a new person emerges from my bed- excited to keep sculpting away at the marble encasing my truest self.
And while this journey often feels like a lonely one, as all of my bullshit crumbles off me onto the floor: my unhealthy habits, my tumultuous emotional states, my insecurity, my anxiety, my need to feel special and wanted, and everything else that was only caused by stress and negative thought pattern…
My heart is so naturally open, I feel a profoundly deep love and gratitude for the people in my life. I carry this affection around with me. It makes me smile and laugh and sing. It makes me want to start new every day for the rest of my life… Just to be a better person for the people I love.
“Our whole spiritual transformation brings us to the point where we realize that in our own being, we are enough.” — Ram Dass
This one ends without the dripping sarcasm for once…
Just peace.
Thanks for reading.