27 Feb March: Share The Love

“How
Did the rose
Ever open its heart
And give to this world
All its
Beauty?
It felt the encouragement of light
Against its Being.
Otherwise,
We all remain
Too
Frightened”

-Hafez

In times such as these when it feels as though fear is pressing in from all directions, we are in desperate need of reassurance. Some truth to rest on, some certainty in all of the uncertainty. Thankfully, we all have things that we can trust in, because we know they are ‘for sure.’ Things like the ability to feel rain on our cheeks, that the tiny buds turning pink on the cheery trees will bloom, the hands we put our hearts that feel it beating. We can take a deep breath look around us, at the world we inhabit, and the journey that is unfolding and know we are here, and a part of these times. 

A reoccurring theme that began last month was the tendency to get overwhelmed and distracted, this is carrying on in March as it has something to teach us about what we are committed to and paying attention to. Never before have we had such easy access to the news, and with social media, each other. It can be challenging to bring our attention and focus to what is immediate in our tiny lives, yet we are here to flex this muscle of remembering and prioritizing what is important.

What makes it so difficult to ground ourselves in the present moment? And why, when we do so, is that moment often fleeting?

I believe that partially, it is our inherent belief that we are not good enough, that we are lacking, broken even. Even if we don’t feel this way personally, it may show up in projecting this on others, or the world. This could play out in subtle ways, like an inability to be kind and generous to ourselves and others, blaming the world for our failings, or obvious ways when we struggle with self esteem and self worth and lean into addictive or destructive behaviour. 

I think it is worth noting, and being reassured by the fact that we all feel this to greater or lesser degrees, that we are not alone.

Heres the thing, what if doesn’t really matter if we are enough or not? What if being enough is a game we play with ours selves to keep us in relationships we don’t feel valued in and jobs we hate? What if we are waiting for a certain amount of enough-ness to finally start living, subconsciously knowing we would never allow ourselves to meet that unrealistic expectation? What if the power of your enough-ness begins and ends with you and that you could decide right now, that you are enough. That no one but you holds you back from showing up as fully as you can, because we are all full of flaws. Does it make you more willing to try something new? To share generously from your heart? To feel more secure in your skin?

A theme that is coming up for March is Self Worth. This is a time to encourage ourselves and others to learn and to grow not by pretending we have all the answers, but because we know we do not and are willing to try anyways. It’s also a time to acknowledge and trust in the wisdom we have already cultivated along the way, and share it out, loud and proud as we step forward together. There is something about being seen by the community this month, and giving each other recognition for what we individually add to our collective. To embrace our enough-ness in ourselves and others.

This is a time of gleaning the beauty, grace, and unearned blessings that find us whether we ask for them or not. Its about holding them up so they can be seen and shouting YES!

There is much to be concerned with in these times we are living, and we all have the power to add more good where we find ourselves. We are not passive bystanders in a world we don’t belong in, we are intimately connected to this earth and to each other. When we take root in the present, in what is unfolding before us, we reclaim our energy, self esteem and the power to share it outward. 

Some questions to ask yourself as we move into spring are:

What do you notice about yourself that you are Proud of?
What do you appreciate in others and how can you let them know?
What is worth celebrating in your corner of the world?
What positively re-enforces you so you can continue to show up to your life as fully as you can?

May we encourage ourselves and others to meet the longer days and the returning Sun with generosity and kindness.

With love,

Jacqui