friday quotation

As I look back on 2010, there are so many feelings, words, memories attached to it. Moments that brought greater warmth to my heart and a bigger smile to my face than I'd experienced in a long time. Moments that broke my heart and made it feel pain that I'd forgotten it could feel. Moments that humbled me. Moments where I felt very proud (and not necessarily of myself...but that, too). I searched for complicated ways to describe the year and I kept coming back to something very simple that seemed to sum it all up. And that seemed to sum up how I feel as 2010 closes and 2011 begins.

Happily grateful.

That is what I am.
Happy.
Grateful.
And, therefore, happily grateful.

Thanks to everyone who's been a part of 2010...I'm blessed. And hoping to return the blessings tenfold as a new year unfolds. Peace, love, health, joy, courage, compassion, belief in something bigger than yourself (a.k.a. faith), and laughter to all in 2011. XOXO - etg

peaceful warrior

According to Yoga Journal the "warrior pose can teach you how to act with wisdom, courage, and unwavering focus." Ah. Nice.
Today in yoga we hit "peaceful warrior" pose (see picture) several times and I simply fell in love with the idea of being a peaceful warrior. Maybe that is my persona for 2011.
In all of the warrior poses there is something about being firmly grounded by your legs - finding strength there - while at the same time reaching for the sky or the space around you - signifying rising energy. I love these ideas. I do want to remain rooted in what I know to be true, in my sources of strength, but I also want to be ever-reaching for new things, representing growth and evolution. And yet the whole idea of doing it all in a peaceful, organic way, makes me really happy. This pose definitely stretches you (literally and figuratively) and I feel like there are unlimited spaces of expansion. And yet I feel strong when I am there. Not so strong that I couldn't be toppled by a strong wind or a shove - that's the part that keeps us human and reminds us that we are vulnerable. But strong enough to not fall over at the slightest breeze - that's the part that reminds me that I have a strong foundation built up over 37 years of life. So although it's still a few days away, 2011 that is, I've already chosen by pose for the year - peaceful warrior - hooray!

Merry Christmas!

A good friend has used this as her email signature for the entire month of December and I find myself reading it time and time again as a reminder of what this season is all about. Today, I'll share it with you (at risk of being accused of posting two quotations back-to-back!):

Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.

I have to think that's a pretty good start to creating the world that we all want to live in (or that I think we all want to live in?). Throw in a little peace on earth, kindness and compassion to a stranger, patience with everyone (especially...even...yourself), self-compassion, and the belief in new beginnings and we just might be on to something. Keep faith that there is something/someone more powerful, more loving, and wiser than all of us looking out for the best for each of us as the backdrop...and a hope and belief that the future is even brighter than the most wonderful moments in the past...and I think we just might have a chance at living life to the fullest.
And I guess that's what I have as my Christmas wish this year...full and meaningful and healthy and love-filled lives for everyone. Not just those near and dear to me, but definitely for them, too! But for the child who isn't sure where her next meal is coming from. And for the man on the corner who looks to be all alone in this world. And for the person who seems to be "rich" and yet is sad and feels "poor". And for the woman in the hospital unsure of when healing is coming. And hope, hope, hope for everyone in the world that whatever is missing in our lives is just around the corner...maybe in the form of some Christmas miracle of our very own.
Merry Christmas one and all...

friday quotation

My Christmas Eve wish for you...

authenticity and vulnerability

A few months ago, I wrote to a friend that some years ago I'd promised myself that I was not going to live my life in fear of things. In other words, I was not going to not do things because I was afraid of the outcome. I don't remember any one thing being the wake-up call for me. I just remember one day realizing that I'd lived my life in "safe mode" for a long time. Note - this is not always a bad thing! But it sometimes meant that I was holding back, not putting myself out there, not saying or doing things because I was afraid I might fail or make a fool of myself or get hurt. The downside of this was that by playing it so safe, I was missing out. Missing out on parts of relationships. Missing out on some adventures in life. Missing out on being truly me. This is not to say that I wasn't being me...but I was not being fully me. For fear of rejection. For fear of falling short of my own expectations. For, for, for...for so many things. So I've been practicing being more fully me in the last few years.
As a result, I've felt a lot better about the life that I'm living and the relationships I'm creating or continuing. It's a more freeing way to live. But it's also a scarier way to live. One that leaves me with a more peaceful heart at the end of the day...but one that also makes my heart race a little more on a daily basis!
This quotation from Brene Brown helped me realize just why I feel this way. It's about "authenticity" and I just love it...and keep trying to live it.
"Authenticity is a daily practice.
Choosing authenticity means I'm cultivating the courage to be imperfect, to set boundaries, and to allow ourselves to be vulnerable; exercising the compassion that comes from knowing that we are all made of strength and struggle and connected to each other through a loving and resilient human spirit; nurturing the connection and sense of belonging that can only happen when we let go of what we are supposed to be and embrace who we are.
Authenticity demands wholehearted living and loving - even when it's hard, even when we're wrestling with the shame and fear of not being good enough, and especially when the joy is so intense that we're afraid to let ourselves feel it.
Mindfully practicing authenticity during our most soul-searching struggles is how we invite grace, and joy, and gratitude into our lives."

friday quotation

peace.
it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.

(easier said than done! but still a beautiful aspiration...)

Tuesday thoughts

So evidently I am still capable of doing more than a Friday quotation post...although barely.
Yoga was AMAZING this morning. (Last week was amazing in another way in that I shed tears for some part of it...not that I was surprised at that. It was a teary Monday evening and yoga just pushed all of those buttons again as I already felt vulnerable as I hopped on my mat.) Today was a totally different story. I was more flexible than I've been in months. Nothing hurt and so I didn't hold back. Wheel pose twice...I was there. Pigeon...yes, that as well. I pushed myself into crow...or my shaky version of it...for a nano-second. (Trust me, it was no longer than a nano-second.)
I felt like I was in uncharted yoga territory. Wonder if that's where I'm heading in general? Oddly enough for this "play it safe" girl, it felt good...and I felt strong and steady and confident and excited and ready to try new things. So maybe flexibility and new stuff in yoga = flexibility and new stuff in life. Could be exciting...

friday quotation

I seem to be only posting once a week these days...I'm not really sure why. Life is full of all sorts of good and wonderful things and more downtime than usual, but I guess I'm building fires in my fireplace, reading, catching up with friends and on chores, and getting more sleep instead of blogging!
However, if I'm only going to post one thing this week (which appears to be the case), I'm glad it's this.

"The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful."
~Elizabeth Edwards

friday quotation

Need I say more?