Dawn's Doorway…

Just Observing You …JOY

Take a “ride” each day and Just Observe You...what makes you smile, what makes you laugh, what touches your heart?

It’s important to find joy, because it can balance an otherwise overloaded life.   We get so busy, distracted, focused on work,  spending time on social media, or any number of things, that we can forget the joy.

It’s too easy to get bogged down in what goes wrong and not spend enough time on the good.  Acknowledging this helps lighten our heart and goes back to something I stress often – being grateful for the little things.

I bet on your way to work or the grocery store, you could spot several things that fill you with a sense of awe.  The trees blossoming (or falling leaves) during the change of another season…the passing car with a driver singing at the top of their lungs…your child who utters a comical observation…these all have the capacity to bring us joy if we let them.

The more we can do this observing, the more contented we’ll be…and that makes for a wonderful life.

 

 

 

 

 

Research your own development!  Anything that enriches you and helps you grow, put some time into it…whether you want to read up on it, talk to others, do your research.  There are so many choices out there, and only you can decide which method works for you.

Whether you follow the philosophies of the Law of Attraction (that will be a separate post), Wayne Dyer, Esther Hicks, Louise Hay, Kyle Cease, Mike Dooley, Marianne Williamson, Joe Vitale, Tony Robbins (the list is endless)…as long as you feel better about yourself & your life, then you’re on your way!

Follow your own path – you’ll know it when you feel it, or you’ll actually FEEL it when you KNOW it.

This doesn’t mean the road ahead is rosy…there will be thorns…hell, I’m still scraping my elbows on them…but I’m motoring through, because the alternative spells another defeat for me, and I won’t admit defeat anymore.  It doesn’t serve me or my peace of mind.

Continue reading “Research & Development”

Unfortunately, we now live in a world where no one takes responsibility anymore.  It’s a true detriment to healing, and that’s a shame.  We are responsible for ourselves — how we feel, how we act, and how we react.  These are all choices we make, whether consciously or unconsciously.  The sooner we ‘fess up to this, the better.

True healing ‘begins at home.’  When we put in the work and reflect on what triggers us, we can start to dig deep & take those baby steps toward change.  It may be painful, but working through that hurt will walk us forward to a better life.

I’ve had to do this…it isn’t easy, but it gets to a point where NOT doing so is worse than continuing to live each day in misery…for myself & those in my orbit.  It isn’t fair to bring loved ones down with you.  It’s a struggle each day to pinpoint — “why is this making me so mad?”  or “why does this make me want to cry?”

Once we find that source, we can thank it for stopping by & bringing something to our attention. We don’t have to wallow in it, but look it in the eye & choose how to handle it.  We can think, “ah yes, this reminds me of when I was 10 and my best friend didn’t want to play with me anymore,” or “this reminds me of how I felt when my brother came home with an A and my parents fell all over him.”

Take the reins, and realize that now you can handle these feelings and begin to walk toward the sun, rather than shrinking back into the shade.

 

Are you chained by burdens of obligation?  Feeling weighed down by family, friends, work, or some other requirement that leaves your shoulders heavy?

I’ve done something drastic, which I don’t recommend unless you’ve put serious thought into it…I had to break away from a toxic relationship.  It happened out of nowhere, when years of  pent-up rage & wounds bubbled up to the surface and refused to quell anymore.  In a moment of weakness (or perhaps untapped strength), it all came tumbling out.

Not exactly the way to do so, or how I would have planned it, but it happened…as a result, we’re no longer speaking.  Oddly enough, immediately after the incident, I remember telling my husband how utterly relieved I felt!  My shoulders were lighter, my soul was free.

As days passed, naturally the old guilt came back…did I do the right thing?  Should I apologize?  For me, there’s no going back.  Not for now.  At some point, there comes a time when it’s kinder to yourself to push away toxicity & no longer allow it.

When you’re on a journey, as I am, for personal growth & peace, it doesn’t help to have non-supportive people around.  They can only drag you down into the mud, and once you’re finished with the mud wrestling, it no longer serves you to jump back in.

This doesn’t mean I don’t long for the relationship to have improved, but if other people aren’t even open to serious discussion, you might as well be talking to a cactus.  So I must accept this & do some soul searching.  I’m trying…one day at a time, I focus on the betterment of myself.  I can lean on those who do support me, and I’m grateful for that.

We all have them…those little backslides where we fall out of a newly-formed habit.  We want to improve our lives, so we set an intention, but have trouble following through.

What to do when this happens…hmmm…we could go full force and just say ‘the hell with it,’ OR we can motor on, brush ourselves off, and forge ahead.

What’s the alternative?  Giving up & being miserable?  Feeling like you failed yet again?  I say NO…I say JUMP!

Get back on the horse, or the bike, or the trolley…you have another moment — and then another — to take control.  Show it who’s boss!  It’s your life, and you’re going to do it!

It’s all about the mindset, and if you shift it ever so slightly, you’ll find that you’re stronger than you thought.  You can emerge the victor in your own story…I’ll be waiting for you on the other side

Does jealousy rear its ugly head in your world?  Do you envy others?  Do you often think the ‘grass is greener’ somewhere else?

It’s common and understandable, but in actuality, the grass is never greener.  Someone has that fancy car you covet, or their house is bigger than yours, or someone else is always going on extravagant vacations…

We never know what’s behind the curtain…they could be up to their eyes in debt, or their spouse is a real jerk when nobody else is around.

We all have issues.  There’s no better example than the rash of celebrities who’ve committed suicide.  It’s no joke…it proves we are all human.  We have demons, no matter how much money we may have or what kind of car we drive.

The outer shell may look shiny, but the inside could be as withered as a week-old rose.  Instead of comparing ourselves to others, we need to peer into our own lives & be grateful for what we do have.  The more we can do that, the more it will generate good things to be grateful for. 

I’ve been working hard on this one myself.  Every time I see something that makes me feel good, I say “thank you” aloud.  Whether it’s the beauty of watching a squirrel hanging off my ‘squirrel-proof’ bird feeder, or acknowledging that I’m still breathing with life, I say ‘thank you.’ 

Start with the simple things, and you’ll find more & more…it will open up your world to new possibilities, and that jealousy monster will fade to black….

 

She’s alone on the beach … she comes here each day, just after sunrise while it’s still deserted.  No distractions…just the gentle sound of the surf…watching a lone seagull get its feet wet as the tide rolls in.  She smiles as he skitters through the damp sand.  Ahhh…to be a bird that can fly high above and feel the wind under its wings…how free.

Can she do the same?  Can she fly above the fray and leave all the fractures behind?  So much pain, sadness, and loss for things she longed for that will never be….

She could walk away from it all and head toward the sunshine…it’s much more inviting and nurturing…people are there that love & support her…people she loves in return.  Perhaps they can be her salvation in this new journey…

She stands, brushes the sand from her dress, and smiles.  She follows the bird, still waddling…he spies her from the corner of his eye and almost gives her a nod as if to say, “Follow me”….He’s going to take her to a safe place to land…..

                …… to be continued