The Aha! The Joy of Clarity

I had a moment of such clarity this past Sunday morning that it brought me to tears. It was such a brilliant, clear thought that it completely altered the rest of my day and how I interacted with other people. I experienced such a sense of peace, I felt like I was glowing.

I have a genuine appreciation for moments like this. Usually they come on the end of a time of great contemplation, then you stop thinking and the clarity happens. It's just like when you're trying to remember something and then you stop thinking about it...miracle of miracles...you remember. This usually happens for me in the shower. It's a great place to let your mind wander, your daydreaming time (refer to "The Joy of Daydreaming)

I have had other times like these. Each time I am filled with gratitude for having experienced it. I tell the story to whomever will listen. I have conversations with people all of the time about revelations that they have had. They tell me wonderful stories of the things that have been revealed to them.

One of the beautiful things about hearing other people's moments of clarity is the look on their face. Their eyes sparkle and they have a brightness about them from the fire that was just ignited. The intensity of thought is gone, replaced by a sense of peace & serenity.

When we stay open to change, allowing the energy to ebb & flow as it will, clarity happens. When we let go of trying to control the process, we are blessed with new ideas, bright spots of understanding, a release of an old difficulty. The less we try to hold on to an idea, the easier it comes to you.

What a glorious feeling when you have this moment. It almost feels as though a weight on your brain has been lifted, a tightness in your chest (that you didn't even know was there) finally lets go & you can take a deep breath. It's a release from your center. You even stand taller. You find it easier to smile...

I have this glorious place that I put things on my heart. I call it my intention pocket. If there is something weighing on me...I write it down...tuck it into my pocket & let it go to the Universe. In the past, I have walked labyrinths, spent a great amount of time in prayer, journaled and then burned it. Release your hold on it...the joy of clarity is your gift.

I have an invitation for you instead of an assignment...I invite you to let go. What is weighing on your mind right now? Choose just one thing that you are finally ready to be done with, or a question that you are finally ready to receive the answer to. Remember you must be ready to let go of control...you must be willing to accept whatever answer comes to you. If you've been trying to control it and that hasn't been working...then allow yourself to give this a try. Write it down, put it in an envelope, seal it & let go...when the clarity comes, take a deep breath & smile!

Until next time...

Joyously yours,

Robyn

Peace: The Joy of Inner Stillness

I've been struggling to write these last few days. I've been having difficulty finding just the right words. And for anyone that knows me...that's a very unusual thing for me to admit. I'm always full of words. Sometimes I'm so full of words I journal up to four times in one day!

So, I sat and got very still this morning. What came to me after meditation is that I am at peace. I have lots of things going on right now, but who doesn't? I had a card reading the other day and it said that I would have a lot to juggle, but I would be able to handle it. This says to me that the lack of words isn't from not being able to think clearly. It is a disconnection from my stillness.

So, I got still. And after meditation, I got into this very blissful state and realized my peace. It has given me the ability to release fear in a way that I never thought possible. I was raised to be a well mannered woman. Part of being well mannered means to be considerate of other people's feelings. Sometimes when you're worried about other's perception of you, it can manifest into a need to be perfect. Now, we all know, intellectually, perfection is impossible. However, tell that to my psyche when I've been really honest with someone and I start to worry about their feelings. "Was that mean? Did they understand me? Am I being fair? Maybe I'm wrong... Are they going to tell people that I was mean? Will people believe them? How does my hair look?" (what, it's my psyche?!)

Inner stillness is not something I've been familiar with in the past. In the past, I have generally had a continuous conversation running in my head. I'm not hearing voices...the only voice I hear is my own. It's the voice of fear usually. It's the "what if" that gets me. Ego is a difficult thing to keep in check. And it is ego that keeps that running commentary in our head. It's ego that makes us doubt ourselves. It's ego inflating our fears beyond reason. It is ego that keeps us from our stillness.

I am not going to say that I live in stillness...I am not the Dalai Lama. However, I will say that I have let go of an enormous amount of fear about other people's opinions and it has allowed me to live more in peace. I was able to do this by realizing that other people's opinion of me and my intentions are just that, THEIR opinions. Remember that people generally filter their opinions through their own experiences. They project their own fears on to you. Don't let them!

You are filled with the light of the Divine! Your fear is keeping you from that stillness...the peace that sits within you. It is that stillness that helps stress take your peace. It is the stillness that allows you to have joy when life sends the challenges that are yours to face. Stillness shows on your face.

It is necessary to take time to connect to that stillness. I strive to meditate every morning. This is a gift I give to myself. I start my day this way so that no matter what I face the rest of the day, I will have a moment of peace at the beginning. At times this is the only quiet moment I have in my day and I am grateful. If meditation isn't something that you connect with, sit outside & have a cup of coffee or tea and breathe. Exercise may seem meditative, however, you cannot find stillness while in motion. Do whatever works for you, but by creating a time for this stillness you open the door to release your fear, bringing you ever closer to your peace.

Until next time...I remain

Joyfully yours,

Robyn

Birthday Wishes: The Joy of Celebrating You

I have a birthday coming up. I love birthdays! So often people lament about having a birthday..."I'm getting older..." What?! I say, what a blessing! The gift of being able to get older has been brought home to me very recently...2 young people that I was acquainted with had their lives cut short. When faced with this tragedy, you can either spend all of your time feeling sad or you can be grateful that you are getting more time here.

So, I will turn 44. I like it. I like double digits. And these two numbers added together are the infinite number 8. This is very uplifting for me! Eight is the number of inspiration, vision, perseverance, enormous success & leadership. How could that be bad? I have a great vision of carrying joy to the world...seems as though my year of 8 will be a good year to do it!

Another reason that I like birthdays so much is that they are like your very own holiday. Holidays are about celebrating, spending time with friends & family. When it's your birthday, everyone is celebrating YOU! How awesome is that?! Generally speaking, unless you're a twin, there is no other day in the year that people celebrate just you. The day you were born is just yours...in your circle, there are plenty of people that were also born on the same day. I have a friend that has the same birthday as I do. However, we never had to share our celebration. And I thought it gave us a special bond, because we shared the same date.

Not one day goes by that I am not grateful to wake up and face it. Not every day is a day of happiness, but everyday is a day of joy. When you accept the things in your life as just the things in your life, without letting them take your joy from having a life...that's when you really begin to understand the "Joy of Being You".

You are the only you this world has ever had. Even if there is someone that looks like you, there is still only one you. What a cause for celebration! I say, everyday is a great day to have joy in your existence...however, a birthday is the day everyone else stops celebrating themselves to celebrate you!

What puts a smile on your face? This year I'm camping...for people that have known me for many years, camping seems a little out of character. However, it is really about taking time to enjoy yourself, your friends & family, the gifts of the Universe...when you look at it that way, it is completely in character. My favorites words (other than joy) are hospitality & fellowship = camping...

This year, celebrate you. Enjoy having a birthday. If your birthday has passed...find another day to celebrate...make a day of it...do all of your favorite things, eat all of your favorite foods, spend time celebrating you! Each day is a gift, spend time unwrapping it...

Joyfully yours,

Robyn