Life pockets

Sometimes life seems fluid and easy and sometimes life seems to have pockets. Whether created by us or life itself, these pockets sometimes contain a jumblesale of many things and sometimes the pockets reveal something unexpected. 

Whatever you drift into, it can seriously challenge you in many ways. The trick is to absorb the initial shock of the challenge by pulling that fluidity and ease into the scenario. Some may call it denial, I call it ICE. It stands for Initial Change Equilibrium. It is a chemistry tool used to generate a reverse equilibrium reaction. 

Practically it means to temporarily reverse your reaction to that pocket's impact. 

Say for instance you have a stressful thing to sort out (jumblesale pocket) and normally you would have agonised about how to tackle it, decide to change your approach. See it in a different light, albeit it temporary. 

Decide to smile and wave when an unexpected pocket makes an entrance, in stead of gasping or venting at the unexplainable nature of it all. 

The moment you ICE it or reverse the reaction, your resilience will increase dramatically and create new ways to handle or cope with whatever has landed in your life path. 

That is called equilibrium (balance).... that intrinsic event when you give yourself permission to release yourself from the expected. 

God's got this.

Doing the Stuff

While waiting for a client this morning, I watched the world around me starting a new day. The ocean waves were playing a duet with the hustle and bustle of people and vehicles, doing their stuff. My senses were alerted, enhanced by the mixed aromas of salty air and freshly brewed coffee. 

Doing the stuff implies going about your daily grind, getting through your day as per normal. However, it is the "how" of it that really makes or breaks the daily grind.

Let me explain. Imagine you were a professional clown putting smiles on people's faces every day.  You can either do it with joy in your heart and awe for the result you create, or you can go through the motions completely detached from all emotion. 

All over the world everyone is doing their stuff. Whatever the stuff, at the end of a day they eat, sleep, wake up and repeat. The trick is to look past the stuff for that little spark of awesomeness just waiting to light up your day. 

Imagine what could happen if you gave your mind permission to search for nuggets of awe wherever you are doing the stuff. Blow your mind a little and take that step. 

God's got you. God's got this. 

LIFE

The awe inspiring thing of life is how it cannot be contained. 

Life will fight its way out of the depths of despair. 

Life has an override function without a stop button. It will always go on.

Just watch paralympics for a day to see how strong Life can be. The resilience of the Life coursing through all people's bodies, takes on a new dimension in the face of watching 22 year old Gabriel Araujo from Brazil, win the 100m backstroke without arms,  against 7 others who have arms. Or the 17 year old Sheetal Devi from India shooting a bulls eye in archery using only her feet. 

The Life we have inside us is so powerful, we should be permanently awestruck over its spectacular beauty and prowess. Yet more than half of humanity still fails to recognise this indestructible gift within. Even when Life is destroyed, its voice will still be there. 

Sometimes getting hurt emphasizes the wonder of a healed life, and sometimes the loss of life or a certain part of it triggers the birth of new life. 

Overcoming odds doesn't merely mean survival. It means regeneration of new life never before imagined. 

Allowing yourself to be inspired is the first step. Feel your heart beating in your chest. And know your Life is the biggest gift you have ever received. With or without your brain, it will keep on keeping on. So why not harness it and make it count. One heartbeat at a time. One breath at a time. 

God's got you. And He  definitely has got this. 

All Roads....

Image courtesy of Berdine from @blurpphotography

                         

Ever heard of the proverb "All roads lead to Rome? 

It comes from the Via Appia Antica, otherwise known as the Appian Way, which was the military and economic artery of Rome. 

It is also the road on which Paul walked into Rome.  The road was commissioned by Appius Claudius Caecus and built by hand in 312 bc with interlocked stones onto a leveled gravel bed. 

Imagine having to walk that original 150km to get to Rome. Turning back wasn't an option once your journey takes its course. Those people had to follow through and not be discouraged by the distance or the challenges along the way. 

Turning back wasn't an option because to travel along this way was mostly a conviction and necessity of some sort. It was literally a mission. 

This really puts our life of today in perspective and causes us to sift out what isn't important so we can stick to what is. 

Fresh perspective on life and focus on the important stuff is part of any harrowing or challenging experience we encounter. 

These two things change goals and challenge boundaries, rewarding us with a revitalised and new understanding of everything inside us and around. 

83 Years ago, on 29 October 1941, Winston Churchill said, "This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

Looks like he may have walked a portion of the Appian Way, also discovering that God's got this. 

 

Drama wishes

No matter how long you've been on this planet, somewhere in the timeline you must have wished for something..... anything... even only one exciting/challenging/self-growth cataclysmic event to happen to you.

Meanwhile, you don't notice how many tiny events of note actually do happen. 

In a way, these minor events turn out to be just as cataclysmic as one major event, but because we keep on looking out for that one big one, we miss out on the blessing of what's in front of us.

Of course 2020 did happen and as far as cataclysmic events go, this was definitely up there. But somehow, even in the wake of the abominable virus and its subsequent underground activity causing havoc in all health spheres, the little sparks of joy are still there. 

💦The raindrops on a window pane playing ice hockey in the wind. 

✨The gold dust on a ray of sunshine fighting its way through a misty spell. 

🌊The liquid mercury colour on a dark stormy ocean when a lost shard of light from heaven finds its way onto the swell. 

🐦‍⬛A little footless wagtail negotiating urban terrain while merrily calling 'tseee-chee-chee', followed by a melodic whistle. 

Give your "self" permission to find these high-impact "little" things of joy, it may just be the drama you've been looking for. Einstein was right when he said :

God's most definitely got this too. 

Wired to Inspire

Whoever thought of the word "Wonder" deserves a Bells. It's an incredible word, deserving of a capital letter. 

Inspiration comes where Wonder lingers. Think about it. When you're in awe of something, Wonder is the mantra. 

Oxford Languages describes Wonder as "a feeling of amazement and admiration, caused by something beautiful, remarkable, or unfamiliar; similar word is awe." 

By design, I believe we are wired to inspire. Purely because we have the inert ability to generate Wonder. 

Problem is, our default mode in any situation is our ego related areas of the brain ("self"). Self is always switched on. Except when Wonder walks in. Wonder/awe is known to deactivate our default mode network. 

In other words, the self is a control freak that likes to operate within strict boundaries void of Wonder and awe. Because Wonder is limitless, void of boundaries and cannot be contained. 

BUT..... if self can allow this deactivation, it morphs into a proper humble and quiet diminished form. A form open to the habitation of the God kind. 

This is the science that originates from the greatest Scientist known to mankind, the One who designed humility, peace and selflessness. 

This new science of awe is transforming once you let it in. Dare to open up your spirit, and let the Wonder in. Give yourself permission to find the Wonder in everything the next 24hours, sit back and see how your self goes from control freak to Wonder seeker. 

Effortlessly. 

You are wired to inspire. Stop using the pliers to cut off the Awe current. 

I'm sure God's got this.