of energy retreat like the sun in a painted twilight sky. This constant depletion of our reserves affects every aspect of our being.
How can we remain healthy and strong when the energy that supports our physical, mental, and emotional health is incessantly stripped away? How long before this imbalance knocks us so hard to the ground that we cannot possibly rise again and are left feeling unsheltered and vulnerable, like naked stones on a windswept slope?
Our spirit aches for a comforting embrace. We hope and pray for some remarkable event to suddenly create more time and space in our hectic lives, thus enabling us to finally look after ourselves. But how long do we think we can wait for that?
The reality is, we should not wait, and we need to pay attention to ourselves right now. We must decide we are worth taking care of today, and look at our life honestly so we can acknowledge those parts of ourselves we are neglecting. Which areas are starved for attention?
Our mind, body, and spirit long for loving sustenance, but we must slow down before we can hear their plea. If we do not take the time and energy to provide this nurturing comfort for ourselves today, it is entirely possible that we will be forced to put in the time and energy later to heal our stressed and diseased bodies, or deal with an emotional breakdown. The problem with waiting until we’ve “hit the wall” is that by then it may be too late. Do we really need to hit bottom before we learn this valuable lesson?
Many of us are so conditioned to racing around in this marathon called life that we may not even know how to begin the process of finding balance. Fortunately, this is not difficult to do, and only requires the one thing we have been doing since the day we were born—breathing. Breathing is something we do not give much attention to, but it is the first and best step to slowing down and allowing our mind, body, and spirit to mesh into wholeness.
It sounds easy, and it is, but it takes conscious effort on our part. Try it now. Close your eyes. Focus on your breathing. Concentrate on how cool and crisp the air feels in your nose as you inhale. Notice how it changes to warm and moist as you exhale. If your mind wanders, gently redirect your thought back to your breathing. Repeat the exercise several times.
If we can manage even five minutes every day to do this little breathing exercise, our mind will eventually recalibrate into stillness. The habit of maintaining our scattered thoughts, built up from years of frantic activity, will begin to subside, and the mind will create spaces of sweet calm and serenity. It is within these spaces that our authentic self will have the clarity to compose its unique song. Becoming more mindful of our breath not only envelops us in the tranquility of the moment, but also helps to reinforce the connection at the core of who we are—our physical, emotional, and spiritual being. This is the way God intended us to be. The stronger the connection between mind, body, and spirit, the more stable and secure we will feel.
There are many opportunities and techniques we can use to achieve a more balanced and harmonious life, and discovering what they are is something that each individual will come to on their own. Anything that helps us quiet our thoughts—reading, walking in nature, listening to music, sitting quietly by ourselves—will benefit us, help us find balance, and enrich our connection with God.
Each life is as unique and remarkable as spring raindrops, and because no two are alike, finding solutions in creating spaces of calm will be different for each of us. The important factor here is to at least begin the process of nurturing our beautiful being, regardless of how much time we can devote to it right now. And as we learn to care for our mind, body, and spirit, our nimble steps on life’s path will become more courageously defined and secure. Life will take on more flavor because we will have the time and energy to savor each hour of each blessed day.
Naturally, the more balanced we are in our lives, the more everyone around us will benefit. And what a wonderful, selfless gift that would be for our loved ones if they can learn from our example and give themselves permission to take care of themselves.
Thank you, brave, soft little Prairie Crocus for showing us the importance of having balance in our lives.
Shooting Star
Spring is well underway. Baby animals are appearing all over the countryside while their anxious mothers hover nervously nearby. New leaves are sprouting from awakening trees, painting the horizon a brilliant lime green. A light breeze slips silently through the azure sky, caressing my cheek with the softness of a downy feather.
Springing up from the tender loam where I am standing is a Shooting Star, stretching with all its might and resolve towards the glorious heavens. Vivid pink-colored petals lay back from bright-yellow, tube-like stamens. The stem is a delicate pale-green thread, surrounded by several lance-shaped leaves at its base. This little blossom looks so precious as it reaches up into the warm embrace of the sky.
How many times have I made a wish after catching a fleeting glimpse of a shooting star as it blazed across the night sky, and searched my heart for what I most desired at that point in time. I have wished for so many things, dreamed of so many things. And although I cannot say all my dreams and wishes have come true, I still believe it is so very important to continue to have these yearnings, to dream and set goals for the future we desire for ourselves.
Where would we be if we stopped dreaming? What would our world look like? Dreams are not silly, insignificant thoughts to be dismissed when the blinding light of reality descends. They are very important to our overall well-being. I cannot imagine that our species would have evolved as it did if people stopped pursuing their dreams. Sometimes it is even enough to simply have the dreams, and to let our sentimental thoughts slip into a world of fantasy where we set the pace and make the rules. These dreams are fun and nourishing to our soul. They are like mini-vacations of the mind—there to enjoy and bring us pleasure.
However, there are some dreams that do not belong in the fantasy world, and should be brought into the light of day where they can be turned into reality. Of course, this then requires setting goals whereby if the dream is the vision, the goal is the tangible outcome of that vision. If the dream is to be a teacher, then the goal is to get an education degree and land a teaching job. If the dream is to swim alongside a giant tortoise, the goal is to save enough money to take a trip to the Galapagos Islands.
Because turning dreams into reality is not always easy, many will not even attempt to pursue their heartfelt yearnings. Instead, they perceive all the obstacles in the way and give up before they even get started. There are those who are just not up to putting in the time and effort to pursue their dreams, and some will begin, but then lose heart and decide there’s no point in continuing.
No one ever said achieving a dream was easy. In fact, most people who are living their dreams today had to go to great lengths to get there, and put in a lot of work, time, and energy before they achieved their goals. Many even had to make tremendous sacrifices. We usually just see the end result of their labors, and then desire that for ourselves. We do not always see and appreciate the long and sometimes arduous journey they had to travel in order to make their dreams a reality.
It can be extremely difficult to muster up the strength to turn the dream of being a teacher into a reality when one is a single parent with a full-time job and a Grade 10 education. But regardless of where we are in life at the moment, in order to turn our dream into a reality we need to first believe we deserve it, and that we have what it takes to achieve it. Once we know this, once we have that belief in ourselves and know that God is ever present to guide us, the next step is researching what it will take to turn that dream into a reality.
What is the first step? What is the first goal that needs to be achieved? When we look at the expanse
