The Best Gifts

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

 

When true simplicity is gained,

To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed,

To turn, turn will be our delight,

Till by turning, turning we come 'round right."

 

Simple Gifts by Joseph Brackett

http://www.marthastewart.com/274852/christmas-lights/@center/307034/christmas-workshop#/168867

 
The Holidays are upon us. This favorite time of year can easily tip into overwhelming. So much to plan, do and spend. One of my favorite songs, especially this time of year, is Simple Gifts. I need a reminder to slow down and enjoy the change of pace winter can bring. I am carrying over the gratitude focus from Thanksgiving into Christmas. Join me in opening the gifts already bestowed upon us during this beautiful season.

Simple Gifts... notice the original lyrics focus on "the gift" not "a gift", as it's been rendered in recent times. Shakers believed their faith was the supreme gift (credit), to sing about the gift was a reference to faith, a big difference one word can make. While I don't purport to be a Shaker, I believe each one of us are infused with an overflowing abundance of gifts, none of which need be purchased. With faith we see that we have all that we need. 

I love the idea of being simple and free, together. Perhaps one necessarily leads to the other. When we simplify, we promote freedom. When we are free, we are more likely to live simply. What does simplicity mean to you? I have four tenants to simple living:

1. Working smarter not harder. It's too easy to run circles throughout my day moving from one random activity to another, I'd much rather take the time to plan routines that both nurture my family and me and tackle my to-do list. I call these small yet significant decisions upgrading. One example, I delegate chores to the kids and pay them- they learn the value of work (for money I would have shelled out anyway, shhh) and I don't have to spend as much time cleaning. Win-win!
2. Consuming and shopping less. Staying out of stores leaves me more time, energy and you guessed it...money. I ask myself, do I need this or do I just want it? Will I still like this a year from now, or will it be clutter? I plan Christmas shopping carefully and within a budget, ideally  months in advance. I hand-craft gifts from the heart.
3. Consciously letting go of that which is holding me down- outgrown activities, toxic relationships, bad habits and clutter. I listen to my inner voice. If I have a bad vibe about something I let it go immediately. Physical clutter leads to mental clutter, it is the ultimate depression producer, toss toss.
4. Being picky about activities to which I commit myself. I've gotten better at saying no with love. I remember where my heart is, what brings me joy: family, fitness, spirituality, friends, solitude. I keep the important areas of my life in focus. I have given up trying to be everything to everyone.

Freedom necessarily supports simplicity. I am free to be myself without trying to conform to any complex standard. I am free to reject aspects of our predominant culture that don't fit with my values. My spirituality contributes immeasurably to my freedom. By trusting that God has a plan for me, I am free of fear and worry. I know I am exactly where I need to be. I am free because I feel unconditionally loved, I'm never alone. And the ultimate freedom- limits are removed from what I can accomplish because I believe that with faith, everything is possible.   

Simple Gifts was created as a dance accompaniment, to 'turn' is dance call. I like the idea that turning, bowing and bending connote change. We turn and come around right, we learn, grow and come to the conclusion after trial and error the importance of simplicity and freedom. We are flexible and open to the wisdom life has to offer. Change is embraced as we search for the lesson it offers.

How would it feel to live your life from the perspective that you are gifted? You are not without, lacking, insufficient or needing. You contain gifts within you by simple reason that you are alive and reading this now. Is the hustle-bustle obscuring your joy? Remember that you are enough, you do enough, and you have... enough.

Tell me, how are you going to carry the message of this sweet song into your life during this holiday season?

You Are Prepared

"You are not defined by your past,

you are prepared by your past."

 

-Joel Osteen

 

 

 

You cannot know what you are being prepared for, plain and simple, but I know it's great. What you are experiencing today, or have been through yesterday, may be the exact circumstance needed to propel you to unimaginable heights that would have been impossible otherwise. Coping with adversity gives us the opportunity to:

• develop skills that bring us closer to our one true purpose,
• meet amazing people who come into our lives just when we need them most and change us forever,
• learn what we are made of through perseverance and rely on new-found strength,
• cultivate faith and watch fear take a flying leap.

You don't have to live your life from the viewpoint of a victim any longer, you are merely being prepared.

 

While we can't see the process as it's unfolding- in other words, in the midst of difficulty we can't always identify the good that will result- we can trust that we are exactly where we are supposed to be at every moment. You have what you need to move forward, so keep going sisters and brothers.

 

I recently shared with a friend the frequency of my family moves as a child, on average every two to three years. At every new school, I was often singled out, made fun of, picked on and criticized for being different. At each juncture, I left behind close friends and familiar  surroundings accompanied by many tearful good-byes. While I wouldn't wish for anyone to have the same experience, I learned a great deal from having to adapt many times over. As an adult I intuitively know how to create a quick community of loyal friends out of necessity, I am friendly and empathetic to a fault because I've been on the receiving end of left-out, I have a grand appreciation and love of nature because of all the beautiful places I've lived (so hard to pick a favorite, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming...), I am self-confident because I've learned that I decide my self worth, not the bully down the street. The experience of being uprooted over and over provided me with depth of character, perhaps my biggest asset. I've benefited in more ways than I can even begin to list.

 

Our past does not ever limit us in what we can achieve. We cannot use any particular adversity as an excuse for not pursuing what we are being called to do. Quite the opposite, I believe in cultivating gratitude for our challenges, for we wouldn't be who we are today without them.

 

What difficulties have you faced and how have you grown because of them? What are you doing now that would have been impossible without a particular challenge? Do you have the courage to trust that you are being prepared each and every day?

 

If you lived your life from this simple premise- I am being prepared and not defined... what then becomes possible for you, my friend? 

 

I know the answer... everything. 

The First Step

"Faith is taking the first step when you don't see the whole staircase."

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

A topic that has been on my mind is the idea that we can be our own worst enemies. If I live from a place of fear, I live a small life. If I play it safe, I keep myself busy with the mundane and fail to pursue my dreams. I do this because I want to control my environment, if it's small, I can stand in one place and see all of it. This smallness is comfortable, safe, it offers a baby blanket-like security. 


Stepping into the unknown involves risk, it involves being in an unfamiliar environment, coping with change. We tell ourselves stories about the unknown, that it probably won't be any better than our current situation, that it will have it's own challenges, which might be harder, that it will involve a super-human amount of work, and in the end may not be worth the effort. 


I'm ready to be uncomfortable and do the work it takes to grow into the my best authentic self. I'm ready to squash the fears and live what's inside of me. I know it won't be easy, and that's okay.


Welcome to my blog. I'm taking the first step to discovering bliss today, are you?