do
November 17, 2008Oh my gosh. This morning I woke up to powdered sugar rooftops and the whole world outside my window looking like a giant snow globe that’s just been shaken up. Just gorgeous! (I haven’t seen snow since we moved to SC two years ago and I forgot how much I love it.)
Anyway, this week I am officially declaring “DO” week. I feel like I’ve been kind of spinning my wheels lately. Thinking and reading a lot about this lifestyle that I want to achieve. All the things I wish were a part of my life or “somehow fit into my busy schedule”. But I have not actually gotten my nose out of the books or the internet to DO IT. To take action and make it a reality.
I read something (can’t remember where) a while back that said: if your goal is peace, but you do things that are not peaceable — you know that your true goal was not peace. But if your goal truly is peace, everything you do will keep peace in your highest priority… your highest mind. (I’m majorly paraphrasing here. You get the gist of it, right?)
Well. I’m done solely reading about it all. I’m done thinking about it. And I’m ready to just do. I’m done busying myself with other things. Filling up all the nooks and crannies of my life with things that don’t matter so much. And I’m ready to be responsible for those nooks and crannies instead.
What am I talking about? For me: infusing spirituality/simplicity/serenity/joy/love/awe into my life (how’s that for easy goals? hee): a daily meditation practice (I only do it when I “feel” like it, which is hardly ever). A home yoga practice (I have not dedicated myself to this yet.) Going out in the mornings for a walk before I lose myself in my work. Experimenting with personal art again. Doing projects for me (and you!). Taking time to tackle “The Big To Do” list that I’ve created for myself. (Includes some not so fun stuff like book-keeping, but hey — that’s been hanging over my head.) And more… lots more ideas that I have about how to achieve these goals! (But I’m trying to only bite off what I can chew for now.)
And I’m declaring this post as a way to hold myself accountable. If I shout it from the mountain tops, I better follow though, huh? :)
So I’m ending this post and bundling up in my new winter coat (that accommodates the mongo-prego-belly) and my snow pants, and I’m starting.
Hoo-rah!
November 17th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Hey P!
Excellent post and I’ve been feeling the same way! Love to read Yoga Journal…but gotta do the poses, too! Remember to be easy about it all - reading and research is an important piece of getting there.
Love your blog and your work - very inspiring to me!
Best, C
November 17th, 2008 at 11:13 am
cute cute phrase, mongo prego belly:)
I know the ‘book-keeping hanging over your head’ feeling also.
Peace and joy to you, the next few months are going to be the quietest months of your life :)
November 17th, 2008 at 11:14 am
One of my favorite quotes from Buddism is
“One doesn’t try to tie their shoe, one simply ties their shoe.”
November 17th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
I simply love this post, and am sharing in your joy over the powdered sugar snow you receive this morning. I love winter and hope we get some sugar here soon too!
November 17th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Great post Penny, I would love some snow over here. Yoga got me through the pregnancy, lots of cat stretches help an overloaded back. I would recommend trying to get lots done before the baby arrives. Its true what they say about not having time to do much apart from caring for the little one. At the same time get lots of extra sleep.
November 18th, 2008 at 9:44 am
penny, you are perfect just as you are right now in this moment. i don’t know that there is a place one arrives to that lingers and feels distinctly like an idea of peace, but perhaps it arrives in moments of acceptance that everything is as it should be. momma zen would know.
:) loving your journey and learning from you.
xo p
November 19th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
go Pen-ny, go Pen-ny, go Pen-ny!
and i’ll be your cheerleader, cause i know what you’re talking it’s a choice really, and that’s what you’re talking about. nothing ‘wrong’ with the way life is without these things, but it’s true for me that life including these sacred pieces is how i want to live. you’ll ‘do’ it cause you want it so much. and soon it’ll become just how you live and you’ll wonder what life was like before….just like life after your little girl arrives. xoj