This morning I received an emailed advertisement from Micheal’s with the subject line “Goodbye, winter blues: hello sweet springtime arrivals.” Everywhere we turn we are receiving communication to skip ahead of the current season! In October, stores stock shelves with costumes and candy for Halloween while at the same, advertising for Thanksgiving. Black Friday threatens family time as many scurry off to feast upon the “one great Christmas sale” dancing in their heads. This quickening of our experiences leaves me to question, "If one is encouraged to always eye the 'next great thing,’ how then, do we come to appreciate or glean the lessons from where we are?” Selah (pause and think) moments are essential! Life is not meant to be lived as a run-on sentence. There are gifts to be extracted, even in our seasons of night.
For Micheal’s, a store that this creative absolutely loves, it’s just marketing. But how often are we allowing people to “suggestive sale” things to us? Are your goals and vision your own or are they morphed from the expectations others have for you? If we were to extract from the practices of mindfulness and minimalism, we can grow to understand the true importance of staying present, in the present.
Mindfulness involves acceptance without judgement for the present moment. It invites us to consciously consider our feelings and lived experiences in the here and now. To practice minimalism is to consider what truly serves us. Shedding oneself of excess stuff, value is instead placed on the fullness of ones experiences. Both, in my opinion, allow for selah moments. Both allow questions like,"What do I need right now? What no longer serves me?” They extend invitations to pause, think, consider and to fully engage in the now. The year 2020 is here. If we hope to move forward with a clear vision, perhaps it starts with first opening ourselves to fully engage in the experiences and seasons in which we find ourselves. Healing is not found in masking or skipping forward — in fact, doing either can precipitate more dis-ease. To feel requires vulnerability and vulnerability takes courage. May we all be encouraged to be courageous. I close today's blog with a quote from Shinji Moon, "You are beautiful because you let yourself feel, and that is a brave thing indeed."
May your hope be full!
Tamara