Stepping Through the Threshold of 2012
Now that I am back home in Sao Paulo, I have resumed my morning ritual of reflection, and have been contemplating a lesson from “The Book of Awakening” for January 2nd. In it a story is shared about a man who is hell bent on painting his studio; he mixes the paint, gathers the materials he needs, and goes to his studio. As he approaches the doorway, he realizes that with 2 cans of paint in his hands, brush in his mouth, drop cloth under his arm that he can’t open the door. In his stubbornness to put anything down, he tries to open the door with his foot, and ends up falling and spilling his paint, and of course dropping everything anyway.
The lesson asks us to consider putting down what we are carrying to be able to open the next door. It seems I am offered the opportunity to do this time and time again – to put down everything to open the door and then pick up only what is needed to move forward. And often, like now, I fail to do this and try to bring it all with me anyway. Since I have recently found myself laying on the ground, with everything scattered around me, I am asking myself, “What do I need to take with me to go through this door?”
I actually DID put everything down when I moved back to Michigan from California. And I had the opportunity to ask myself this when we first moved to Sao Paulo. But stubbornly I wanted to HURRY and teach Zumba, HURRY and get a life, HURRY and meet people. And I missed an opportunity to contemplate the threshold and take only what I needed.
So here I am.
Since it’s the beginning of the New Year, I am taking this new opportunity to ask and LISTEN to what the answer is – “What do I need to take with me to go through this door?” I’ll let you know what I discover….
Categories: Life in Brazil, Pleasure, Happiness
Tags: new year 2012 contemplation
I love this and how true for all of us to look at. Very eloquent. Happy new year.
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Hi Steph...Excellent. so very true! What IS it about us that wants to rush or hurry everything? Control? Fear of the unknown? Not being comfortable "in the not knowing"? - think that's the one for me. I just was randomly popping some Dove Bar bites. I finally actually took bites to savor instead of devour & I read the little message inside: "Seek out small pleasures" - HA! Like a message in a bottle....I am babysitting Lily today and she is now napping. We played, danced, sang, read books, and then watched some Veggie Tales. I am determined to enjoy her ending babyhood, as she steps into her 19th month and will be de-throned in July when she will have a new baby at her house....Oh, goodness, childhood is SO fleeting! I SO wish we could retain our childlike innocence or at least let our Inner Child come out more...Children are consumed with the NOW. Thank God for Lily, Mirabella, and Scarlett,and of course, Nia. Even in that though, I catch myself just throwing myself into learning each routine. Guess part of it is the tyranny of time....Anyhoo...thanks for sharing, as always. mucho love, Melanie
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I am trying eliminate two questions and one principle:
1. What's in it for me?
2. If it feels good, do it!
3. What's the least I can do?
The above is what I am trying not to take with me as I look for next "doors".
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That's funny, Nes! One of the first principles of Nia is #2 - If it feels good, do it - or the principle of following pleasure vs. pain. I think the key is to determine if it is sustainable pleasure or momentary (i.e. 3 margaritas may seem like a really good idea at the time, but for me it is definitely short-lived pleasure!). I have been cultivating my ability to recognize sustainable pleasure over the past few years...
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It's a very existential position. I think that as human beings we can do better than feeling good. The meaning of life, for me, is not to feel good. It is more along the lines of loving others as I love myself (or as God loves me). If I can achieve that and sustain it, then I will probably feel good. But it is not about me. I am not the center of the universe. And I am OK with that.
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Love it! Was actually talking about this very thing today. Read it to Steve, he loved it as well. Love you!
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I LOVE that book and it was the best Christmas gift I received. Hopefully, one of the things we all will realize before it's too late is that: if you continue to go through life in a hurry you will one day find you missed it. Those little moments, the birds singing,a mama duck herding her babies across the road,that special smile you put on someone's face just by being patient or courteous. Smell the roses and embrace the moments knowing you are the one and only you. That alone makes you special and worth taking the time to stroll and not hurry through this life that goes so fast . Thinking of you always, Vickie
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Thanks so much, Vickie. It's funny, it didn't FEEL like hurrying at the time, but now I see I rushed into creating a new life here in Sao Paulo instead of letting one unfold for me. But that's okay - I now have heard the message loud and clear and can now drop some stuff and take only what I need...
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I love that you wrote about that reflection! I have been thinking about it, too, and sending you thanks since I won that book at one of your last Nia classes in Midland. It can be such a challenge to let go of all of our stuff and allow ourselves to be striped bare of the weight we carry. It is as if we are children holding on to our safety blankets again. But how freeing it can be if we do set down our burdens, worries, unhealthy beliefs and listen for what our inner voice is trying to tell us. Sometimes the Universe helps us by removing our stuff for us.
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