Wednesday, August 28, 2013

5 years! 5 Lessons!



Simply Spirituality is turning 5 years old!!!!

Wow!  Can you believe it?  When I started this blog five years ago, I thought there would be 6 or 7 posts!  Here is it 60 months and about that many posts later...... hard to believe!  A special thank you to those who have both been with me on this journey and to those who have joined us along the way!  

To celebrate this birthday - I wanted to re-run a post from the 2nd birthday where I shared some of the things I have learned from writing this blog over the years.  Though each of these could be a post in themselves.... here they are briefly:

1- Release the outcome - applied to the blog - never click the "post" button until I have no attachment to how people react to the post.  This is an internal shift ..... it is NOT about not caring.... because I care deeply about this blog.  Non-attachment means more that no matter how someone reacts to what I have written, it is OK!  That is because I know I have written a post that is "true" for me and coming from the best place I can today.... then it  does not matter if someone does not like it.  It just is not true for them, today.... and that is OK too!  (But comments are still great!!)  ; )  
  
A simple way you can apply this in your own life - don't attach to what someone else thinks about your clothes, your house, or car.  You can take it further by not attaching to what someone else thinks about you personally.  Try it with something small..... feel the freedom in it... and then try it with something bigger.  Remember that if someone does not like your car, that is a statement about them and their preferences, not about you.

Taking this idea one step further, and possibly more challenging, it also means not attaching to it when someone DOES like what I've written.  If someone likes my shoes, again it is a statement about their particular shoe preference, not about me.  Maybe you can try not attaching to even the positive comments.   

2 - Trust - in the beginning I thought I would share a few ideas ... maybe covering 6 or 7 posts.  My intuition  has always said.... post a solid, useful, post about once a month.  I have stayed in trust about that and it has always happened as it was meant to happen!  

A simple way you can apply this in your life - trust your own internal feeling about something.  Don't look to or wait for confirmation from someone else.  The post titled Road Maps of Life touches on this a bit more.  

3 - Take ACTION!  Or MOVE when the spirit moves me! The moment I get inspiration for a post, I WRITE!  I used to think that I would be able to remember it... but not so!  At least not with the same initial intensity and energy.  If I don't have either a computer or paper, anything I can write on will do.... I've used napkins in a restaurant before and the back of a picture. 
  
A simple way you can apply this in your life - how many times have you had a flash of insight or some sort of inspiration only to allow your brain to discount it or talk you out of it.  Usually in a matter of 2 or 3 seconds.  At the very least, write the idea down and consider doing it over the next day.  Is there some small action you can take towards doing it?

4 - Speak and act from the truest place you can in the moment.  I only post those things I know as Truth for me.  I do not ask them to be truth for you.  If something resonates with you, great!  Try it out in your own life... if not, that is fine too.  Explore what is true for you! 
    
A simple way to begin applying this in your own life - check out, internally, what you are about to say.  How does it feel?  Does it feel congruent with your internal beliefs?  Also, don't say something is "ok' if it is not.  If someone asks you to do a favor, like babysit their kids, and it is not convenient..... don't say, "OK."

5 - Take time for stillness!  Stillness is like "magic" that opens up creativity.  Not just in writing or arts.... but in practical every day life.  It helps solve problems, comes up with something fun for the kids to do.....  a new method of washing the dishes.... or a new route to the store!  Here is a link to a  simple stillness exercise you can try yourself!  See if you too can be, "Constantly amazed by the blades of the fan on the ceiling..." as the Jimmy Buffet song says!  Enjoy!

Click here for the Stillness Exercise.

Until next month...
Keep it simple!
Penelope