The Warrior

{The following piece is dedicated to one of my oldest and dearest friends. She is my sister, my comrade, my friend. She inspired this...and so it is to her I send my heart ~}

There are Humans who have an innate ability to overcome the most horrific of challenges. They are the kind of Humans who others call Heroes. They are those admirable, courageous, incredibly resilient folks who just won't take no for an answer. They refuse to be intimidated by monsters under the bed. Or physical challenges. Or medical diagnoses. They are tenacious, stubborn, big-hearted warriors. They are rare and beautiful Beings who sometimes need our help...but often will not ask simply because they are unfamiliar with the need to (ask for help).

It is these Humans to whom I offer today's Joy-full meanderings.

You may have spent your life doing good for those you love simply because you could. You may have volunteered to fight fires, patrol neighborhoods, feed the poor, help the elderly, run marathons for charities. You probably never had more than a few moments of doubt in your Self. You have been strength personified. A beacon of light for many lost souls who crossed your path. In all likelihood, you have been self-sustaining and independent throughout your life. Yours has always been the Warrior's Way.

And then....

Something happens. Something so huge that it knocks you off your horse and leaves you lying in the dirt, out of breath and utterly confused. Your life's experiences did not prepare you for this. You never even considered a siege such as this. Totally out of your realm. A monumental Surprise Attack.

As you lie there, wondering what mighty force brought you to your knees, your mind races through the years of weaponry you've accumulated. You try to focus on all those experiences that brought you to victory. You do your best to keep your calm and forgo the panic that hovers just on the edge of your consciousness. You fight with your own fears, even though you've never once voiced them to anyone. You are, for the first time in your life, terrified.

It is in this moment of realization that you come to clarity. You see it all through your Warrior's eyes. There is no clouding in your judgment. The terror begins to wane. The calm begins to return. Your breathing begins to regulate. Your heart beats steadily. Your Warrior returns.

Now is the moment when you see that this battle is merely one more in a lifetime of battles. You realize that there is nothing that can stop you now. Not even the direst of circumstances. Your trusty steed stands waiting. Your hand reaches for the reins, knowing that it is your right to continue on. You have all the tools you need to conquer this enemy. And as these thoughts flood your mind, you can feel the rush of blood coursing through you, urging you to remount and get on with it.

This is the Way of the Warrior. There is no other option. You must because you are.

And that, my friend, is why you are here.

Trust your Warrior. She will not desert you. Trust her strength and her courage and her absolute tenacity.

All-ways.

What's Your Mantra?

Do you have a mantra? Is there a word or phrase that you call up when you get in a tight spot? Do you take time to listen to your heart when it's hurting? Or scared? Or confused?

I'm not talking about sitting in the Lotus position and chanting "Om" for hours every day. Not everybody can go there, even when they think they want to. I admire folks who can do that sorta thing. I'm not one of them. I find sitting very still for long periods of time quite excruciating. Also, I don't think it's necessary for every Being to do such things to find their groove. I think it's more about...

Finding what works for you.

For those of you who've been here a while, you already know that my mantra is

Joy is a choice.

I have used this mantra for many years in order to remind myself that I need not stay anywhere that feels like shit. It's a choice. 

Joy

Happiness

Agony

Despair

All of them, choices.

I'm not saying we won't feel those things sometimes. The sad parts are an important piece of the fabric that makes up what we call "Life". You gotta have some Ick so you'll appreciate the Joy even more than you would without it.

That does NOT mean you have to stay mired in it. 

It just means, you take the so-called good with the so-called bad and once you've seen the contrast, you can move on.

Choices.

So I got to thinking about the choices we make and whether or not we have the tools to make the choices that will most benefit us. Like whether or not to buy that bunch of tulips that make you so happy even though you've only got $23 to your name. Or whether or not to take that puppy home when you're already stretched so tight you don't know how you're going to put gas in your car. Or accepting an invitation from someone you barely know. Or getting rid of all those clothes you haven't worn in years. 

These are minuscule, you might think. But maybe not so much. Maybe it is precisely these kinds of choices that make our lives joyful .... or NOT. Maybe it is the little things that matter most. Maybe, just maybe, if we have some kind of mantra to carry around with us, we will stop for those three seconds and think about how whatever choice we're faced with makes us feel.

When I wrote Whispers, I didn't realize just how much I relied on my Intuition. I wrote the book as an exercise for my Self. A way to review the magick of my Life so I could remember just how blessed I really am. By the time I was finished, I saw that even the horror that I was facing at that time could not diminish the truly marvelous path I had taken. 

In short, it was the beginning of a brandy new way for me to live.

Hence, the mantra.

Joy is a choice.

Yes. And I do believe that if you don't have one (a mantra, that is), it might behoove you to find one that suits. It doesn't have to be "holy". It doesn't have to be "deep". It could be as simple as TRUST or STOP or YES. But whatever it is, it would be there to remind you that your life is your own; the choices you make are yours. Nobody lives in your skin. And nobody gets to tell you what you "should" or "shouldn't" do, or be, or say. 

Mantras are cool like that.

So....

What's your mantra?

YOU First!

Not sure how it happened, but somehow I've gone from daily postings to .... weekly???!!! What the...#!%@??? Well...a few things have shown up that suddenly slapped me awake. One of them being that I finally saw just how much some of those 'social networks' can really mess with your whole groove. It gets to be this kind of addiction...like you have to check in and see who's got what going on. Something else? It is SO not me. I've never been into ongoing dramas or soap operas or the latest gossip crap. So what's with the social network thang?, I asked myself. And sooooo....

I've taken a good, honest look at a whole bunch of stuff. Rather than being all harsh and impatient with myself, I've chosen to be gentle about it. Just have a look, Honey. Don't be pointing fingers or chastising yourself. Just have a look.

There was a time when this kind of observation was impossible for me. I was far too judgmental about it. And wayyyyyyy too hard on myself. No longer. Nowadays, I have made the promise (to myself) to be "impeccable with my word".

{Aside: from the book, "The Four Agreements", by Don Miguel Ruiz. Pretty cool stuff. And a super short read. Take what you will, and leave the rest.}

Being impeccable with one's word is all about being KIND to one's self. Being as gentle with one's self as you might be with an infant. Gentle. Loving. Kind. Patient. Using your words to love who you are...and then (you can) love the rest of the world. Your words have so much power. I've known this for eons. And I've said it in at least a hundred articles/postings/etc. over the course of the last several years. Here it is again:

Your words are your WAND.

Many of us have no trouble at all being kind to others. Some folks find it easier to be kind to strangers, but not so much to those closest to them. Another one of those things I've never really understood. But that's not the point. The point is, most folks find it pretty easy to be kind to anyone but themselves. And that, my friend, is one very good lesson to learn. There is far too much contradicting energy going on when we are kind to others but not ourselves. Kinda gives me this image of one of those big score boards....where points get cancelled out. Kind of a negation of good deeds. What I'm trying to say (albeit in a back-assedward kinda way) is that you must start your kindnesses with YOUR SELF. It's not about being narcissistic. It's about HONORING the YOU that is you. It's about filling your own cup so you can fill someone else's. It's about putting the oxygen mask over your face so you'll be conscious to put one over your child's face.

YOU FIRST.

This is a very challenging lesson for many. It's been one of my biggest. And I was always pretty self-centered (as a child. Me. Me. Me.). But I didn't know the difference between "getting my way" and "serving myself". There's a mighty big difference between the two, ya know?

So then...the result of all this investigating is this:

I WILL write daily. Because I love to write. Because it serves others. Because it is what makes me feel that I'm using the gifts I have been bestowed and wish to honor those gifts. I shall no longer disrespect the time I've been granted to use these gifts. And I will honor who I am...right now and into the days that come...because I DO matter.

And so do YOU.

'nuff said.

2010....WOWZA!

A brandy new year...and the start of a new decade. Funny how just one second can make all the difference, huh? I've always thought the whole New Year's Eve thing was kind of goofy. I mean..it's just one second. But somehow it seems to matter. To a whole lotta folks. It's the dawning of a new year, which must mean that all manner of new things can occur. And for some, it does.

On the other hand...why must we wait until this one second interval to make anything new? Why must we hold off until the start of a new year to make whatever changes we wish to make? Why do we not do this every single morning?

It seems to me that every morning we awaken is a new beginning. There is an adage:

"With every new day, a new story begins."

I LOVE that.

I keep posted on my bathroom mirror. Every morning, when I walk in there to brush my teeth...there it is. And it ALWAYS makes me smile. Because, for me, it's absolutely true. Every single day, a new story begins. And it's up to me to write that story. Starting with the moment I open my eyes...until I lay myself down to rest. And if I've managed to touch the life of even one person in the smallest way, I have lived a good story for that day.

I realize that there are many who find this sort of thing a bit...annoying. How in the world can anyone be so danged cheerful all the time? Is she on crack, or whut?

Nope. Not on crack. I just made the choice to be happy, regardless of what's going on. Regardless of bumps in the road (which are inevitable), regardless of financial distress or physical impairments or boneheaded fools. Regardless of whatever is going on, it's my choice to either be happy...or not. Even when things seems to be impossibly, ridiculously challenging. Even when somebody gets on my last nerve. Even when the pain is so intense it seems I won't be able to breath. No matter. I get to choose:

Will I let this make me miserable or will I breath my way through it, trusting that this, too, shall pass?

I offer this up, yet again, as this new year begins because I think it's essential to live one's convictions. I believe, with all my Being, that we are here to live joyous, exhilarating lives. I believe we ALL have tremendous, marvelous gifts that can change the world...one person at a time.

So whether you just let someone step ahead in line at the grocery store, or you open a door for someone about to walk in at the same moment, or you simply smile at a stranger...just cuz....you have NO IDEA how much of an impact that little gesture may have on a person's day. Don't underestimate this. It matters.

And so do YOU.

I wish you the most bountiful, healthy, prosperous, happy, incredibly splendid year of your life.

Really.