Growth is not a straight line but a spiral. Each phase brings its own wisdom. Often, I go from one thing to the next without pausing in between. I have a good deal of inward motivation, which is wonderful; however, rest is just as important as action. Today, I finished a week's run of earrings and was preparing to start more when my inner voice sent me a message to stop and rest. I have a very full weekend, and a little anxiety stands just off stage waiting for me to giv

I can hear an old cowboy song running through my head, "Listen to the wind, wonder what he's sayin, see that willow bend, everything is swaying". It seems appropriate since I have all my windows open and a lovely breeze is blowing. However, that is not what inspired the title. I struggle a lot with what I thought was emotional instability, the up and down, back and forth. It seems like I can't keep anything still. But, as I think about it, everything we call stationary i

At this moment, I am mulling over all the ramifications of centuries of misogyny women have endured and how it affects me directly. A sensation of finally having friends and people who welcome me in, grieve with me, and encourage me washes over me, but also brings with it sadness at how much time I lost to abuse. As my mind grows ethereal, I wonder why I couldn't have had the friendship of these beautiful people earlier in life. I keep seeing quotes about how humans have

Today is an exercise in staying centered. I have a new roof being installed, so there is a great deal of noise and strangers in my yard. I noticed that I started to come out of myself and started trying to mentally fix the situation when there was nothing to fix. I also noticed that my son began to put up shields against the noise, headphones, and movies to block out sound, staying close to people who feel safe. As I try to settle myself and stay present, I reassure my he

Those are the words that went through my mind yesterday. My doctor had a long talk with me about ignoring my spinal condition. He told me it's a miracle I'm still functioning, but that it wouldn't stay that way. I need to get the surgery now. Well, I can't seem to get hired anywhere, and the insurance my husband provides doesn't cover very much. An idea came to me to do a fundraiser, so I started one. The surprising thing is that the feeling of overwhelm was not about t

The phrase my truth has been used in many ways, but I feel like it is supposed to signify that what may be true for one person is not for another. I believe in that and have experienced it for myself. While the words notice your surroundings are true, they are not for me. You see, I am a super sensor already, and the last thing I need is to be more observant. I carry an enormous amount of anxiety as it is, and that would literally be wrong for me. Beyond that, what is it

So often, while I am coaching ice skating, I help people confront fear. One of the first things I address is falling. I talk about how to direct a fall and how to get back up. After that, I help the skaters slide down to the ice and get back up. This deals with multiple issues: embarrassment, fear, and doubt. We have named the struggle, taken control, and then shown ourselves that we are capable of recovery. The next thing I handle is movement. Some students step on the

Among the things that make me happy is my beading. As I made this particular item , I couldn't identify what I loved so much about it. They remind me of many things, hanging plants of a variety I couldn't quite bring into focus. So, I just started making them. My mind wandered to herbs hanging up to dry and the String of Pearls hanging plant. "What do I name them?", I thought. Then a memory from my childhood came to me. I was eight years old and visiting family in Colo

Today, I made some nectar and put out my hummingbird feeder. Every year, my little families return and nest in my dear old trees. My garden is made up of plants that flower in each season, and they are purposefully chosen for the bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and any other little creatures that need the blooms. Being outside is one of my favorite things because I get so much joy and healing from the wonder of interacting with these amazing lives. Even as I go about my

Yesterday was a very productive day. A lot of bigger chores were done, so why do I feel conflicted? In the spirit of healing, I paused to analyze. I notice that when I am at my maximum productivity, I lose connection with my spiritual self. Does that mean I have to be one or the other? I don't think so. The two parts of me should be able to share the same space. Now that I think of it, I have already been trying to unite the two. For most of my life, I have given domi

Yesterday, my calendar had thoughts on dandelions. Today, I am preparing to go out and harvest wild herbs, which, of course, include dandelions. My automatic pick for cards then is Soulflower. I often sense patterns, and I could see that dandelion was showing up a lot, but it almost felt too perfectly aligned. As I picked my cards, I would not have been surprised to see dandelion come up, but I also felt some relief when it didn't. The cards were mugwort and yarrow. Imm

As I work on a set of earrings with a crow motif, it seems appropriate that I am watching a tv program in which the people have been doing it long enough to show aging. Of course, I really don't know these people aside from what they allow the audience to see, but they all seem so nice. The host is a lovely lady who, I am now noticing, has developed quite a few smile lines. Another person seems to have facial skin that has migrated downward. Still another lady has lovely

My emotions seem to be out of balance this morning...not that I have a healthy idea of what they should be like. My emotional parameters are based on a world from seventy-five or more years ago, thanks to my parents. My intuition and knowledge tell me that I need to make room for myself, but what goes on in my heart seems so unacceptable to others. As I try to soothe my inner turmoil, I turn to a calming habit of shuffling my cards and choosing one. I've felt a connection

As I sit here watching an antique show, it fits right in with the thoughts washing ashore on the beach of my mind. Is it genuine, a fake, or an imitation? Over and over, I hear it said that to succeed, you set your intentions and prepare for them to be accomplished. My experience has been that every time I make plans, something goes awry. I have tried to make my own choices, full steam ahead, but everything has gone down the drain. So many times I have asked the universe

"Often what seems like an error is a lesson in patience and resilience or even a sign that something better is on the way. It isn't about controlling every outcome!" This is what my morning calendar said, and though I don't feel it yet, I needed to hear that. It has been five months since I have been looking for work with no success. To be very transparent, I am about as discouraged as I can be. It's not just the job, but everything in my life is crumbling. My lifelong

Spring is a time of awakening and refreshing. The cycle of life starts once again. In my mind of pattern watching, I tend to feel the monotony of the pattern at its base level, but without a doubt, I enjoy what each cycle has to offer. In my curious place, I start to ask questions about myself and my surroundings. Is each pattern the same? Should each pattern be the same? The answers to both those questions are no. In my journey of self-discovery, I ask similar questio

The sunny weather brought me out in the garden today. As I was pulling out weeds and cleaning out the winter debris, I found a bright red little speck that reminded me of confetti. Remembering it was a kind of mite, I put it in a jar until I could figure out if it was harmful or not. Turns out, it's a Velvet Mite, and it is a natural pesticide, so I tucked him back in the soil. I couldn't help but enjoy the complexity and beauty of the little guy. It was quite a nice sur

We all have challenging people in our lives. Those people can be co-workers, family members, and, sadly, life partners. I have been on a quest to find out how to disentangle my beautiful heart from these kinds of people. Being a very kind empath, I usually give out the care and consideration that I need from others. After all, aren't we supposed to be the people the world needs? However, rarely do I ever receive that same respect in return, and that opens me up to being

As I was scrolling through posts today, I saw one with a picture kind of like this one. The picture was attached to something about autistic burnout, and I didn't even read very much because my mind took the idea and went with it. Nature is the best friend of trauma. My emotions came forward with sorrow and love together. It brought back a memory from several years back, one where I took my family on vacation and fought back a negative person the whole time so my son coul

When I was eleven years old, I remember another girl telling me that she didn't mean to be unkind, but I just wasn't as fun as some of the other girls. It felt like another voice telling me I was unlovable. She was just another eleven-year-old girl and didn't mean any harm. I carried the mixed emotions from that into my future. As the years went on, I could see the pattern of what she said. I was not the one whom people gravitated toward. She spoke truth in kindness, bu