I love snow.
For the past week, I have been smothered and smacked with snowflakes while visiting my sister in Idaho. How wonderful it was to have a white Christmas just as I did as a child. It made me giddy with happiness as my sister and I sled, made snow angels and were pulled by a truck while hanging on to a rope as we sat with our cold butt cheeks glued to a saucer. Flying around those corners put such a smile on my face it was plastered there for the rest of the day. How much fun was that!
With all that snow, I was reminded of the purity of the season. Our purity: yours and mine. How innocence is our birthright and that it is one of the most important skills in Fearless Living: our willingness to see each other's innocence. Something most of us must cultivate.
Now, I don't mean the kind of innocence were responsibility is forgotten. Oh, no. Absolutely not. We must take responsibility for our actions, our thoughts and our intentions. As should others.
I am talking about the innocence of knowing we would choose higher, and so would others, if we had the skills, the tools and the awareness to do so. People are mean to feel a false sense of power. People get defensive to protect themselves. People shut-down so they don't have to feel.
When we are willing to see the innocence in those actions, i.e. the individual before you is acting that way because they are afraid, we can give that person a bit of compassion, a tad of understanding while at the same time, have the skill and courage to put our boundaries in place and say 'no' to behaviors that aren't okay. And, at the same time, see their innocence.
There is that fine line: standing up for ourselves and seeing the innocence. Both of those things can exist at the same time but most folks, out of confusion and misunderstanding, do one or the other.
They either put a boundary in place and are unforgiving and blame, blame, blame. Or they have compassion for the other but forget to take care of themselves and say 'no' when appropriate.
Ask yourself: who are you keeping out of your life because you are afraid to see their innocence and who are you keeping in your life because you are afraid to stand up for yourself?
Just some thoughts as we move into the New Year.
And speaking of the New Year: What is your intention? What is the one skill you would like to practice? The one skill that would support you in becoming more of who you want to be, the person you would be proud to claim: That's ME!
What would it take to claim more of yourself this year? More of your heart, your mind, your spirit, your body? What would you need to practice to claim your innocence?
As we move into another year (or a new month or a new day, depending on when you're reading this), I wish you happiness. I wish you peace. I wish you love. I wish you a fearless spirit so you can be, do, have and give all your light desires.
Happy New Year to you and your loved ones.
For more inspiration, guidance, and encouragement, follow the Fearless Living blog.
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I love snow.
For the past week, I have been smothered and smacked with snowflakes while visiting my sister in Idaho. How wonderful it was to have a white Christmas just as I did as a child. It made me giddy with happiness as my sister and I sled, made snow angels and were pulled by a truck while hanging on to a rope as we sat with our cold butt cheeks glued to a saucer. Flying around those corners put such a smile on my face it was plastered there for the rest of the day. How much fun was that!
With all that snow, I was reminded of the purity of the season. Our purity: yours and mine. How innocence is our birthright and that it is one of the most important skills in Fearless Living: our willingness to see each other's innocence. Something most of us must cultivate.
Now, I don't mean the kind of innocence were responsibility is forgotten. Oh, no. Absolutely not. We must take responsibility for our actions, our thoughts and our intentions. As should others.
I am talking about the innocence of knowing we would choose higher, and so would others, if we had the skills, the tools and the awareness to do so. People are mean to feel a false sense of power. People get defensive to protect themselves. People shut-down so they don't have to feel.
When we are willing to see the innocence in those actions, i.e. the individual before you is acting that way because they are afraid, we can give that person a bit of compassion, a tad of understanding while at the same time, have the skill and courage to put our boundaries in place and say 'no' to behaviors that aren't okay. And, at the same time, see their innocence.
There is that fine line: standing up for ourselves and seeing the innocence. Both of those things can exist at the same time but most folks, out of confusion and misunderstanding, do one or the other.
They either put a boundary in place and are unforgiving and blame, blame, blame. Or they have compassion for the other but forget to take care of themselves and say 'no' when appropriate.
Ask yourself: who are you keeping out of your life because you are afraid to see their innocence and who are you keeping in your life because you are afraid to stand up for yourself?
Just some thoughts as we move into the New Year.
And speaking of the New Year: What is your intention? What is the one skill you would like to practice? The one skill that would support you in becoming more of who you want to be, the person you would be proud to claim: That's ME!
What would it take to claim more of yourself this year? More of your heart, your mind, your spirit, your body? What would you need to practice to claim your innocence?
As we move into another year (or a new month or a new day, depending on when you're reading this), I wish you happiness. I wish you peace. I wish you love. I wish you a fearless spirit so you can be, do, have and give all your light desires.
Happy New Year to you and your loved ones.
For more inspiration, guidance, and encouragement, follow the Fearless Living blog.
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