What do you know for sure?
Last week I wrote about the first five of ten things I know for sure. If you didn’t get a chance to read it, you can read it here. Then, as promised, Part 2, the last five things I know for sure is delivered with love.
6. There is always a choice.
One of the most common phrases I hear is, “I don’t have a choice.” You’ve said it, I’ve said it. It’s basically an automatic response to situations in which we would rather have more options. It feels like we’re forced to accept a situation we wish were different. The limitation of options can feel like no options at all. It’s true that the number of choices before us can be numerous, but also can be very limited. For example, there might be truly only two choices concerning a given situation, neither necessarily great ones, but one would for sure create a negative result. That leaves you feeling like you have no choice. But the truth is, a choice is made nevertheless. Even if you do nothing, that is actually a choice.
Can you remember a time like that, maybe you threw your hands up and said or thought, “I don’t have a choice?” You do! I do! Always, the moments of our day are a series of choices. This realization is actually one of the most freeing and empowering pieces of wisdom to grasp. Think about how you feel when you’re thinking, “I don’t have a choice.” Powerless, defeated, right?
You see, when you are aware and observing the choices in front of you, it may not always be fun, but you know the power is yours. You also realize all the times you allowed others to make choices for you, telling you what you should do, or you made a choice based on expectations of others. This leads to the seventh thing I know for sure:
7. Validation comes from within.
It
feels so good to be validated. In fact,
we search for it, crave it. But the
truth is, if we don’t know how to validate ourselves, no amount of validation
from others is going to be any more than a feel-good moment.
Yes, a part of love and kindness is to extend validation to someone for who
they are, even if you may not like them.
It’s what is at the root of our overwhelming need to be seen, heard,
acknowledged, which is that human and most basic hunger to be loved. We need love, but validation from others is
not that and is fleeting. The seeking of
validation is reaching for confirmation that there’s nothing wrong with you,
that what you say and feel matters. We
will get that sometimes from others, but there is nothing more powerful than
the ability to validate yourself. It’s
the knowing that I can speak from my heart, voice my feelings, respond to
anything said, or expectations, from my heart with not a thought of what the
world thinks. The thing that helps most
with this is the eighth thing I know for sure:
8. Stillness is the lifeline to body, mind and soul.
I
have always loved quiet and alone time.
It’s especially important to me to have that time in the morning to pray,
meditate, journal, read. No matter how
early I might have to be somewhere, I always make sure I have at least ten
minutes (after I make coffee) to just be still.
I’ve talked a lot about this because I know for sure, now more than ever, that
it’s where my inner compass and guidance reside. It opens me up to hear answers and receive
guidance throughout the day. I have
always said, how you start your day is
how your day goes. Still, the response I get from most is, I don’t have time. To which I say, if you don’t have ten minutes, you don’t have a life.
So, if you don’t already carve out this time, even if you started with ten minutes, how would you spend those ten minutes?
So instead of beginning your day jumping into electronics and stress and rushing, I challenge you to give yourself ten minutes, just ten minutes to be still and see how it changes your day, your mood, your perspective. You will become a believer! You will create spaciousness in your life, which leads to the ninth thing I know for sure:
9. Creativity is the lifeblood of the soul.
When
you hear the word creativity, what comes to mind? For some, it is a form of art. For others, it is building a business,
cooking, writing, making something.
Whatever it is, don’t you feel all good inside when you see someone
creating something, and especially when you create something yourself?
I remember when I went to Greece, I had learned in my research before traveling
about an older man whose creativity had made him an icon. He’d spent all his life making leather
sandals in Athens. His story was
intriguing and it was on my list of have-to-see’s. The thought of him creating leather sandals
the same way today as he had for many decades, in all kinds of styles, now
bought by celebrities all over the world, was a life’s journey I wanted to
witness. There’s just something about a
person whose entire life is based in creativity.
It indeed was a treat to see him craft a creation that would adorn the feet of a person on their journey.
What is it you have always wanted to create? Maybe something you have created before but not for years or even decades? Do that! It could be the first thing that pops in your head. Do that! Creation is sacred, and it matters not whether it is perfect or is seen or valued by anyone. It is sacredly yours and is your sacred presence in this world and eternity. Which of course leads me to the grand finale of what I know for sure.
10. All is well.
No matter how many times in a day you are presented with the opportunity to doubt this, nevertheless, all is well. The truth is you can’t know anything for sure if you don’t know this at your deepest core. In fact, the gift of whatever devastation you might have been through is the hard-learned truth that no matter what, Divine Grace and Mercy blankets us in love and wellness that never changes.
With all the techniques to combat stress and anxiety, which are undeniably valuable to the way we live our life, there is nothing so powerful to our wellness than knowing for sure, all is well.
Our earthly experience never changes the wholeness our soul was intended to live in, as well as far beyond this physical existence. There is a place where we can experience eternity and at the same time be in the present moment and all its gifts.
That place is where all is well.
For sure,