This past week I retreated to nature for a few days, to be precise to the beautiful Yosemite National Park. I breathed in the fresh air and took in the beauty around me, from small flowers to big trees, from curious marmots to majestic deer, from green meadows to turquoise alpine lakes, from dragonflies helicoptering to observant crows, from rocky trails to soft pine needle ground cover, from blazing sun to starry night skies – it all made me feel humble and grateful.
In between some lighter and some deep conversations with the wonderful friends I was out with, I was working on the process of clearing some negative thoughts and limiting beliefs I had been holding on to. Sometimes when we want something really badly and the rest of the world just doesn’t adhere to the timeline that we wish for, it is a big challenge to stay true to loving ourselves, the rest of the world, and the process of moving through, and putting forth our best effort everyday. Beating ourselves up has never really helped, has it? Encouraging ourselves, loving ourselves with all our faults and all our desires and committing to doing our work in discarding negative thoughts and limiting beliefs is a more promising way into the future. Part of this inner work is consciously identifying such beliefs, asking where they came from, whether they serve us, and replacing them by beliefs that will help us move our lives in the direction we want.
And this morning, a hummingbird showed up at the window fervently fluttering as if to alert me to all the beauty and joy and love that was to be recognised and seen and appreciated in the world, every day, in all the small things, because we can only live our lives day by day.
Ultimately I know deep down that love is the ruling principle of the universe, and I am determined to be love and show up as love and serve in love for all time I am destined to hang out on this planet. So as we go into this new week (as I am writing this it is still Monday where I am), can we ask ourselves when we come across a challenge this week ‘What would love do?’
I will do that, and I am encouraging you to join me in this practice.