Today is my 173rd straight day of blogging about the heart-centered practice of presence. . .
On January 1, I made a vow to blog every single day this year about being more present to Love and Life every day in every way.. But the person who made that vow had no idea that this year would turn out to be, well, this year. I thought that by now I would have traveled all over the US sharing the message of Living Love in my latest book (Living Love: 12 Heart-Centered Practices to Transform Your Life.). Instead every gig has been canceled, and I, a nomad who has lived on the road for four years, had to stop where I was — in a small town in Western North Carolina. Since then, I have spent the last three months in prayer, in heart-centered practice, and in sharing this message of Living Love that feels even more vital than it did six months ago.
Today is also Summer Solstice, the first day of a new season. At the beginning of this past week I really struggled. Something felt really off. I realized that I was expecting myself to be the same person I was back in March, when this all began. But how can I be? How can any of us? If we are not changed by all that is going on in the world, then we have missed the whole point.
Halfway through last week I realized that I had to take inventory and be willing to make some different choices. As I got quiet and listened to what those might be, it came to me to change things up with this blog.
Then all the buts came.
But, but, but. . I made a promise. But I LOVE writing this blog. But I LOVE seeing what comes through. But people have shared that it has really helped them.
Yet it kept coming to me to take a break — to consciously choose to stop writing this blog first thing in the morning and try something new.
This impetus to shake things up has arisen in other areas. For example, I am a morning walker. But lately I’ve found myself enjoying evening walks so much. The quality of the light and the feel of the air. And so I’m trying something different — two shorter walks instead of one epic morning walk and a stroll around the block later.
I have switched up where I am working — not always sitting in the same place. I have changed some of my spiritual practices. I have been connecting differently with others — and even with my dog Allie.
Just as I listen for what needs to come through when I put my fingers on the keyboard and write this blog, I am listening deeply to all the messages coming through.
One of the things I keep hearing is to share more of the heart-centered practices in my book, Living Love. With everything going on, I never let myself feel disappointed that my book came out in mid-April with no chance to share its message in person. And though I still don’t feel disappointed — I do find myself really wanting to share more of the practices. . .and so I think that’s what I’m going to start doing in this blog.
But I’m not going to decide today. Because I’m giving myself a break from knowing. I’m just going to take one day at a time. I think I am going to start back up blogging more regularly on July 1. But maybe not. Maybe it will be before. Maybe it will after. . .But what will guide me is Living Love. I will lean. I will listen. I will learn. And I will invite what I don’t know to tell me what I need to discover. (Which is actually one of the central practices of my book!)
Last but not least, today is also Father’s Day — and since this month’s heart-centered practice is all about shifting out of me-first, me-centered thinking into we-always heart-centered living Love, I want to share how my dad and I have always been a we and always will be a we. . .and why that even matters.
When I was little, my dad was often away from home. He was lecturing about art, he was buying art for Sears, he was making movies with Roger Corman, he was doing this or that television show, he was working on behalf of the Indian Arts & Crafts Board of the US Department of the Interior, he was on this or that TV show, he was writing books and doing book tours. And none of that mattered, because when he was with me, I felt filled with his presence — the presence of Living Love. And when he wasn’t with me, I carried him in my heart. So I still felt filled with the presence of Living Love.
That taught me that Love is what is always present. And that Love is all that matters.
So that is also what I am going to trust as I take a little break from this daily blog. That this was never about my words, but rather about the Presence of Love. And Love is what heals us. Love is what connects us. Love is where we are we. Together. As One.
To everyone who has read this blog these past 173 days, thank you. It will be fun to see what arises next. . .in the meantime, I carry you with me in my heart because Love carries us all together as WE.
And, as today’s meme I hope shows, this is how we change the world. Each of us together = WE. We + Love - CHANGE. One small act of Love at a time.
We We We All The Way Home.
Sending you all ALL LOVE!! Today and every day.