It's been pretty whirlwind since I last posted - we presented a lovely concert Satuday night for Valentine's Day, with tables (rather than our rows of chairs), candles, chocolate-covered strawberries, champagne and amazing music. My husband, who has not attended in the four years I've been doing this, came... and stayed... and loved - we went (still on an adrenalin high) with the musicians and a few others friends, to the traditional post-show diner afterwards (Athenian omelet - yum!).
Sunday night found me at a house concert... and the week's been full of deadlines and overwhelmedness and stress (oh, my!) - I did take time out to meet up with my Falcon Ridge friend Mosh, who flies down from the Boston area each February to visit his parents in their condo in Delray Beach. We had a delicious and entertaining dinner (I adore his parents as well), well worth the one-hour drive each way - now I'm back to reality, still dealing with a multitude of obligations, in addition to clearing out clutter to donate to my church's Rummage Sale this weekend...
We sent my mom roses for Valentine's Day, which really lifted her spirits, since she's been dealing with an iron deficiency, having to go to the lab every other day for IV supplements - two steps forward, one back...
My internet was down for a few hours yesterday, reminding me that, despite my attempts, there are many things in life I can't control - I was overdue for a relate, relax, release lesson...
This wonderful DailyOm appeared in my e-mail a few days ago - off to find a box now!
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There are times when our minds become too full. Our to-do lists, worries, plans, and dreams may be so crowded together in our heads that we don’t have room to think. We may believe that we are somehow taking care of our desires and concerns by keeping them at the forefront of our minds. In maintaining our mental hold on every detail, however, we may actually delay the realization of our dreams and the resolution of our worries because we won’t let them go. At times such as these, we may want to use a surrender box.
A surrender box allows us to let go of our worries and desires so the universe can take care of them for us. We write down what we want or need to happen and then place the note into a box. By writing and placing our thoughts in the box, we are taking action and letting the universe know we need help and are willing to surrender our feelings. We give ourselves permission to not concern ourselves with that problem any longer and trust that the universe is taking care of it. You may even want to decorate your box and place it in a special place. Your surrender box is a sacred container for your worries. Not only do you free up space in your mind by letting go of our worries and desires and dropping them into your surrender box, but you are giving your burden over to a higher power. Once we drop our worries and desires into the surrender box, we free our minds so we can be fully present in each moment.
Surrendering our worries and concerns and placing them in the hands of the universe doesn’t mean that we’ve given up or have been defeated. Instead, we are releasing the realization of our desires and the resolution of our worries and no longer concerning ourselves with their outcomes. It’s always fun to go back and pull the slips of paper out of the box once your requests have been granted. And it’s amazing how quickly problems go away and dreams come true when we finally let go and allow a higher power to help us.
SONG: Surrender Dorothy by Cris Williamson (can't seem to find the lyrics, but scroll down to track 10 for a song sample)
Chunky and noisy,
but with stars in their black feathers,
they spring from the telephone wire
and instantly
they are acrobats
in the freezing wind.
And now, in the theater of air,
they swing over buildings,
dipping and rising;
they float like one stippled star
that opens,
becomes for a moment fragmented,
then closes again;
and you watch
and you try
but you simply can't imagine
how they do it
with no articulated instruction, no pause,
only the silent confirmation
that they are this notable thing,
this wheel of many parts, that can rise and spin
over and over again,
full of gorgeous life.
Ah, world, what lessons you prepare for us,
even in the leafless winter,
even in the ashy city.
I am thinking now
of grief, and of getting past it;
I feel my boots
trying to leave the ground,
I feel my heart
pumping hard. I want
to think again of dangerous and noble things.
I want to be light and frolicsome.
I want to be improbable beautiful and afraid of nothing,
as though I had wings.
QUOTE: "If you surrender to the wind, you can ride it." ~ Toni Morrison
QUOTE: "If you surrender to the wind, you can ride it." ~ Toni Morrison
Ah, Susan, I clearly remember the song, and the introduction to the artist so long ago..we found her cd in the public library, remember? *smile* Such fond memories, my friend.
ReplyDeleteSurrender, indeed. xoxoxo
Hey, M ~
ReplyDeleteOh, I do remember the discovery of Cris Williamson, and that particular CD (which I eventually broke down and bought) - such fond memories, indeed... <3