Hold on to the Center

Let’s begin here:

The Power of Vulnerability ~Brené Brown

Breathe. Focus. Let Go.
Simplicity. Patience. Compassion. (Tao)

As the Tao te Ching also teaches:

All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are.
Humility gives it power.

But don’t be goin all strivin’ for power via vulnerability and humility now ya’ll, ’cause that just bassackwardses everything. You gotta let go to hold on and all that jazz. Heck, our meditation leader says to get out of the water altogether and sit on the bank of consciousness, watch it go by.

So, hang a ‘Gone Fishin’ placard on your mind and let everything drift.

For every bit you let go, you get a better grip.
Confusing, right?
It seems the infinite appreciates paradoxes.
Please take no disrespect but the Tao makes for intense bathroom reading. Rather, this is a Christmas wish for a BRI Text. (ooh, and good doodlingjournaling pens!)

That is where I am at after beginning this most recent round of growing-up.
Particularly enjoying yoga, meditating, exercise, breathing.  The various little instructors at your fingertip on YouTube set rules like, “follow your breath,” and “check in with yourself.” Or, play with shiny rocks and listen to what they make you feel. The options and methods are infinite.
I highly recommend ample dabbling.
Isn’t this what we did as kids anyway? Only, this time, with someone telling us how to do it.
Since when do we, the GrownUps, need studies, texts, and coaches giving us permission and guidance to be as authentic as children?

Since we grew up.
Rats!

On the other hand, that whole breathing thing, with proper guidance, gets all sorts of cool.
Better even than Elmer’s Glue.

So I look for guidance in growth and feel fortunate to find it in several of those around me. Mind you, this is not incidental depth, these folks are Soul Divers. The material and motivation for growth abounds.

Case in point, thanks to all the  breathing stuff, I’ve again found my way to more often being fully present, easier even in the presence of ones I trust. One of dozens of such moments in the company of MLE & Ol’ BreezyBritches, there was such a surfeit of happniess, I could not process it all or quickly enough. Began to wield my soul like a mason jar, trying to capture the Philia lightening bugs. Knowing that soft glow will be longed for on some dark, lonely stretch on down the ol dusty.

MLE gently reminded me that one can’t capture or hold on to it and it kind of ruins the moment if you try to huff it.

To open yourself is to be bombarded by all that abounds. How am I to do justice by these infinite notions of joy?

And so we come to the moral. It is this moment, when we pause, give thanks,

and be there for it.