Begin Again

I spent extra time in meditation this morning.  I wanted my day to be unencumbered by the destructive energy that fills the news and the sadness created by recent world events. Meditation is my way to invite higher consciousness into my life. By making space for it, I am able to maneuver through the feelings that rise up in response to my environment.  

Tragedy is part of the past, how we respond to it, is the present. We serve the world and the purpose of change by starting where we are and finding ways to be present.  Look around. What is right...right now?  

My own experiences with rape, addiction, emotional neglect and fear have become the foundation in which my happiness has been built.  Seeking help through counseling, reading, recovery and other creative means has helped me build an emotional and physical sanctuary providing respite from the troubles of the world.  I am resilient, strong and at peace because I built and maintain an emotional bank account and a faith in something much bigger than me. 

I begin again every day.  I make the choice between trolling social media and the news or reading spiritual or uplifting literature, I decide what I want to feel...because I know it is a choice. I can choose whether to be dragged down into the rhetoric, opinions and sickness of the world, or I can choose to make space for some higher purpose. I can see what is good and focus on the feelings those things instill in me...or I can let the world choose my feelings for me.  My barometer for how well I am doing is evident in the actions I am taking and my emotions clear evidence.

Outside my window I see leaves taking on their autumn colors, water sparkling in the creek after a morning rain, and squirrels practicing their acrobatic prowess.  I am warm, fed, dry, safe, and loved.  My hands are able to type these words, my eyes capable of seeing the monitor, my ears receiving the calming music in the background.  Choosing to see...really see my world, is the place I begin every day.

What will you choose today?

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