Forgiving Yourself

First, a resource article aboutforgiving yourself for the holidays by Jennifer Louden:b2ap3_thumbnail_November-2016-003.JPG

"That’s the sand that can make the human pearl: realizing you were doing your best at the time and yet, often, it isn’t as good as you would like.

The sand turns to pearl, bit by bit, every time you reach back in time and love that person who tried.

If you want to know how to forgive yourself, this is how you do it. You love that person who tried."

How you do anything is how you do everything...

Last year, I read a post on Facebook that stopped me in my tracks. Written by Kristin Armstrong at the Mile Markers blog onrunnersworld.com, it is called "how you do anything is how you do everything." During the holiday season, I often feel rushed, tight, overwhelmed, frantic, and scrambling. I don't want to acknowledge or face that this is in some ways a choice I am making and that I could allow it to be different, I could respond, behave, interact, and engage differently--not accepting the pinched and tight feeling as "normal" and rushing through my days, but recognizing that this, too, is how I live. How I do everything. (Not to be TOO hard on myself--I am also attentive, alert, and well-attuned to daily magic! I live my life very deliberately, consciously, intentionally, and with a lot of drive, passion, inspiration, and motivation! I never let a day go by without doing things I love, without checking in with the outdoors, without walking and watching and breathing the fresh air and looking for birds.)

Here is her piece:

"How you do anything is how you do everything..."

How I hold a yoga pose.
How I finish my track workout.
How I treat my body.
What I make for dinner.
How I speak to my children.
How I greet a stranger.
How I drive in traffic.
How I write my final paper.
How I keep myself sane and centered.
How I separate laundry (or don't).
How I pack lunches.
How I budget.
How I schedule my day.

If I do simple, ordinary things in a careless, half-assed way, it will become my trademark.

Maybe not all at once, but slowly it will.

That's how weight creeps on, relationships fizzle out, kids go astray, dreams fade, and good assignments go to other writers.

But on the bright side, consider this.

If we do simple, ordinary things in a mindful, intentional way, this will become our trademark.

When we pay attention.

When we care enough to be present and tune in.

When we remember that the little things add up to become the big things.

When we find a way to incorporate love into anything we do, it works its way into everything we do.

And one day, perhaps, love will simply be who we are.

How you do anything is how you do everything.

---Kristin Armstrong, Mile Markers blog,runnersworld.com

How are you moving through your days?

A "Might-Do" List for Yule

Jessica Starr sharedthis post from Wort and Cunning about a "might do" list for Yule:

Yule, known as the Winter Solstice, Mōdraniht (or Mother’s Night), Alban Arthur, marks the longest night of the year. The Solstices are probably some of the oldest holy days celebrated by our species and monuments from around the ancient world were built to align with the sun on these sacred days. It’s a time to gather together in the warmth of each other’s good company and remember that we are interdependent with all life and death on earth. Continuing aproject started at Lughnasadh, here’s a list of nine things that you might-do (or not) for Yule and the deepest dark of the year.

Would you like to write your own "might do" list for Yule? You might also want to write a "not to do" list for the season!

"Winter humbles us. Winter silences us. Winter wants us to go inward, to reflect, to think, to really know ourselves long before we start opening our mouths and letting all kinds of energy and noise spill forth. We need to learn our truths instead of trying to tell others what theirs are or should be, in any way. We need to know how little we know, and understand that even what we do know doesn’t have to be shouted out all the time. We need to enjoy the sound of silence."

--Meredith Everwhite

I wanted to share some additional winter-themed articles with you today (apologies to our valued Southern Hemisphere friends! I'm super in "winter" mode over here!):

This article about a Depth Year gets a lot of shares/conversation each year. Circle member Jessica Starr made a video about the concept that I think you will enjoy.

This essay from Feminism and Religion is about rest as a radical act. Mary Sharratt writes:

"In this day and age, the most radical act of rebellion we can commit is to take back at least one day of the week, declare it holy, and unplug. Take back our lives and inner space for a 24 hour period..."

We have done "computer off days" as a family on Sundays for about nine years, but I'm noticing that I seem to grant an exception to myself for my phone, taking pictures, doing an instagram update anyway, updating etsy listings and replying to conversations, etc. on Sundays with increasing lenience and I would like to re-commit to a tech-off Sunday routine in 2021.

The article from which I got the quote above is from an article called Sound and Silence.

And, this one by Jude Lally is called Gather What You Need for the Dark.

And, one from Trivia at the Crossroads on December Mindfulness.b2ap3_thumbnail_December-2014-004.JPG

I also wrote my own essay at Feminism and Religion this year about Restoration and last year about honoring the completion of the year.

The next article is not winter-specific and I really appreciated its simple, basic reminder. It is about simplifying your practices and is called One Minute at the Altar.

Do you have any winter resources to add to this article collection?

May I walk in ease
and wonder
and may I dwell
in devotion
in this day.

Much Love,

Molly