In a season rife with disappointment, disconnection and disagreement, we invite you to join us as we intentionally seek to spread a bit more joy, a tad more hope, and a little more peace in the world.
It's hard to share anything from a place of depletion, so first, how are you? What do you need? There is so much noise right now--noise from the media, from social media, from advertisements on our phones and in stores telling us we are already behind for the holiday season. Can you get away from it to refuel and reground, if even for a few moments? How can you build more rest and play into your weeks right now?
Joy
"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive." - Eleonora Duse
There is pain in this world. All of us have experienced the weight of suffering, some of us more than others--and we all know it is inevitable. And still, there is joy--a deep happiness that we feel in our soul. It is good, so good, to experience pleasure. It is healthy to pursue pleasure. It is beautiful to be the source of pleasure for those around us. Have you ever been on the receiving end of an unexpected note or thoughtful gift? That moment where you feel seen and thought of: joy. That feeling at the end of a long day filled with tasks on a to-do list that never got finished, and a loved one stops you as you walk down the hall to hug you. That moment when they see your love for them in the completion of everyday tasks, and thank you with a hug: joy. Have you wandered near the creek in the fall, the crunch of leaves under your feet and the smell of fall in the air and just felt what it feels like to be alive? Joy. It isn't always loud, and sometimes it's as quiet as a smile, but don't underestimate the force of joy.
Hope
"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness." - Desmond Tutu
In the darkest of times, it is hope that we cling to. The hope that there is something more, something better, something different. Change is scary, and yet it is the very thing we so often need to help us come back to our center. And hope is contagious. Hope doesn't stay cooped up in the corner of a room. Hope weaves her way out of our bodies, into the words we speak and lens we see through. Hope dances with us and invites those around to join her. So what, on this day and in this moment, do you feel hopeful about? In what ways can you share the gift of hope with those you love?
Peace
"Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace." - Mother Teresa
Peace. That space that lacks turmoil and allows rest, and play. The space where breath comes easily, the colors are vibrant but not overwhelming, where there is the capacity to be fully here and now. It, too, spreads like the seeds of wildflowers in the springtime. In peace there is freedom, and when we are free we can be fully who we are intended to be. And, when we are fully who we are meant to be, the world is infinitely better for it. When we are who we are meant to be, we are dynamic and creative, innovative and alive. How, today, can you find or create peace? In what ways can you allow that peace to spread?
It is infinitely easier to share out of a place of abundance, and so, friends, we hope that you are able to find moments abundance in your every day.
Shine on, my friends.
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