Taking Time to Smell the Flowers

In this world today we are so rushed. We rush our breakfasts, if we eat breakfast, we rush to work, we are always on our phones texting or messaging, we rush our lunch and even eat at our desks, we rush home, and so on. In America, if we are lucky we get two weeks off a year for vacation. We rush to finish things, we want to know how things end and we want to rush to the end. What happened to taking the time to smell the flowers? When I look out at the blooming trees as an example, I love to see and appreciate what they look like now and also remember how they looked just yesterday and appreciate the daily changes. If I were rushing in my mind I wouldn't be able to see these subtle changes. This sounds so simple, but if we really think about it, how often do we not take in the new beauty around us, and just see things as they were or as we want them to be? I know I am guilty of this some times. Another example of this is that I can remember the negative reactions to things and to myself and not pay attention to the positive ones. The more we do this and also not take in how things are now, the harder it is for us to change our old internal stories we tell ourselves. We keep reinforcing our old stories. I love to find time daily to slow down and appreciate things, whether they be the change of the foliage around us, or the beauty of the rising and setting sun, or how my dog and I love to walk around our neighborhood and take hikes together. This also keeps me more in the present. When we are in internal places in our minds or situations that are uncomfortable to us, it can be easier for us to jump to an end. How often do we wish the winter was over or the graduation was upon us, or we were married instead of just dating? When we do this we miss all the beautiful, subtle changes which can expand our lives as well as many growth opportunities. Anxiety, depression, panic, pain are all conditions which also cause us to rush to the end and not be able to take the time to smell the flowers. It is our early relationship with our mothers and fathers, mostly, or our caretakers which help us to be able to be comfortable within us enough to slow down and appreciate life. If mom was rushed or anxious or unavailable, or our primary caretaker, and when we aren't held and our needs met with loving care, it literally affects the development of our nervous system and we grow up unable to sit with uncomfortable feelings and to see and appreciate the little things in life and want to hurry up to something... sometimes we know not what. We can blame it on so much to do and feel overwhelmed with things or feelings. This difficulty with handling our feelings and responsibilities which make us feel anxious and scared and rushed is a direct result of what we missed when we were little. Things like meditation, swimming, warm baths and essential oils, flower remedies, yoga and lying in Shavasana, deep breathing techniques, massage, and so on, helps us to retrain our anxieties and nervous system so that we can take one thing at a time and take the time to smell the flowers. In addition, good talk therapy, family constellation work, and other modalities to help us to heal and become more conscious of where our rushing comes from are very helpful for us to learn to speak to those anxious and scared places inside of us. It is never too late to take the time to smell the flowers. Shift Your Story/Shift Your Life: Let's start simple. Begin a practice of morning or evening meditation and commit to it for 2 weeks. As you move gently, or watch a candle, or close your eyes and listen to music, or take a slow walk in your garden or around your block, or however you decide to dedicate 10 minutes to meditation daily, in that quiet place, pay attention to your feelings. How does it feel to breathe deeply, and can you? How does it feel to sit quietly watching a candle, and how does it feel to have no agenda but to relax? What do you notice in your body? Does your stomach tighten, does your breath quicken, do your hands or legs twitch, do you notice body pains? Pay attention to these body sensations as well as your emotional feelings. Our bodies don't lie. Just notice and stay with it. Do this every day for two weeks. After each session, write down just 2 or 3 sentences describing your experience. When the two weeks are over, read over what you have written. Let me know how this goes for you if you feel like it!

In this world today we are so rushed. We rush our breakfasts, if we eat breakfast, we rush to work, we are always on our phones texting or messaging, we rush our lunch and even eat at our desks, we rush home, and so on. In America, if we are lucky we get two weeks off a year for vacation. We rush to finish things, we want to know how things end and we want to rush to the end. What happened to taking the time to smell the flowers?

When I look out at the blooming trees as an example, I love to see and appreciate what they look like now and also remember how they looked just yesterday and appreciate the daily changes. If I were rushing in my mind I wouldn't be able to see these subtle changes.

This sounds so simple, but if we really think about it, how often do we not take in the new beauty around us, and just see things as they were or as we want them to be? I know I am guilty of this some times.  Another example of this is that I can remember the negative reactions to things and to myself and not pay attention to the positive ones. The more we do this and also not take in how things are now, the harder it is for us to change our old internal stories we tell ourselves. We keep reinforcing our old stories. I love to find time daily to slow down and appreciate things, whether they be the change of the foliage around us, or the beauty of the rising and setting sun, or how my dog and I love to walk around our neighborhood and take hikes together. This also keeps me more in the present.

When we are in internal places in our minds or situations that are uncomfortable to us, it can be easier for us to jump to an end. How often do we wish the winter was over or the graduation was upon us, or we were married instead of just dating? When we do this we miss all the beautiful, subtle changes which can expand our lives as well as many growth opportunities.

Anxiety, depression, panic, pain are all conditions which also cause us to rush to the end and not be able to take the time to smell the flowers. It is our early relationship with our mothers and fathers, mostly, or our caretakers which help us to be able to be comfortable within us enough to slow down and appreciate life. If mom was rushed or anxious or unavailable, or our primary caretaker, and when we aren't held and our needs met with loving care, it literally affects the development of our nervous system and we grow up unable to sit with uncomfortable feelings and to see and appreciate the little things in life and want to hurry up to something... sometimes we know not what. We can blame it on so much to do and feel overwhelmed with things or feelings. This difficulty with handling our feelings and responsibilities which make us feel anxious and scared and rushed is a direct result of what we missed when we were little.

Things like meditation, swimming, warm baths and essential oils, flower remedies, yoga and lying in Shavasana, deep breathing techniques, massage, and so on, helps us to retrain our anxieties and nervous system so that we can take one thing at a time and take the time to smell the flowers. In addition, good talk therapy, family constellation work, and other modalities to help us to heal and become more conscious of where our rushing comes from are very helpful for us to learn to speak to those anxious and scared places inside of us. It is never too late to take the time to smell the flowers.


Shift Your Story/Shift Your Life:

Let's start simple. Begin a practice of morning or evening meditation and commit to it for 2 weeks. As you move gently,  or watch a candle, or close your eyes and listen to music, or take a slow walk in your garden or around your block, or however you decide to dedicate 10 minutes to meditation daily, in that quiet place, pay attention to your feelings. How does it feel to breathe deeply, and can you? How does it feel to sit quietly watching a candle, and how does it feel to have no agenda but to relax? What do you notice in your body? Does your stomach tighten, does your breath quicken, do your hands or legs twitch, do you notice body pains? Pay attention to these body sensations as well as your emotional feelings. Our bodies don't lie. Just notice and stay with it. Do this every day for two weeks. After each session, write down just 2 or 3 sentences describing your experience. When the two weeks are over, read over what you have written.

Let me know how this goes for you if you feel like it!

My soothing words of wisdom for the week is about the upcoming Fall season 🍂🍁

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