Good Morning, Great Spirit! Quite a view out our window, as the day dawned. Clear sky, not a cloud in sight. Crescent moon high in the sky with a trailing planet, as the horizon brightens in dull orange-yellow hues. It brings to my mind the image on the South Carolina license plate. The only thing missing is the silhouette of a palm tree.
Of course, another thing that is different is the temperature – just about 0°F this morning as dawn breaks.
How often things are different than they appear.
So, I’ve been posting these Sunrise Pages for a few days now, and I’m interested to hear if anyone out there is following along, finding these posts helpful. I wonder if there are any questions about form, process, or how it feels.
Certainly, I know it can provide motivation to me, to know these pages are landing somewhere. On the other hand, I also realize you might be reading this, yet not be at a place where you feel comfortable engaging. I’ve certainly heard stories where the work and creation people do feel solitary and lonely, only to have the joyful discovery one day of the beneficial effect one’s continued effort has had on another.
Heck, I’m one of those people who hang back, gathering information, considering, learning. I do try to step up more, to show appreciation and connection I feel with others and their work; especially because I’s seen it from the other side, and I know it can feel rewarding to be acknowledged.
There are some great people I’ve met at my seasonal retail job, and I’ve really enjoyed working with them. They’ve been generous and helpful to me, and they are so kind and patient with customers. I’ve tried to make a point of complimenting them on their energy and attitude, and thanking them for their guidance and assistance when I’ve needed help.
How often do we leave those simple thanks unsaid? Assume that the other person knows? Or, feel vulnerable and a little embarrassed to go there?
I remind myself how it feels to hear that acknowledgment, some appreciation.
I will say, it’s also important, personally, for me to be authentic. So, I don’t exaggerate my appreciation, and it’s always heartfelt. I don’t say it just to say it, or to encourage a certain response. To me, that would be manipulative.
Heartfelt—please consider how sincerely I mean that word. For me, the most basic and important connection I have with others and the world is the care and relationship between us. I strive to understand and experience the thread that connects us. When I share gratitude and appreciation with someone, I touch that thread, and feel a true pull on my heart. It is a feeling of vulnerability, to feel so open and undefended; but, I have discovered how rewarding it is to experience such connection.
It reminds me of the radio program I mentioned a couple days ago, “How Does Beauty Feel?” I’ve done a lot of work lately (still continues) to truly open myself to what I’m feeling, and to understand and experience my mind-body connection.
I would talk about feeling sad, or angry, or happy, and I thought I was describing “feeling.” It can be tricky, because of how we use language around these concepts.
I remember in the radio piece, the designer talked about how we react when we experience something beautiful. We don’t think, “This is beautiful.” We get this feeling of “Mmmm!” Then, we think and say, “Mmm, this is beautiful.”
Do you find this confusing? I know I did. I had the hardest time understanding that when I was saying I was feeling sad or angry, happy or excited, I was describing thoughts; not what my body was feeling.
What helped me was something I saw in the documentary “I AM” by film-maker Tom Shadyac. I found the whole documentary thought-provoking and would recommend it. But, in one part, Shadyac discusses research done by Jonathan Haidt on what he terms “elevation.” Haidt defines this as the warm, uplifting sensation people experience when they see unexpected acts of human goodness, kindness, and compassion.
Wait a minute! I actually could identify what my body was doing when introduced to the examples given in the movie. I felt it. Then, through continued work with a master coach, I’ve been strengthening my awareness for what my body does when I’m having different emotional thoughts. Tuning in to my mind-body connection has really helped me hear my truth and navigate by my inner compass.
Which connects me to you, Great Creator! Thanks for helping me find my way, today and always!
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