Inner Sustainability

This was a challenging week for me. The tweets from the President of the United States regarding military personnel who identify as transgender seemed to come out of nowhere. As much as I try to disconnect from the news, it has a way of creeping into my life. My first thoughts were ones of profound sadness and sudden anger. I wrote three tweets and one facebook post in response...but deleted them before sending. Instead, I decided I need to step back. I didn't want to make space for these thoughts so I confined myself to quarters. The only time I left my abode that day was to walk to the mailbox.

I did some journaling, lots of cleaning and did not talk with anyone all day. I attempted to find peace and gratitude in those things dear to me, namely, the earth and sky.

I read quite a bit more of No Impact Man by Colin Beavan. This helped me to stay focused on what matters: doing what I can to improve my own life and my own small corner of the world. While my heart aches for those in the armed forces who are directly affected by those hateful tweets, I had to work to stay in the moment. Colin's book is helpful as he details his own self-discoveries. I enjoy the voice with which he writes and my heart is warmed as he discovers the simple pleasures of life. When he discovered how one can easily make yogurt and felt the satisfaction and pleasure derived from that, I smiled.

Like a good book, photographs can take me to a place and time to escape the problems of the day. There is something inherently peaceful about wispy white clouds against a pale blue sky. I find that it is easier for me to remember to breathe if I am outside feeling the breeze or practicing mindful walking. I am working on a book with some of my photos so this was a good day to review and organize and transport myself to some special early mornings.

Music and smells do the same thing as books and images. I cooked a nice meal and basked in the smells that emanated from my kitchen. I have been trying to remember to do mindful eating, concentrating on enjoying each bite of food, not be distracted by multitasking while I eat.

Lately, pandora has been a good influence on my mood. I find it difficult to be angry if I am listening to some John Coltrane, Dave Brubeck or introspective solo piano music.

While at Dancing Rabbit, Sara and Tereza conducted a workshop

on inner sustainability. Our first task was to brainstorm, as a group, all of the different things a person can do to take care of or learn more deeply about our self. So much of our time is spent connected to the outside world, full of worries, stressors, problems, issues, and distractions. It is critical that we find positive ways to take care of our inner being. These do not need to be done in isolation. Attending to needs with others can be good for the individual as well as for the group. Systems require energy. Making certain that our own personal tanks are full help to keep us emotionally balanced, so that we have the energy to continue to make changes necessary for our selves and our world.

Peace.