“Life sometimes is hard. There are challenges. There are difficulties. There is pain. As a younger man I sought to avoid them and only ever caused myself more of the same. These days I choose to face life head on—and I have become a comet. I arc across the sky of my life and the harder times are the friction that lets the worn and tired bits drop away. It’s a good way to travel; eventually I will wear away all resistance until all there is left of me is light. I can live towards that end.”
We have within us a deep longing to grow and become a new creature, but we possess an equally strong compulsion to remain – to burrow down in our safe, secure places.
Sue Monk Kidd
We received a dusting of snow during the night and into early morning. The sun then tried its best to break through but to no avail. It has been cold all day, not going above 32 degrees. It’s a perfect day for another bowl of chili soup I made yesterday. Stay warm!
I drove up around Horsetooth Reservoir yesterday watching the sky and her clouds, hoping to find some scenes in my viewfinder. These horses are on a large ranch near Bellvue. When I first pulled up they all looked up at me than decided I was harmless.
I have read that any addictive behaviors has a potential to stunt our growth. We will pick up our addictive behavior rather than live life and all of its challenges, or as the quote says, “to burrow down in our safe, secure places.” I did that through daydreaming and alcohol. There always seemed to be some thought convincing me that avoidance was a softer, easier way to live. Over twenty years ago it became apparent such thinking was one of the many lies I believed and was not working. I now know facing challenges is the softer, easier way in life. That does not prevent me from wanting to turn away once in a while. Yet, each time I face life there’s the gift of growth, maturity, wisdom, strength which always seems to make me ready for the next challenge.
Yesterday I received word that a friend I’ve known for nearly 30 years died unexpectedly. It is always a shock to receive such news. I cried. Then I felt the gratitude for her life! I cried again. I’ll probably cry more and that’s some of the growth essential in life, moving me to become who I am! I know some of you can relate as we all grieve!
This mornings cold predawn sunrise at Pineridge Natural Area
The people who help us grow toward true self offer unconditional love, neither judging us to be deficient nor trying to force us to change but accepting us exactly as we are. And yet this unconditional love does not lead us to rest on our laurels. Instead, it surrounds us with a charged force field that makes us want to grow from the inside out — a force field that is safe enough to take the risks and endure the failures that growth requires.
Parker J. Palmer
All these challenges, obstacles, and bumps that we encounter in life provide opportunities to learn, grow and alter directions in our life. What a gift it is to have people in our lives who accept us where we are and help us grow. My belief in this unconditional love is the hope and inspiration I grasp to continue on rather than wanting to run away. It is also my desire to love unconditionally. Hoping you all have a wonderful day and week!
A couple inches of wet snow fell during the night, the best kind. Took this on my way home from the coffee shop at Pineridge Natural Area.
Half of me is filled with bursting words and half of me is painfully shy. I crave solitude yet also crave people. I want to pour life and love into everything yet also nurture my self-care and go gently. I want to live within the rush of primal, intuitive decision, yet also wish to sit and contemplate.
This is the messiness of life – that we all carry multitudes, so must sit with the shifts. We are complicated creatures, and ultimately, the balance comes from this understanding.
Be water. Flowing, flexible and soft. Subtly powerful and open. Wild and serene. Able to accept all changes, yet still led by the pull of steady tides.
It is enough.
Victoria Erickson
I also experience the messiness of life she talks about in the above quote, those constant changes, challenges and especially the surprises. At this time of my life these changes and challenges are becoming more acceptable and in many ways I’m eager to face them with all the gifts and talents I’ve attained in life so far. Some of these challenges have become adventures. Not sure I would have said that 20 years ago but I do now. Hope you enjoy this quote by Victoria Erickson. I especially like this line, “I want to live within the rush of primal, intuitive decision, yet also wish to sit and contemplate.” Hope you have a great weekend!
“The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.”
Carl Jung
The sun shines brightly this morning casting shadows all around me. I watch the tree’s shadows stretching across the street outside the window of the coffee shop. Shadows fall upon these pages as I journal. And, on the wall next to me I see my ever present shadow. Quite handsome I must say. And, as with many photographers, shadows are a subject of interest for me. I share many images of shadows on this blog.
Additionally in my practice of self-examination along with prayer and meditation I’ve come to know those dark aspects of my personality as present and real, what Jung is referring to as our shadow side. Discovering the dark aspects of my shadow side reminds me of the enjoyable task of learning more about myself and eliminating or reducing those that are negative and harmful. I’m grateful for shadows as a subject to photograph but also because they remind me there is yet more to know about myself. Time to post this as the setting sun is casting long shadows across my front yard. The end of another day.
Sunrise over Dixon Reservoir at Pineridge Natural Area – June 2022
I want to end this year of blogging with an image from this past year that depicts where I took my camera on a regular basis. My focus over the past year was spending time in the natural areas and coffee shops with my journals and camera. This connection with nature and people has been invaluable for me.
This year’s end has brought me unexpected challenges for my physical and emotional healing that needs to be met in this coming year. Seems much of our world is in a similar crisis, facing challenges for its own healing. I believe we must fundamentally reconnect to a God of our understanding, to nature, to one another, and ourselves for any healing. Seems many in my circles, young and old, are awakening to this reality. I also hope many will awaken to the reality that we are created out of love to be love. So, I’m moving into the new year with a thin thread of hope that all will be well! Hope just may be the key in transforming our world. Each sunrise offers a new day, a new beginning, a promise of hope, and an opportunity of living a life of love. Maybe the world needs to begin more days witnessing the new sunrise and contemplating their connection to creation.
I’ll end with this simple prayer: May we live a life of serenity, courage, wisdom, strength, compassion, healing, love, the help of family and friends in facing the reality of life. I love you!
I hope you have a wonderful coming year full of good health, family time and sunrises. Happy New Year!
