Happy Thursday beautiful hearts! It was a gorgeous summer day and I decided to take a walk. I pulled out my headphones and downloaded the newest podcast by Tara Brach on Resiliency. I laced up my shoes and walked out into the warmth of the summer day. The podcast kept me company as Tara encouraged her listeners to move through life with an open heart. She modeled her own story of walking along the waters edge in the morning giving thanks and creating a space of mindfulness for her day. On this particular day, she walked smack dab into a spider web and felt all of her practice head out the window. I love how honestly she shares that mindfulness truly is practice! Something that we cultivate moment by moment!
My walk was very uneventful until I hit the last leg of the journey. I was coming down the home stretch as I spied a cute little weiner dog out meandering around his yard. I smiled at him as I started to walk by and then out of nowhere he flashed his teeth at me and took off at a gazelle like pace for my ankles. All of the mindfulness and openheartedness I had been creating on my walk went out the window as I screeched out, "OH SHIT!" Anyone that knows me, knows that I am not a runner, I much prefer walking. But after his speed picked up, I realized I needed to pick mine up too! I tried to channel my inner sprinter as I sped up a hill.
Thankfully I heard his owner yell for him and then in the next breath she called out, "I'm so sorry!" I couldn't help but start chuckling after I knew the coast was clear! If anyone had been watching out their windows, they would have quite a chuckle. I had to laugh at myself as well. For the last 45 minutes I had been cultivating an intense gratitude and open heart practice, and in a matter of moments, I belted out an "Oh shit" and felt like I had to start over from square one. I felt my heart close as I tried to figure out a way to stay safe.
I'm not saying I'd like to repeat the experience, but it really got my attention. There are lots of 'OH SHIT' moments in our lives, and I don't think the point is to eliminate them. Do you? Maybe the richer notion is that we get to choose how we react when they do happen, because best I can tell they keep happening. It's not a matter of judging ourselves, but a way of watching our reactions to those moments that pull us off course.
It seems that our world really needs a sense of open heartedness from its inhabitants. We're bound to have 'Oh Shit' moments, and then we're bound to open our hearts. And then it seems like it just goes on repeat after that.
May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude,
Sarah
My walk was very uneventful until I hit the last leg of the journey. I was coming down the home stretch as I spied a cute little weiner dog out meandering around his yard. I smiled at him as I started to walk by and then out of nowhere he flashed his teeth at me and took off at a gazelle like pace for my ankles. All of the mindfulness and openheartedness I had been creating on my walk went out the window as I screeched out, "OH SHIT!" Anyone that knows me, knows that I am not a runner, I much prefer walking. But after his speed picked up, I realized I needed to pick mine up too! I tried to channel my inner sprinter as I sped up a hill.
Thankfully I heard his owner yell for him and then in the next breath she called out, "I'm so sorry!" I couldn't help but start chuckling after I knew the coast was clear! If anyone had been watching out their windows, they would have quite a chuckle. I had to laugh at myself as well. For the last 45 minutes I had been cultivating an intense gratitude and open heart practice, and in a matter of moments, I belted out an "Oh shit" and felt like I had to start over from square one. I felt my heart close as I tried to figure out a way to stay safe.
I'm not saying I'd like to repeat the experience, but it really got my attention. There are lots of 'OH SHIT' moments in our lives, and I don't think the point is to eliminate them. Do you? Maybe the richer notion is that we get to choose how we react when they do happen, because best I can tell they keep happening. It's not a matter of judging ourselves, but a way of watching our reactions to those moments that pull us off course.
It seems that our world really needs a sense of open heartedness from its inhabitants. We're bound to have 'Oh Shit' moments, and then we're bound to open our hearts. And then it seems like it just goes on repeat after that.
May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude,
Sarah
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