Over the past couple of weeks I have noted that the winter is wearing thin and so are peoples moods. There is a little more irritation, fuses are a bit shorter, and emotions are very close to the surface. I find that my own creativity is at an all time low and trying to find the energy to attend to the things that normally bring me joy is a feat in itself. So, as I ponder this I wonder, “How can I take this and change it into something more life giving, more positive, more transforming?”
In his book “ The Power of Now”, Eckhart Tolle writes
“I have learned to offer no resistance to what is; I have learned to allow the present moment to be and to accept the impermanent nature of all things and conditions. Thus I have found peace. To offer no resistance to life is to be in a state of grace, ease and lightness. This state is then no longer dependent upon things being in a certain way, good or bad.”
Relinquishing the Power of Negativity
Now that sounds wonderful but how does one get to that place? In the pages that follow the author goes on to talk about this in a little more depth. Ultimately, like all things, it takes concentration and effort and practice. It means working to become and to see the world through a particular lens. It means relinquishing the power of negativity. He also shares these words
“Watch any plant or animal and let it teach you acceptance of what is, surrender to the Now. Let it teach you Being. Let it teach you integrity – which means to be one, to be yourself, to be real. Let it teach you how to live and how to die, and how not to make living and dying into a problem.”
Reflecting on this I am drawn back to the early morning hours at the camper a couple of years ago. Here is what I wrote:
The Lake, smooth as glass
The Mist, hovers mysteriously
The sound of the Loon fills the air
The sun breaks through
Shimmering and dancing
In the early morning hours
The stillness whispers
Of what the day might hold.
Hidden promises, waiting
Possibilities, yet to be discovered
A squirrel scurries by
The bird sings its song
A soft wind blows
The mist waves goodbye.
The fog lifts
Creations beauty clear.
The day opens up
A journey begins!
Surrender to the Now
So perhaps, in the midst of the negative space that surrounds us with the winter blues, it is time to stop and surrender to the Now. If I do that what I see are the pheasants that are occupying my back yard, content and happy to be alive. I see the trees that are , even with the snow around, waking up from winter sleep. I see our neighbourhood cat, who usually disappears for the winter, has begun to roam the streets again. The cycle of creation moves with ease and there is peace.
Blessings
Valerie
© Rev. Valerie Peyton Kingsbury. All rights reserved.