Day 258
Linda has given us quite a creative challenge this week — one that is being repeated. It will, however, be the first time I have written from this fun prompt:
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “open book, point, write.” Pick up the closest book to you when you sit down to write your post. Close your eyes, open the book, and place your finger on the page. Whatever word or phrase your finger lands on, write about it. Enjoy!
The Book I chose is “Girl, Wash Your Face”, by Rachel Hollis. I have not read it yet, so this should be fun!
Page 69.
“Friends, it’s not about the goal or the dream you have. It’s about who you become on your way to that goal.”
Whew, that’s a powerful phrase right there. Sometimes I have a difficult time articulating a goal or a dream for this phase of my life — other than to be happy and at peace. Those are pretty big goals in and of themselves. Oh, I have a lot of things I’d ‘like’ to do, but they are not what I would consider goals for my life. I thought about writing about the first word ‘friends’ but suddenly I got a little choked up on that one. Friends have come and gone in my life and the numbers of people in that category have dwindled a lot. No, not in the mindset to tackle those ideas today.
Who I am becoming, however, is everything that is happening in my life at present. Finding peace is about allowing the world’s events to happen around me and not trying to make them happen to me. Happiness, I am finding is a choice. It’s amazing how many times I look back across my life and see the number of times I chose to be unhappy. It’s a difficult reckoning.
Who chooses to be unhappy you might ask? We all do. We let problems and challenges have a bigger life that they deserve. We are confronted with a sad or unhappy situation and instead of just accepting it as one of the swirls of life, we choose to get in the soup and swirl along with it. Staying in a bad marriage. Taking on someone else’s pain. Trying to change ourselves to match some mold we think we need to fit into. Feeling guilt instead of forgiving. Despising instead of loving.
I remember well when I read ‘Loving What Is’. It was not an easy concept for me to accept. I would say it took years before I truly understood it all. Byron Katie wrote a very simple concept but difficult idea to put into practice. Loving whatever surrounds us is a big ask from the Universe.
Then I was gifted the Kyle Cease experience and learned how to put meditation into my life and again, the message of loving what swirls around us takes some practice for sure. Funny how this similar message was to resurface in my life at this time. It has certainly helped me become the person I am meant to be — whatever goal or dream I set for myself. Now with the phrase from the book I chose today, I guess it’s time to find a few quiet moments to read “Girl, Wash Your Face”.
I think learning to be happy and at peace are some very positive and very attainable goals.
Have you been reading some of the SoCS posts but not sure you were ready to participate? No time like the present I say. Just click the link to check out Linda’s post for all the rules. Make sure you take the time to read all the wonderful takes on this interesting prompt.
Usually on Tuesday afternoon I like to post a pic on Instagram of the pieces I finished in class. Well, there will be no Instagram pics today. Everything is still in progress. Next week is my last class so I have three pieces in progress to focus on.
I think I should listen to the advice I give so freely to others. Rest. Take it easy. Give yourself a break. Take a moment. All great advice if I would simply listen to my own counsel. My mom always used to say, “Listen to your gut”. Today I should have listened.
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