A few years ago I saw myself as an avenging warrior. I pictured myself with powerful wings and a heavy sword, sporting some serious boots. My amazingly talented daughter sketched a portrait of me entitled “Warrior Princess” when I described my vision to her. I felt, at that time that I was in a battle with life, or maybe it was death. There were major issues going on in my life and I was warring very hard to conquer what was threatening the way I believed things should be.
Then, I got really tired. Then I quit. I laid down my heavy sword, set my boots aside, wrapped myself in my wings and rested. Slowly, the issues in my life miraculously, it seemed, resolved without my brute strength help. Shift happened, big time.
I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I am really jazzed with what happens when I Rest and Play. These are the major Weapons of Mass Creation. It used to work when I picked a goal and worked really hard to make it happen. When I fought my way through hurdles and persevered through pain. I tried valiantly to continue that way, finding it too hard to believe that doing nothing or having fun were actually options for problem solving or having a happy life. Blessedly my strength failed me. I began to spend time being quiet. I learned to meditate instead of pray incessantly. I am learning to play instead of turning everything into work, into a project, into a situation to conquer.
How are Rest and Play Weapons of Creation? When you rest, when you turn off logic and words, you can feel what’s going on around you and in your body. Your body has a lot of information and when you learn it’s language it can help you tremendously. In rest, the right side of the brain has a chance to search for connections that can lead to solutions, to new ways of doing things. When you play you become completely present. You are not thinking about the past, you are not worrying about the future, you are fully absorbed in the moment. Time literally stops. Again, in play your brain is free to make associations and connections. You are free from fear. Fear always creates dark results. The more time you can spend in rest and play, the freer, the more creative, the more you you will become. For me this has not been easy. It has most certainly been a process. Results are not instant – yet. It is taking awhile to calm my warrior habits. I don’t always succeed, but I practice every day.
My new vision of a real warrior is now one with quiet wisdom and a deep peace born of suffering, but not sorrowful. The real warrior is one with strong, long roots that draw strength up from far below. One who stands firm, is kind, is yielding but doesn’t break. Steadfast and resilient. Beautiful, not pretty. Creative, knowing. A Warrior Queen. (with a twinkle in her eyes and dancing shoes under her gown.)
Then, I got really tired. Then I quit. I laid down my heavy sword, set my boots aside, wrapped myself in my wings and rested. Slowly, the issues in my life miraculously, it seemed, resolved without my brute strength help. Shift happened, big time.
I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I am really jazzed with what happens when I Rest and Play. These are the major Weapons of Mass Creation. It used to work when I picked a goal and worked really hard to make it happen. When I fought my way through hurdles and persevered through pain. I tried valiantly to continue that way, finding it too hard to believe that doing nothing or having fun were actually options for problem solving or having a happy life. Blessedly my strength failed me. I began to spend time being quiet. I learned to meditate instead of pray incessantly. I am learning to play instead of turning everything into work, into a project, into a situation to conquer.
How are Rest and Play Weapons of Creation? When you rest, when you turn off logic and words, you can feel what’s going on around you and in your body. Your body has a lot of information and when you learn it’s language it can help you tremendously. In rest, the right side of the brain has a chance to search for connections that can lead to solutions, to new ways of doing things. When you play you become completely present. You are not thinking about the past, you are not worrying about the future, you are fully absorbed in the moment. Time literally stops. Again, in play your brain is free to make associations and connections. You are free from fear. Fear always creates dark results. The more time you can spend in rest and play, the freer, the more creative, the more you you will become. For me this has not been easy. It has most certainly been a process. Results are not instant – yet. It is taking awhile to calm my warrior habits. I don’t always succeed, but I practice every day.
My new vision of a real warrior is now one with quiet wisdom and a deep peace born of suffering, but not sorrowful. The real warrior is one with strong, long roots that draw strength up from far below. One who stands firm, is kind, is yielding but doesn’t break. Steadfast and resilient. Beautiful, not pretty. Creative, knowing. A Warrior Queen. (with a twinkle in her eyes and dancing shoes under her gown.)
RSS Feed
