The grapevine’s going off
This summer the grapevine is flourishing, I’ve never seen it so bushy and full of fruit. Last year though, it was the first year I’ve seen it dormant - barely any leaves and no fruit at all. I’m reflecting on if this lull was intentional. Nature is clever like that. Plants don’t flower every year. Many go dormant in the winter to reserve their energy to enable them to bloom all summer long. This ‘off year’ that my grapevine had can feel like our goals. We don’t always hit them, sometimes the weather (our external climate) is not conducive to us blossoming and yet this lull can helps us come back stronger next year, just like the grapevine. So if you’re wishing things be different and the last 12 months could have gone better, you might have just been having a lull to prepare you to blossom now.
There’s stones on the beach
I walk the dog at the beach most days, it’s part of my wellbeing ritual as much as it is the dog! I love feeling the sand on my feet, it’s grounding. Sometimes the swell has washed up stones on the beach - lots of little shells - and that was the case this morning. It made me grumpy (first world problems, I know!), the stones stuck in my feet, it hurt and it ruined my walk. Then it reminded me of the Buddhist proverb I was once taught when living alongside monks and nuns in northern Thailand -
When faced with a path full of stones, we can either pick each one up to protect our feet or we can wear shoes. Our resilience and mindset is all about the shoes we put on our feet and the way we master our mind to navigate the challenges or stones this world puts in our way.
The sauna is too hot
I love the sauna, many of you know this. Even in the summer. As I age though, and my body goes through changes, I’m becoming more sensitive to the heat. I’ve noticed it’s not something I always fancy these days, especially in summer, despite its detoxifying benefits and deep relaxation. However, when it gets too much, when I’m overwhelmed with heat, I can just get out and plunge in the cold water or have a cold shower. Instant relief.
Wouldn’t it be nice if life had a similar door? When things got uncomfortable or overwhelming you could just step outside, take a breath and cool off, escape the heat?
Well it does and it’s in the form of our inner peace and calm. It’s a place within that acts as this door, a place we can come back to when times get tough or we’re in uncomfortable places. We might call it resilience, mindset, inner peace or coming home. Whatever we call it, it’s only there if we cultivate it. Then we have a doorway to peace every time life overheats.