Dear Friends,
Last year I moved across Puget Sound to a more rural community. As in most changes in life, there are often many positive things and maybe some challenges as well in terms of a new location. I love going out and exploring the area and parks. I am on the east side of the Olympic Peninsula and the hiking and places to explore are endless.
Recently, I discovered a beautiful trail only a mile and ½ from my house. My pups and I enjoyed discovering this new area and had a lovely hike on a beautiful almost summer day. When I got home that night, I was petting my goldendoodle Willy, and I felt a little bump. On closer inspection, I saw something that appeared to have legs. And it dawned on me, my dog had a tick. Ugh!! I was not happy. This was the first one I have ever seen on my animals despite many hikes over 30 years around Washington, mostly on the west side of the Cascade Mountain range. I always thought they were prevalent on the east side of the state but not on this side. After that experience, I had a couple more hikes and discovered a few more on both of my dogs.
Fast forward to a couple weeks later, I am witness to several monarch butterflies floating around my yard and alighting on the plants, tasting the sweet nectar. In seems in years past, in spring and summer, I would only have a couple throughout the season despite planting many plants that the butterflies love. This year, I have several floating in the breeze and exploring the many tasty treats. It brings me great joy watching their graceful movements as they flutter about.
So why am I sharing my experiences above with you? It would be so easy for me to say, “I don’t like it here because of the ticks” or “I love it here because of all the butterflies”. I could make my assessment about my situation based on one or the other. But life is never just one thing. There are so many experiences that make up our days that declaring that something is good because of one experience, or that something is bad because of another experience, can lead to frustration as things will change, they always do. Life is about change. Nothing is static, everything is always moving towards a different way of being.
As you are reading this, there are trillions of activities going on in your body. Some of these processes might be functioning quite well, and others might be a bit stagnant. And most likely, more good things are happening than not if you are feeling overall stable and functioning well.
We always have a choice on what we place our focus on. I could ruminate on the ticks and say, “I’m leaving this area, I don’t like it here”, or I can focus on the butterflies and experience the beauty and peacefulness they invoke in me and be grateful for my experience of them. If you have something going on in your body that doesn’t feel good, you can focus on that and be angry that your body is letting you down, or you can focus on the trillions of other things that are happening in your body right now that are working for you. You are breathing, right? Your heart is beating, right? Both of these processes are miracles in themselves.
I’m not saying you must love what is happening. I certainly don’t think I will ever love ticks. But I can appreciate them for what they provide in life. They provide sustenance for other creatures which then provides sustenance for us such as with chickens and turkeys who enjoy ticks in their diets. Knowing this certainly softens my dislike of these critters. However, I’ll still find a way to minimize their existence in my life.
If you are suffering from something less than optimal in your experience currently, finding a way to soften its impact on you can greatly free up your energy. Doesn’t mean you have to love what is happening or can’t work on finding ways to eliminate it from your life. However, in the meantime, by not labeling something as completely bad, you allow yourself more space to find an answer or even something good about what is occurring.
I believe there is always a gift in almost everything life throws our way. It’s important to be patient if you can, as much as possible, and stay as neutral as possible, to help you to discover what that gift might be. If you have cancer, maybe you will have the realization that you have been living your life in such a way that you have been extremely unhappy. The cancer diagnosis is a wake-up call to move towards what fulfills you. Or perhaps you realize you have been suppressing your emotions and not speaking your truth. When we suppress our emotions, our truth, our bodies can suffer.
And conversely, when you focus on something that makes you happy, your body responds and energy flows more freely. You experience more lightness and a greater sense of wellbeing. If there is something going on in your body that doesn’t feel good, as much as possible, turn your attention to something that does feel good and notice the shift you experience in your physical being. Our cells light up to what makes us happy, no matter what that is. It can be as simple as watching a beautiful butterfly floating in the breeze.
I know I have talked about this before, but I feel like I cannot emphasize this enough. If you are unhappy with anything in your life, entertain the possibility that there is something inherently good in what is happening or find something to put your attention to that makes you feel better. Even if it only helps you to feel a little better, that shift in energy can move mountains and allow your cells to take in more sustenance. This then moves you towards a greater experience of health and vitality. Life is all about choices and what we choose to place our focus on is what will gain momentum on our current path.
For me, I’m choosing to focus on butterflies over ticks. Both exist and both have a purpose, but I have the freedom to allow myself to place my attention to things that help me to feel good and so do you, no matter what is in your path now. When we choose to consciously move our awareness to things that bring us happiness, we allow the energy that creates miracles to surface.
Wishing you butterflies, babbling brooks, beautiful birds or whatever brings you joy, in your life today and every day.
Namaste,
Rosemary
Loved reading about your experience. Loved picturing all the beautiful butterflies in your creation. You are always an inspiration.