Choices

5 March 2014 Today I stopped to eat my lunchtime sandwich in my car at a favourite spot. Whilst I enjoyed my food I thought about this card - "Choices". So many angles I could write about... where to focus? (A choice!). The first choice I make every day when I wake is - how will I approach this new day? I often feel, rather sadly, that my 'default setting' is grumpy. I wake up still feeling tired, not particularly looking forward to the tasks ahead. I have been choosing to practice changing this. To start before I even get out of bed, to choose gratitude. The inspirational Richard Wilkins says (in his very particular style) that when he wakes he pushes his elbows out to each side, and if he doesn't touch wood he knows he is not in his coffin. He laughs as he says this and it is a black humour way of saying be grateful for the gift of each day. When I was young it took me a while to learn that I really do have a choice over how I respond to events. I can choose to be upset at a comment perhaps, or I can choose to let it pass over 'like water off a duck's back'. (I love that expression). All these thoughts went through my mind as I sat in my car. For once the weather was dry and quite sunny so I decided to take a short walk along the forestry track close by. I had an idea of taking a photo of a fork in the road to illustrate the idea of choices, of arriving at a crossroads in life. (One of the first workshops I ran, for Adult Education, was on just this 'Tools for the Crossroads in Life' I think I called it.) As you see, the path I was following was pretty straight with no turnings, just dropping away gradually into the valley below. This provided me with a one of those moments of clear vision, of insight: that now, at this time in 2014, I am clear on the direction I wish to take in my life, the work I wish to do. My path is to find my own way home to myself and to offer you tools, and a companion if you wish, to help you on your journey of rediscovery. My choices right now are about the speed at which I travel along my road. Do I race ahead at full speed? Do I dawdle along gently and admire the tiny plants by the way, look up at the sky and clouds through the trees?. Do I stop altogether at times and listen to the birdsong and the wind in the branches? I am finding it hard to describe the feeling - this was for me a moment of reconnection with my own heart, my coming home a little more to my truest self. As I stood absorbing these insights I noticed a little muddy, grassy path off to the right - pictured below. The thought then occurred to me that I could choose to explore any turnings such as this, take time to pull on my wellington boots and splash off through the mud and puddles and see what I could see - and then return when ready to my main wide and clear track forward with new inspiration; refreshed and revived from a change of scenery. And at any time I can hang a hammock between the trees and rest in the dappled sun and shade until I am ready to move on again. Even if clouds cover the sun and rain comes; even if  darkness falls, my now clearly chosen path will be under foot to guide me through. I can choose to shelter close to one of the tall sturdy tree trunks until the light returns. I end there, feeling there is no more within me to say in words at this moment. There is a special feeling of connection, reconnection that is supported by the music I have playing, 'Sacred Alchemy' by Devaa Haley. An event to share with you as it is happening before my next monthly newsletter: on 25th March Olivier Maxted is holding a 'Sound Bath Healing' evening at Anhydrous Memorial Hall. I experienced a taster of Olivier's work last weekend at a festival in Perranporth. The combination of didjeridoo, drum, rattles, crystal bowls, and a selection of other instruments is extraordinary. As always, please feel free to comment below with your thoughts and comments.  If you would like to own a set of cards to explore their power for yourself please visit the dedicated page. Thank you dear friends for visiting with me again this week and sharing my musings. Until next time, with love, Mary *if you have any difficulty accessing the 'blogspot' service, you can also read here on the Daring to Blossom website, or find 'Dare to Blossom Life Coaching' on Facebook.