Greetings, Sunny Buddies,
There is a meandering that I go through each week as I wait for my Sunny Optimist inspiration to arrive. I play with possibilities during the days running up to Friday, but I know to wait. I have been writing this newsletter long enough to be at ease with this waiting.
I hope it does not sound too ‘woo woo’, but as I wait, I open to a reservoir of possibilities that is way beyond my rational mind. I have learned that if I try to make it happen, my energy drops. I was going to say that when it is working, I am in a quiet space, but that feels too passive. It is more a sense of calm eagerness and of trusting that the muse will not let me down. I feel centred, purposeful, connected and energised, and it is this that keeps me motivated each week.
I used to be a bit envious of my artistic and musical friends, who appeared to have this easy flow with their creativity. It just seemed to be there for them. I did not feel I had this until I started The Sunny Optimist. Over the months, I saw that writing is my creative flow. I appreciate how my lively mind, my work experience and my spiritual training have woven into an adventure that I so enjoy.
Thank you for sharing this adventure with me.
I love it when the topic lands in my awareness, and my body goes,
‘Yes, this will do just nicely!’
The ideas and words all coalesce.
Today, it was a poem by John O’Donohue called A Morning Offering. I adore his poetry. It touched the soul and awakens us to the deep joy of being alive in this time. There is so much going on across the world now that is profoundly distressing and, if we let it, can cause discomfort within us. Yet, I find his word calls us to reconnect with our Divine nature that sees beyond our everyday concerns.
As I was reading the poem to myself this morning, I could sense evocative questions percolating in me.
What if I came to this life on purpose?
What if it is no accident that I am alive now?
What if I do not let the past colour today or tomorrow?
What if I step fully into my dream of myself?
This revelation then made me think about the role of questions in our lives and the meditative process of questing.
Holding the Question
In my Earth Wisdom training, we have a protocol called Holding the Question. It is a powerful process that opens us to inner and outer wisdom. I like the image below. It shows how we oscillate in an energy field. We are not separate, small or insignificant. We are at one with It All, whatever we believe that to be:)
There is so much wisdom there for us to access.
It can be a meditative practice to 'Hold the Question'.
We are not attempting to find answers. It is more to let the question percolate for a while and gently invite responses to come to you. I have chosen the word 'responses' deliberately. They are not the same as answers; they are possibilities. Responses may come when you are washing the dishes, out for a walk, sleeping, or conversing with another person. All responses are welcome, even if they feel pessimistic. You don't edit; you stay open.
Finally, there comes the point out ahead where clarity emerges. I often find that simplicity beyond complexity comes to me, and I gain an effortless sense of completion.
Practice for this Week
I suggest that you read the poem below and take some time to be with it. Maybe out in nature, in a forest walk, by the sea, or by the river. Take a notebook with you and invite a question to come forward. When it arrives, see if you can estimate how long to hold the inquiry. Then set an agreement with yourself to capture all the insights that come to you over that time.
Feel like a pioneer seeking our new territory
You are on a quest.
You are questing!
Be open to signals and signs around you. A favourite song comes to mind. You see a plant or tree you love, or a birdsong captures your awareness. Memories might arise and of course, pay attention to your dreaming.
You will know when you are complete.
As always, dear friends, if you would like to share your practice, your question, or your experience, I would love to hear from you.
Much love to you,
Ann
A Morning Offering,
…All that is eternal in me
Welcomes the wonder of this day,
The field of brightness it creates
Offering time for each thing
To arise and illuminate.
I place on the altar of dawn:
The quiet loyalty of breath,
The tent of thought where I shelter,
Waves of desire I am shore to
And all beauty drawn to the eye.
May my mind come alive today
To the invisible geography
That invites me to new frontiers,
To break the dead shell of yesterdays,
To risk being disturbed and changed.
May I have the courage today
To live the life that I would love,
To postpone my dream no longer
But do at last what I came here for
And waste my heart on fear no more."
by John O’Donohue
Thank you for the prompt to be open to response vs. answer. That is so much more generous and open. Also, the last line of the poem is really ringing my bell... "and waste my heart on fear no more." Mmmmm. Grateful for this offering, as always. xo