My Highest Ambition is to Be What I Already Am

Indeed, why not honor our own feelings? Why does it ever occur to us to doubt ourselves and question ourselves as much as we do?

Water Thoughts

That swim seems to me like a miniature model of life. Anxiety crescendos and decrescendos; joy alights and then flies away. Grief goes on and on; overtaking me for a time and then lying low. Those anchovies are still out there somewhere in the ocean; sometimes they're all I can see, and sometimes the water is clear. Things come and then they go.

Every-Day Mindfulness, Grief, NatureweflourishandbloomSeptember 2, 2015anniversary, anxiety, dad, daily, every day, every day mindfulness, fear, gentleness, grief, impermanence, mindful, mindfulness, Monterey, Monterey Bay, motivation, mourning, nature, ocean, open-water swim, self care, swim, vulnerabilityComment

What is Required?

To ask what I should do next encourages me to use my brain and my judgement to think about what activities are valuable or desirable. But to ask what is required encourages me to be mindful of myself, inside and out. It asks me to scan the state of my mind and body and figure out my actions based on what I need at the moment.

Blog, Every-Day MindfulnessweflourishandbloomJune 21, 2015being with, daily, every day, every day mindfulness, gentleness, mindful, mindfulness, self care, treat yourself, wholeheartedComment

The Fathomless Ocean, The Uncharted Land

No, I can’t have that old me back. That’s water under the bridge now. I can create the new Katie in any way I want, but I can’t have the old one back.

Blog, GriefweflourishandbloomJune 17, 2015creation, gentleness, grief, grieving, meditation, mindful, mindfulness, vulnerability, wholehearted Comment

"To go easy, to be filled with light, and to shine"

The poem that stood out to me on first reading is “When I Am Among the Trees.” In the poem, Oliver explains so beautifully how her time with trees lets her feel their gladness, lets her hear their voices telling her about a graceful approach to living.

Blog, Nature, Quotes & NotesweflourishandbloomMay 11, 2015enough, every day mindfulness, gentleness, mary oliver, mindful, mindful walking, mindfulness, nature, poetry, self care, thirst, treesComment

Talking to the Person in the Mirror

Our challenge is to notice the moments when we start to feel insecure and shaky, defensive or aggressive, put off balance by something that life has thrown at us. In these moments, can we try to whisper, I am enough instead of What if I can't do this?

Taking it Easy

Have you had the thought that you're not doing it right? That if you were lost in thought, it doesn't count?

MeditationweflourishandbloomMarch 16, 2015gentleness, joy, meditation, mindful, mindfulnessComment