Drops of Wisdom: Watercolor Feelings
Warm greetings from ToDo.
Our family has had a lot going on lately. On Saturday Chani graduated with an MBA and this morning she left for a 5-day road trip to Florida with her best friend, her dog, and whatever personal possessions she could fit in and on top of her car. She’ll begin her new life with Gary when she arrives.
You may be going through a transition of your own at this time.?Transitions can really shake us up but they also give us new opportunities. More about this below.
Thanks for being part of our ToDo community.
With love and appreciation,
Linda
Watercolor Feelings
by Linda Anderson Krech
As of today, we’ll begin our new day-to-day life without Chani and Ella. Up until this point, they?have always lived either reasonably close to us or at our house, but that era is over.?No more casual dog walks, lakeside picnics, or bike rides to the vineyard. Getting together will now require a 1500-mile trip.?Our contact will be channeled mostly through technology and experienced at a distance.
Of course, I feel sad.?That is what I expected and what I am experiencing, but I also feel?happy for her, as she begins this new stage of life and sets off on her grand?adventure. I feel proud of her and a little excited about new possibilities that might emerge for me. I also feel a bit worried, a little?agitated, and somewhat exhausted. The point is that feelings are not neat and distinct. They are?messy and overlapping and changing all the time, like watercolor paints that bleed into each other.?They're not right or wrong, they're not?reliably predictable, and they're definitely?not controllable. They come and go with a mind of their own, so to speak. It is their nature to morph like clouds in an ever-changing?sky.
When we take care of our lives, and let our feelings take care of themselves, we are at our best.?When we stay engaged with life, rather than withdrawing, the natural flow of feelings will continue. It’s when we try to tinker directly with our feelings, rather than accepting them, that we get into trouble.?
Doing something constructive and meaningful is a great way to get through waves of feelings.?I'll try to remember this myself?in the days and weeks ahead. Maybe I'll put together?a surprise package for Chani and Ella during such times, that I can mail to their new address. That kind of project will engage my senses, lift my spirits, and impact on the world in a positive way (especially if it includes homemade dog biscuits for Ellie).
PRACTICE EXERCISE
Your Team
Whenever you have the presence of mind, think about your support team. If you’re driving, take a moment to consider the factory workers who produced your steering wheel or rearview mirror. If you’re taking a walk, consider who might have paved the sidewalk or made your shoes. Who made the hinges on your bathroom door, or did the electrical wiring in your home? Experience the team effort involved in getting you through a single day. This is a good remedy for loneliness or self-pity.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Like a drifting cloud bound by nothing I just let go giving myself up to the whim of the wind.
– Ryokan
领英推荐
Vermont Residential Certification
Monkton, Vermont
Sept. 22 – 28, 2024
with Gregg & Linda Anderson Krech
Germany Residential Certification
Bavaria, Germany
Oct. 20 - 27, 2024
with Gregg Krech & Sabine Kaspari
ONE OPENING LEFT IN THE VERMONT PROGRAM.
The program provides an opportunity for you to step back from your day-to-day life, immerse yourself in the wisdom and beauty of Japanese Psychology, reflect on your life, develop new practices, soften your heart, challenge your stories, activate your senses, savor nature beauty, and become an integral part of this year’s residential community.
It is a rich and empowering curriculum, drawing mental health professionals, educators, health practitioners, as well as the general public, in search of the best way to spend their 30,000 days.
We'd love to have you join us!
Contact Linda for further information: [email protected] / 802-453-4440