I find rhythms and cycles fascinating. And I’m always curious about mine. I’m particularly interested in what I consider the in-breaths and the out-breaths – the periods when I’m inwardly turned and seemingly not outwardly productive but rather filling myself; and then those periods when I’m crazy creative.
I think it’s important to pay attention to ourselves, to know ourselves, to honor ourselves. But we don’t exist here just in isolation either. My individual rhythms and cycles lie within larger cycles and rhythms – the cycles of a day, a week, the lunar month. The seasons, the year. Circadian cycles, zodiacal cycles, the cycles of organizations and groups, the macro and micro, all moving in different rhythms of unfolding, beginning, ending, ebbing, flowing.
It can be exciting to think about. Throw a rock in the water and watch the ripples spread outward and see how widely they can go. Throw a couple rocks and see the waves touching and interacting, see the connection and integration, and all the beauty. Throw more and more rocks and it gets harder to see what’s happening and eventually it begins to look too chaotic to figure out.
One of the fun parts of paying attention to these things is understanding it’s entirely possible to use the rhythm of one cycle to boost the momentum of another. But looking at too many things can just be too confusing, and you lose the helpful potential. Like everything it comes down to balance. What’s helpful, what’s not? What’s giving me a boost, what’s rubbing against me? All good things to pay attention to.
I always enjoy reading what astrologer Rob Brezsny has to say. He is after all the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. So when his weekly newsletter arrived in my mailbox today and with this admonition, I smiled and knew it was something to pay attention to:
“There are thousands of things in the world that provide you with only mediocre nourishment; the influences that deeply enrich you with their blessings are much smaller in number.
To say it another way: You derive a bare amount of inspiration and teaching from the great majority of people, songs, images, words, stories, environments, and sights; whereas you draw life-sustaining illumination and spirit-ennobling motivation from just a precious few.
I invite you to identify that special minority, and take aggressive steps to be in ongoing communion with it.”
I have a friend who calls such specialized focus “cherry picking” and I delight in that. Choosing those things that are right-fit and delicious and deeply-satisfying and giving them the benefit of your full attention, not just superficial glances. Nor insisting that you have to KNOW EVERYTHING. As if such a thing were possible. But acting like it is a prescription to drive yourself crazy.
I would like us all to simply agree up front, we are enough. We don’t need to strive for anything other than what makes our hearts happy. Because when we’re in that zone of joy, whether it’s in that internal in-breath phase or that external out-breath phase, our vibrations are at their highest. We have the most pure energy to seed, the most light to radiate, the most magnificence to inspire others with on their own journeys of discovery.
Does it get any better than that?
But it IS something that requires our attention. Our noticing when things feel out of balance – whether that is in the direction of not enough lighting us up, or too much around us that it feels chaotic and distracting.
An image that keeps coming up for me (sparking that creative inspiration state!) is the wonderful nesting Matryoshka dolls. I like to think that the inner doll is pure me, my shining soul self, and the outer nesting dolls are things that delight me and I’m resonance with. But I can move my attention both inward and outward. When I’m honestly being myself, that inner doll, and call to me those things that delight me, those things are close to me, in resonance, fitting like beautiful gloves complimenting me (those outer dolls). They reflect who I am, and those on the other edges can get a sense of what might be inside if they dig a bit deeper.
Just as interesting is looking at the energy flow in the other direction. Working from the outer edges of the largest outside doll – (things that excite and inspire me outside myself) – when I pay attention to those things I can also use that awareness to more clearly know myself. It is through these understandings of what my preferences are that I come to know myself, to define myself with more clarity. Another example of the in-breath and the out-breath.
So what do you think? Does that make sense to you? What’s your inner doll self look like? What are you radiating? And how might we see that if we’re only seeing the outer dolls? What fits closely around you because you’re following your heart? Do tell – you know I love to hear.
My life was so busy and my schedule too full so I have really been dissecting my life and trying to focus on people, activities, groups etc. that bring me joy. By doing this I have been able to free up time.
The words you used here……”whereas you draw life-sustaining illumination and spirit-ennobling motivation from just a precious few.” ….really spoke to me. Thank you for such a wonderful post!
Good for you Elda. I think that’s some of the most important work we can do – figure out what brings us joy and keep leaning into it, and releasing all those things that don’t light us up.
What a beautiful analogy…..the nesting doll and her many layers! Most people see my love of life when they look at my outer layers….the joy I feel comes from my paintings and my love of all creatures and mother earth. I feel very connected to my spirituality…..a warm and loving blanket which wraps itself around my ‘inner doll’ and allows me to feel safe and protected and most of all loved. I am blessed in so many wonderful ways…….thankful for my life’s many journeys and thankful for all who have crossed my path.
That’s such a beautiful way to describe yourself Debbie – I love it!
Deborah your post was timely for me. I am currently working on a couple of big projects at the same time and this morning was feeling slightly under the weather…overwhelmed…but I can honestly felt like you’ve helped me redirect.
What you said here made perfect sense….”But looking at too many things can just be too confusing, and you lose the helpful potential. Like everything it comes down to balance”.
I love my inner doll self looks beautiful, full of love and willing to help every single person that comes her way. I radiate a lot of positive energy which makes people stick to me. But if you’re only seeing my outer doll, you’ll think I’m the happiest…I am..no doubt about it…but I still carry a burden from my childhood which haunts me from time to time. I guess I just need go with the flow and someday it might go away.
For time being as I follow my heart, I feel I am attracting the people I need in my life and I am able to give back as much as I can:)
Thank you Deborah for this great post:)
So glad you’re feeling a bit more balanced, and I do hope you’re feeling better physically as well. What a lovely image of your inner doll. Here’s to the time when that childhood burden no longer impacts you, but is folded into perfect wholeness. Wishing you a lovely week.