wake up, rinse, repeat
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.
Vivian Greene
Last year I met prolific artist Ai Weiwei briefly at one of his NYC shows. In my short but sweet moments with him I asked, “Do you ever get tired of being a peacemaker?” to which he responded wisely, “Sometimes, but then I go to bed and wake up to a new day.”
A few years ago, a good friend of mine who had just started studying energy healing told me that the two most useless emotions are guilt [already happened – no need to hold onto it], and worry [fearing something in the future that hasn’t yet and might never happen]. Makes sense, but how do we actually work with it, and why does it seem like we are always working on it?
At a recent visit to my trusted Applied Kinesiologist Dr. Kantor, I threw my arms up half in jest [but also semi-serious] and announced, “I’m so tired of self-work, I can’t do it anymore.” He responded matter-of-factly with something along the lines of, “Sorry kid, it doesn’t end,” and explained that no one is exempt from this self-work stuff, not even doctors and healers.
Tara Brach mentioned in her talk about worrying that we can learn how to communicate with the waves, we just need to try to avoid getting caught in them. Life is in constant motion, each wave and day is different from the next even if we are tangled in the same patterns and habits.
That’s just it though – every day is an opportunity to hit refresh, just like the legendary Ai Weiwei so wisely reminded me. If we stick with it as best we can – whether we are feeling guilty about our past actions or worrying about what will happen next – we can ride the waves instead of drowning in them. We can look at each moment, joy, difficulty, relationship, triumph and trial as an opportunity to learn more about – and cultivate more compassion for – our Selves.
If we need a break we can always call a loved one for support, go out for pizza and ice cream, break the wellness rules and be fully human – so long as we remember that every day is new; we are not stuck; everything is fluid; tomorrow is a another start.
In my recent article on cultivating a positive relationship with exercise for Be Well, I advised that “the best thing we can do is… to recognize that this is an ongoing journey… Take your time, find what works best, and remember to find the joyful moments in this endless experiment. Life’s too short to beat ourselves up physically and mentally. Let’s be our own (and each others’) cheerleaders so we are all empowered to take care of ourselves in our own unique ways.”
How do you find the joy on this lifelong self-work journey, and what are your favorite ways to take care of yourself?
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Photo: Tirta Empul, Bali, Indonesia. Thanks to Ring for showing us around.
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