I love this quote from my friend and coworker, Steve. It's one of his personal mantras and I thoroughly enjoy when he shares it with our Weebly family over lunchtime chats. In many ways moderation can be considered synonymous with balance, which is a great thing. Balanced meals, balanced diets, balanced work and play. Ying and yang and what's in between. Moderation helps us to be humble and stave off elements of greed and gluttony; it helps us from simply going "too far" into a place of regret. But he's right--even moderation should be met with wiggle room. Life was not designed to be lived within super strict guidelines (say it with me now: There is no script to life!) or to be stressed over perfect proportions. When we put too much pressure on ourselves to hold back and restrict our gut impulses, we rarely end up in a very good place. It's totally a-OK to let go and live it up now and again...and again...and again... Fittingly, our beautiful yoga instructor Lindsay quoted the following poem by Hafiz to us at the end of our practice yesterday; Every Movement I rarely let the word “No” escape From my mouth -- Because it is so plain to my soul -- That God has shouted, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” To every luminous movement in Existence. Go ahead, give yourself permission to be a little excessive with YES! Moderation in moderation. I dig it. In Gratitude, Trish
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Life lately has been far more mobile posts than written blog entries; a pull to be really in it and less concerned with documenting. Sometimes, for me, being really present means stepping away from the blessing (and occasional curse) that is technology and simply having every moment of my life as it unfolds. Ride the waves, embrace what comes up. Face every gift or challenge as they arise with a patient heart and a willingness to learn. Giving full permission to self and others to laugh, play, sing, dance, travel. But life lately? Well, it's been lovely. It's been baskets of fries and fancy cocktails by the fireside. And it's been sunsets over misty mountain coastlines. Life lately inspires cartwheels on beautiful beaches (extra credit for pointed toes). And hikes to quiet corners of the forest (where I awkwardly perch on rocks in front of water falls?). It's playing childhood games with the people I originally played them with as a youth...including those same spidery fingers :) And life lately is fish tacos prepared by handsome boys, while growing puppies watch hopefully for stray scraps. Life lately is so lovely I almost feel it's as if I'm getting a nod from the Universe to say I'm in the flow, deeply--a nod that my deep breaths, shifts of perspective and trust in something bigger than me having my back have clicked a force in motion that allows me to genuinely enjoy the vulnerability of the unknown instead of worrying about it.
And the unknown is still very much the unknown. No plan. No timeline. No rush to determine either one. But I am very, very grateful for it. And I'm here for all of it. Seems like there really is something to just showing up for life. Every day. love and light, Trish Driving from SF to SD along the PCH has been on my bucket list for years. Throw in a night of camping in Big Sur? Happy little girl.
Found these photos on my phone today of the little Lucy goose we all know and love. They are from the very first time I puppysat for her. Dang, they grow up fast.
Julie- I meant to post this sooner. Seriously? You *made* this for me? How are you so amazing?!
I hope my mailman loved it as much as I do (I can't tell you how hard I laughed upon opening my mailbox). This will remain on my fridge forever. Long live Carly Rae!! "Are you ever serious?", he asked as I playfully danced around his room, talking in silly voices while he packed for yet another business trip. I would have giggled at his observation if it hadn't been delivered with rolled eyes and a sigh of disapproval. Am I not serious enough? I pouted as I carefully took a seat next to the pile of clothes yet to be packed. Do I have a maturity issue or something? We'd been dating off and on for about 7 months, by which I mean we were together when he wasn't too busy to make time for me or had a sudden (and always fleeting) need to feel coupled up. His comment stung me deeply and was, I believe, the first true a-ha moment I had that our "union" was not sustainable. Isn't it funny how someone can make a characteristic you've always liked about yourself seem like the absolute worst quality you possess with one simple snide comment? How a single opinion can weigh more dark and heavily on our hearts than the one you lovingly believe for yourself? Looking back I can't help but shake my head at the fact I actually asked myself if I wasn't a serious enough person. C'mon, Trish, give yourself a little credit! Anyone who knows me at all knows I certainly do not coast through life poo-pooing the serious. Heart to hearts, confiding, sharing intimacy--these are all things I greatly cherish within my relationships. If you are willing to be vulnerable and authentic with me, then let me go ahead and crack open a bottle of wine so we can share our stories properly and with open hearts and minds. But anyone who knows me at all also knows I am prone to a case of the sillies. In summary--I love to laugh only slightly less than making others laugh. Can this pull towards playfulness sometimes be used as a coping mechanism in life? Absolutely. I know all too well that I occasionally use humor to deter sadness, anger or insecurity. Yet I also know life will deal you serious cards whether you like it or not. I know that even our best laid plans fall subject to deviation; even our greatest intentions can spiral out into messy situations. The ying and yang of living dictates we may experience some painful shit during our time on this planet, ya know? So to me, it's a question of why waste your time stewing and brewing and worrying and taking everything oh so seriously when we have the glorious choice of seeing humor (and LIGHT) in every dark nook and cranny. Sharing heart felt sentiments with another living soul is only ever upped...in my very humble opinion...by sharing a belly aching laugh with them. I said it in the "About" section of this blog and I'll say it again here: I'm serious about living, but I don't take myself too seriously. I love my playful, childlike sense of quirky humor. There, I said it! I'm putting it out there as an affirmation for myself: I. Love. Being. Playful. And you know what? I know the right partner will someday love it, too. Shed light, Trish While fixing my morning coffee on my family trip (the details of which, out of courtesy to their privacy, will remain between just us) our wonderful host observed I was about to pour whole milk into my cup. "Oh you prefer soy!", he said, "Hold on let me grab it..." "No, no!" I insisted, "this milk is totally fine." "You're allowed to have choices in life, you know." he replied. Huh. Yea, I guess I am, aren't I? And with that one simple comment I realized that I have, as of late, been slightly living my life in a way that reflects an insecurity driven desire to be agreeable. In an effort not to "rock the boat" I've eaten meat at meals when I really don't wish to be eating it (and have thus suffered the consequences via my sensitive tummy), I've asked permission to perform tasks I am perfectly capable of completing without approval and I haven't truly spoken up in certain relationships where I feel I need to speak my truth out of fear of "pushing them away". Yikes, this is no bueno. Sometimes the reality of how beautiful and blessed my life is causes me to feel oddly guilty. Do you ever feel that way, too? I get hit with a line of thinking that asks why should I have so much when others have so little? Wouldn't it be more fair if I always just settled for what comes my way and be grateful for it, never pushing the boundaries? But the truth is, I do deserve good things and I am wholly allowed to have choices. We all deserve those things and we all have the power to make choices that are right for us. I've said it here before: the #1 regret of the dying is, in summary, not living a life that was true to them. Having choices and exercising our abilities to make them is a big part of ensuring we leave this planet without the regret of feeling like we lost ourselves along the way. (side note: a lose-yourself detour can be a huge break through and adventure --but I'd always hope authenticity returned with fresh breath afterward). I think it's admirable for people to practice the art of compromise and to always be grateful for what they have (expressing gratitude for what is always strengthens the potential for what will be), but I also think it is not particularly healthy to give up having the gift of choices simply to be agreeable. No one truly wins that way. So, if you prefer to take your coffee with soy milk instead of dairy, that's a totally A-OK choice to make--you don't have to feel badly for having preferences or accepting someone's offer to help you exercise them. Wouldn't you want your friends, family or guests to be genuinely happy with their choices? If we feel uncomfortable vocalizing our preferences in small moments like the one on my vacation, then we're going to have a heck of a time vocalizing our authentic desires in the bigger, heavier, this-really-makes-a-difference-in-my-life ones. Choose what's right for you. Receive. Embrace. Say thank you and yes please....then enjoy your coffee exactly the way you like it :) In Gratitude, Trish |
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