seven words of well-being for beginners on the journey

We’re all beginners at something, and the journey to be whole now is no different.

We spend our entire lives (whether we’re aware of it or not!) on the way to becoming, on a pathway toward being whole, of creating lives that feel fluid, dynamic and seamless — rather than disjointed, ajumble, and fraught with fragmentation.

Like any endeavor worth undertaking (of which this is surely one if not The One!), we start by sticking our fingers in our mouths and noticing our toes, then we roll over at some point and eventually begin to explore our wider universe.

It’s not that different today. The exploration goes on as we delve into universes seen and unseen. As we realize that it’s vaster than we might have imagined just moments ago. And in a moment from now, in another now – if we’re paying attention – we may notice that we have barely grazed the tip of the iceberg.

How can we possibly grasp the endless potentiality of it all?

Truly, there’s nothing to be said that hasn’t been said or written or taught before. Consider this simply an in-a-nutshell pocket guide, a microscopic nibble from one ginormous bushel of infinity. As ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu noted, “The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one’s feet.” See? There they are! Your very own toes…

Ponder

Stop thinking so hard and ponder instead. Reflect and consider and take all the time you want. Turn a question over and over in your mind; see it forward and backward and upside down and from the inside out. Reflect upon the decisions you’ve made in your life: Don’t analyze. Ponder the choices you make when it comes to relationships: Don’t push to figure it out. Say Hmmmm often when you ponder. Ask yourself Could I be…? What if I…? Is it possible that I’ve…. Is it worth considering…?” Be content not to know, just to wonder, to ponder.

Open

Open wide. Wider. Be open to miracles. Be open to the possibility that some things defy rational thought. It’s not important that you ultimately agree: What matters is that you remain open. Open your heart as well as your mind. Open your eyes and make your own observations. Open your ears and listen to what others are saying – or what they’re not saying. Trust enough to open up and experience your deepest feelings. To open up so far that it feels uncomfortable. Even though you want to keep the door closed, you can’t remain open and shut.

Feel

If you want to be wholly human, you must allow yourself to feel. Feel it all. The pain, the grief, the fear, the rage, the loneliness, the emptiness, and yes, eventually, the love and the joy. Thinking about your feelings doesn’t count, and no one else can feel them for you. Feel exhausted from running to catch up; feel the first flush of exhilaration; feel your way through the numbing and the darkness and feel yourself emerge on the other side. Every time you hide your feelings, a part of you is lost. Go and find it. If you feel paralyzed, find a safe and trustworthy guide to assist you on your way.

Release

Let go and let it go and let it begone! Let your feelings come all the way up so you can send them packing. When you get to the truth of how you feel about people or places or situations, get out from under their hold over you. Let go of old beliefs that say you’ll never have enough or do enough or be enough. Let go of your inner critics and judges; tell them Thanks but I won’t be needing you anymore – and wish them Bon Voyage. Loosen or slash altogether the cords that hold you back. Divest yourself of the old memories that no longer serve you, and liberate yourself into a life freely lived.

Connect

Connect up with the totality of who you are, and then connect up with others of like vibration. Drop your need to be an island unto yourself. Create sustainable communities and practice collaboration. Seek out people who actively choose love over fear, who honor the divine masculine and feminine in every being, who see themselves as co-creators with the All-There-Is. Connections happen in extraordinary ways when you let them. When you feel yourself drawn to someone for reasons you can’t explain. When you feel you are Home amid a roomful of strangers. When you surrender to Source, you connect.

Embody

Bring your experience out of the ethers and into your body. Stop thinking and talking about change and move into meaningful action. Take a symbolic step. When it’s grounding you need, dig in the earth. Rake, shovel, plant, walk in the woods or lie down in the grass and embody the grounding you seek. Before you teach anything, live it. Ready to stretch your professional boundaries? Start with yoga. If you’re seeking to clear inner clutter, begin in your closets. To slow down your pace, take a slow, peaceful walk. When you’re itching to move, rearrange the furniture. Thoughts and ideas and visions may come from above, but your whole life is lived out in your body.

Transform

Transform yourself and see how everyone around you is transformed. Transform your fear into strength, your confusion into clarity, your judgment into love. Transform your relationships with your parents, your children, your friends and co-workers. Transform your thoughts into action, your ideas into reality. Transform your bedroom into a serene and sacred temple. Now transform yourself into the goddess or god who lives there. When you transform your old patterns into something entirely new, you shift your very existence. Transform these simple words into a prayer for transformation: For the highest good of All That I Am, and the highest for All That There Is.