Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Heart Stuff


I came across a wonderful article this afternoon.  The title of the article was “When life gets Weird, Seek the Heart Stuff, written by Sara Crolick. See Link below:

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2014/01/when-life-gets-weird-seek-out-the-heart-stuff/ Life is weird and whilst in the middle of it we may not be able to make sense of what is happening around us, we still need to find our center.   Sara asks us to find our “Heartstuff” to find our center.  Some may call it breathing, some may call it exercising, some may call it meditation, some may call it mindfulness.  Whatever you may call it, what stayed with me is “heartstuff.” What makes our hearts “STIR” when all this weirdness is happening around us.  How important is it for our heart to continue to stir so that we can be reminded of certain essential truths – 1. We are exactly where we need to be right now.  2.  We need to maintain some sanity in this world of insanity. 3.  We need to continue to feel alive no matter what comes to the surface to us in life.  4. This is just a gentle reminder that the weirdness is our teacher and once we learn from it we can move on.   So while all this weirdness is happening, finding our HeartStuff as Sara says is very important.

This is where journaling and writing helps get the heartstuff out so that we can begin to find out what makes us tick, what makes us alive, what keeps us going.   To quote the article “Your heart will whisper, thank you and you’ll smile.”  Think of moments you have had when you feel that – that’s what really matters at the end of the day doesn’t it.  

 

So how does that apply to my day to day life.  Currently I work in an environment that can drive you to insanity if you allow it to.  I’ve mentioned this before in my prior entries – that working in a crisis environment and working in an environment that is often changing policy based on economic and political climate can be quite nerve wrecking.  That is my weird stuff.  But I remind myself daily – this too shall pass, and there is a reason for my existence.  And then life throws me an article like the one that I just mentioned –and it says “Find your heartstuff.”   That to me is inspiration.  That is my heart talking to me.   I need to find what gets my heart moving so I cannot be stuck in the insanity of politics.   I need to feel my heart breathe so that I don’t feel suffocated by individuals who are driven by power and politics.   And what is my heartstuff – my family.  The look in my son’s eyes when I get home from work and him wanting to share with me all these things he has learned in school.  The look on my son’s face when he wakes up from his sleep and he looks like he just woke up with a mohawk on his head.   As much as I hate the cold, the fresh air against my face for that split second and the first walk on fresh snow just admiring nature’s beauty.   Taking the time to listen to some old indian music that just makes me feel so fuzzy inside.   Eating bread.  Oh boy how I love bread in all its form.   Feeling my body stretch itself out doing yogic postures.   Reading some wonderful writing.   Making a friend smile.   Feeling grateful for having my sidekick prepare breakfast for my son while I get ready to go to work.  Feeling even more grateful for no traffic on the road.   A nice good conversation.   Some good writing time.  A phone call from someone who missed you and on many deeper levels asking me “Where have you been?”   These are my heart stuff.  

 

When I find it and I turn to it, it gets me out of my slump and gets me moving.   I have a smile on my face.  I feel a strum in my heart.   But most of all I am grateful beyond words.    The insanity around will go on, but I will keep smiling.  If I don’t I will fail myself, and I cannot – my heart won’t let me.   So for those of you out there that need to find your heart stuff – do it.   Because on days like these when you want to scream, you need it.  Keep your journal, keep your laptop, keep a scrap piece of paper next to you and figure it out.   It will save your day.  It did for me. 

 

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