you can also PARTICIPATE

This bird was touring Art A Whirl this weekend with her family.
What a lovely and inspiring creature!

There is a place just for you where you can participate.  If you haven't found this place yet, you will.  It's inevitable if it's your desire.

I used to have mixed up ideas about the act of participating.  The thought of participation in life used to immediately drain me.  I was too exhausted in my attempt at keeping all the balls I had in the air.  In fact, I was so focussed on making sure I had my eyes on those balls, I would miss out on what was happening right here and now.

Sure, I knew the key to living a happy and content life was living in the present but knowing this intellectually and being able to practice it emotionally and spiritually are two different things.

The more attention I give to my own drummer, the more I follow that very deep, quiet inner voice, the less I stare those balls down - that are in the air - (oh, and let them drop, if they need to drop, yes), the more life comes to me in a way that works for me.

For the past three weeks, I have been trying to follow my energy.  It's extremely counter-intuitive for me and yet, I am not sure that "counter-intuitive" is the word I want to use because what I have been doing for the past three weeks is a practice in following that deep, quiet voice of intuition.  This means that, although there doesn't seem to be logic in doing what is next, it's working - little by little.  I have accomplished more in the last three weeks than I do when I am obsessively creating to-do lists and running myself ragged trying to cross them off (while adding more).  I can honestly say that everything I have needed to do is done and I do not feel overwhelmed, exhausted, over worked, "behind", etc.  I feel relaxed.  And to feel this way in the midst of this past weekend is NEW.

There are tiny ways and opportunities for us to listen to that quiet, inner voice everyday.  The next time you hear the voice that says, "Do this..", try it out.  See what happens.  Watch life come to you.  Participate.

* Oh, and also (the fine print), practicing this is the farthest thing from easy. In fact, for me, living this way is more difficult.  With this practice, I constantly hear LOUD voices - ones that say, "That doesn't make sense!" or "You should be doing... instead!" If these loud voices appear, just keep going.  The more you practice the more distant they become.

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