There is an ancient saying in Thailand: “Life is so short, we must move very slowly.”
I don’t know about you, it’s not my feet that I need to slow down. It’s my brain. In fact, our brains are the fastest thing about us. And the brain’s main job? To keep us safe.
My brain can speed me right past an exquisitely nourishing feast of beauty and love laid before me. It can make me believe that I must hustle to solve the problem of tomorrow’s feast without stopping to savor the bounty that is being offered to me today.
In the words of Auntie Mama, “Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!”
What does life heap onto its banquet table for me? The very things that make me feel grateful for my life: love and beauty. It is when I remember to trust that they are always, always being served to me that I see them, sprinkled over everything. And I mean everything: My best days and my worst days, my joy and my pain.
Rumi wrote, "Beauty and Love are as body and soul." Love and beauty don’t give a fig about our accomplishments. They offer themselves to us, just as we are. And all we need to do to receive their bounty is trust that they are always there and look for them.
But first, we must slow down.
We live in a frantic world of hustling and doing, singing for our supper, earning our keep. There isn’t much we can do about that in this transactional world that values us for what we can produce and achieve. Our problem-seeking, problem-solving brains love this. It’s job security for them, and they don’t mind working overtime to create more work for themselves- and often, it’s work that doesn’t need to be done at all.
When our problem-seeking brains are the loudest, fastest part of ourselves, the receptive intelligence of our bodies goes quiet. And it is through our intimacy with our bodies and our senses that we receive so much of the beauty and love that is all around us.
You, Feminine Being, are built to be penetrated by love and beauty. And you are a great multiplier- it is your creational super power. The more you practice receiving love and beauty, the more love and beauty you create for yourself and for others.
My invitation for you this day- and every day- is for you to open your body and your soul to receive through an intimate connection with your senses. Even if you have not been practicing, your body knows how and it has been waiting for you:
Slow down.
Greet your body with love and tenderness, and lovingly stroke your face, arms, hair, breasts, belly, and legs.
Savor the aroma of your brewing coffee or tea, and delight in the anticipation of its flavor.
Receive the sweet scent of a favorite candle as you work.
Feel the gift of the sun as it warms your skin on a bright day. Feel the soft, muted tones of a rainy day bring a gentle calm to your soul.
Delight your eyes with what they love- art, color, nature, the places in your own home where you have created beauty.
Open your ears to the symphony of your surroundings: delicate birdsong, the rustle of leaves in the wind, the music that you have chosen to treat yourself to as you work.
Slowly savor an intentionally prepared meal with gratitude in your heart.
Receive a loved one’s smile and let it burst your heart open with love.
The more you expand your capacity to receive, the greater your feast will be.
This is P*ssytwinkle.
Of course, it's great! Keep writing good stuff! Lots to talk about. Hope you didn't mind my disagreeing a bit about the Michael Singer YouTube.
Linda, this is beautiful! I really love your writing, Kindred Spirit !!!