Seneca, The Shortness of Life and Your Sundown GPS

Hello,
It's Sunita here.

I sat by the edge of the lake last week surrounded by the pleasant chatter of families gathered there to see the sun set. As I enjoyed the exquisite show in the sky put on by nature, I was immersed in my own thoughts of what the sundown meant to me.

The departure of the sun was ceremonious and marked the end of a day that would never be experienced by me again. I was reminded of the words of the  philosopher Seneca.

" Even if all the bright intellects who ever lived were to agree to ponder the one theme, they would never sufficiently express their surprise at this fog in the human mind.
Men do not let anyone seize their estates, and if there is any dispute about their boundaries they rush to stones and arms; but they allow others to encroach on their lives- why, they themselves even invite in those who take over their lives.
You will find no one willing to share out his money; but to how many does each of us divide up his life! People are frugal in guarding their personal property: but as soon as it comes to squandering time, they are most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy."

Our lives have a flow to them that is constantly being influenced by external factors. The motives, needs, desires and sense of urgency of others can become a driving force of our day.

One day leads to another and before we know it, we are at a stage of our life where we question what we accomplished. What did we spend our time on? Was it meaningful to us? Was it our deep work? Did it bring us joy? Was it just what others wanted us to do or was it driven by our passions and purpose?

How did we spend our time?

Seneca, in The Shortness of Life offers an absolute must read for anyone who is looking to create a life of meaning in today's world of distractions and illusions of urgency and importance. There is no reason for any of us to be overwhelmed by the shortness of life as the fact as Seneca succinctly articulates is that Life is long, if you know how to use it.

At sundown, I ask myself these 5 questions every day.
This practice keeps me focused on my priorities and helps me stay in my lane without veering into the millions of other lanes that are going in directions and to places that I have no interest in. They also save me from taking turns that lead me down the wrong path.

Sundown GPS.

1. Did I invest in myself- physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually?
2. Did I move my life plan forward in any way- big or small?
3. Did I do for those whom I love and are responsible for?
4. Did I give my time away to people, activities, meetings, projects and matters that play no role in my life and it's mission?
5. Did I love?

We all have the power to choose and how we choose to spend our time determines the outcome of our life. My Sundown GPS has changed the way I look at each day and I think it can do that for you too! It is never too early to understand how short life is and we must stop waiting for a specific age or stage of our life to truly start living our truth! 

It's Today. Right Now. This Very Minute.

Wishing you a week of good use of your time,

Be well Do well Live well

Love,

Sunita.

#selfloveselfcarefirst#seneca#shortnessoflife#greatideas#sunset#sundown#sundowngps#time

It's Okay to Take Shelter Under a Bridge on a Rainy Day

Hello,
It's Sunita here.

I was driving back from visiting a friend last week when it started to rain. I slowed down a bit but otherwise, the weather had no impact on my trip. However as I drove under a bridge, I noticed a group of motorcyclists who had stopped there to avoid driving in the rain. It certainly made sense to me as I passed by. If I were driving a bike, I would not want to venture out in the pouring rain and would have done exactly what they were doing. Taking shelter under the bridge until things cleared up on the road.

So why is it so hard for us to do that when we feel blue or under the weather? Where does the belief that we must forge ahead at all costs come from? Many a times, dragging our battered selves to 'show up' is punishing ourselves for the simple crime of needing some 'under the bridge' time. Life is not a straight line and sometimes, we feel less than capable of tackling the big and small of our journey. I believe those times are hints for us to take it easy so we can regroup, recover and regain our vitality.

I now understand that the rain is only going to be for a short time and as soon as the clouds clear up, I will get on my bike and get back on the highway. While I retreat, I use that time to pamper myself with stillness, consideration and compassion. I allow the blues to stay with me as my friends for a short period of time- listening to the messages that they may bring with them. I don't judge myself for taking a short break but instead, am proud that I know when I should be taking shelter 'under the bridge'.

Self Love Self Care First is not only a practice, but an art of being able to listen deeply to ourselves and to be able to respond appropriately, effectively and in a timely fashion to what we understand our needs to be. Self love is about successfully replacing our narrative of self criticism and judgment with self congratulations on being in tune with our body and mind. And soul.

It's okay to feel the need to be cocooned and the desire to withdraw from the hustle of daily life. Actually, it is a necessity. That's why we have days when it's almost impossible to get up and go. They are signs. On those days, do what you must, but otherwise, go easy on yourself and make it a point to take shelter 'under the bridge'. I promise, you will feel invigorated and energized once you do and will continue on your journey with vigor and enthusiasm as soon as the rain stops.

Wishing you a wonderful week!
Be well Do well Live well.
Love,
Sunita
#selfloveselfcarefirst#underthebridge#shelter#cocoon#motorcycle#blues#selfcompassion

Where to Start to Be Kind

Hello,
It's Sunita here.

"Be kind". I see this sign every day. It hangs between my writing sanctuary and my work space. I spotted it a few months ago while browsing at a store that sells cute stuff. And inspirational sayings, in all forms. Pillows, signs, wall hangings, stationary, mugs and sundries.

What does it mean to be kind.  Kind is an adjective. The definition of kind is
1 a : of a sympathetic or helpful nature (was helped by a kind neighbor)
   b : of a forbearing nature : Gentle (kind treatment of animals)
   c : arising from or characterized by sympathy or forbearance ( a kind act)
2    : of a kind to give pleasure or relief (cooled by a kind breeze)
3   Chiefly dialectal : Affectionate, loving

Source: Merriam Webster dictionary

We are taught to be kind to others from an early age. It feels great when we are the recipient of kindness from another person. But now, looking through my lens of Self Love Self Care First, I note how I was never encouraged to be kind to myself. By anyone. Not by my parents, not by my teachers, not by my friends. I always thought of kindness as something that I was supposed to offer to others.

I am down with that. I love being kind. I feel awful about myself when I am not. But being kind has always been in relationship to others. Never has kindness been about being kind to myself.

Until recently.

Now, having the understanding that I do, I practice self love first. Such a basic concept has changed my life. And that of everyone around me. Because I am a much better person when I treat myself with love, consideration and kindness.

When I see the sign Be Kind as I move about my work space, I am instantly reminded to be kind to myself. Instead of getting frustrated and down on myself when I don't succeed at something, I consciously decide to appreciate my determination to get it right. I give myself kudos for having the motivation to overcome the barriers to accomplishing what I want to. 

That instantly relieves the pressure of judgment and disapproval. And it gives me patience to work through what I have to, without resorting to being miserable to be around. 

It has simply changed the game for me.

I stuck this note on my door so that every time I enter my room, I read it. My brain registers the message of self love first and I am reminded to be kind to me. That leads me to a state of calm, optimism and creativity which spreads to my environment. And makes me want to be more kind to others.

It now makes no sense to me to offer kindness to others while I viciously tear myself down. When I suffered from the ravages of the effects of trauma, I routinely neglected myself in ways that were invisible. Not offering myself kindness was one of the more commonly used methods of self punishment.

So to answer the question- Where to start to Be Kind?

With yourself! 

If you need to put up reminders to show compassion and love for yourself, do it. Eventually, you will become a pro at Self Love and will know when you are out of sync with yourself and be able to find a way to get back into a Self Love Self Care First mode.

Good luck :)

Wishing you a week full of kindness,

With love,

Sunita

#selfloveselcarefirst#kindness#selflove#selfcompassion

Toni Morrison and Language- How She Inspires Us to Use this Instrument

Hello,
It's Sunita.

We lost a towering human being this week. Toni Morrison died on August 5th, 2019 after a brief illness. Ms. Morrison, a celebrated writer , influenced and touched millions of people in her lifetime. Tributes poured in and continue to, describing the effect she had on individuals.

Toni Morrison was a national treasure, as good a storyteller, as captivating, in person as she was on the page. Her writing was a beautiful, meaningful challenge to our conscience and our moral imagination. What a gift to breathe the same air as her, if only for a while.- President Barack Obama

In the beginning was the Word. Toni Morrison took the word and turned it into a Song…of Solomon, of Sula, Beloved, Mercy, Paradise Love, and more. 
She was our conscience. Our seer. Our truth-teller. 
She was a magician with language, who understood the Power of words. She used them to roil us, to wake us, to educate us and help us grapple with our deepest wounds and try to comprehend them. 
It is exhilarating and life-enhancing every time I read and share her work.
This pic was her first appearance on the Oprah Show.
She was Empress-Supreme among writers. Long may her WORDS reign!- Oprah Winfrey

Toni Morrison's talent and courage made her contributions to humanity so vast and deep that eulogizing her in a way that would reflect any resemblance of her impact on us would be impossible. So I won't even attempt to do that. Instead, I would like to share the words of this incredible woman that made a deep impression on me and serve as a guide to how I aspire to use words.

On December 7th, 1993, Ms. Morrison delivered her Noble Lecture on the occasion of her receiving the Noble Prize in Literature. You can hear Toni Morrison's Nobel Lecture too.

"...She's worried about how the language she dreams in, given to her at birth is handled, put into service, even withheld from her for certain nefarious purposes. Being a writer, she thinks of language partly as a system, partly as a living thing over which one has control- but mostly as agency..." Toni Morrison.

Most of us cannot be Toni. Neither should we aspire to be her.

We should aspire to be the very highest form of who we are.

That is enough. And that is much more than who we usually live as. So I take Ms. Morrison's words about language as an inspiration to use words to speak my truth and to speak out against what I know is the opposite of truth.

If we all did that, to the best of our abilities, then we can together, unveil and expose the tyranny, injustice and cruelty that exists, unchallenged in our world. If we did that, to the best of our abilities, then we would also, collectively create a narrative that gives words to the beauty and power of our truths and illustrates the infinite possibilities for connection with each other through love.

That is what Ms. Morrison did with everything she wrote. She used language as a vehicle of agency.

We can too.

How do you use language? I challenge you to ponder this question and furthermore, see how you can you be inspired by the work of Toni Morrison to be the voice of our collective conscious in the trying times of today.

I wish you a week of language,
Use it wisely and deliberately.
Our voices have power!
With my love,
Sunita

#selfloveselfcarefirst#tonimorrison#nobelprize#literature#RIP#respect#words#barckobama#oprahwinfrey#language#truth#authenticity#power

Photo Credit- Noble Foundation, Photo Boo Jonsson

Our Intuition Recognizes 'Strangers' as Our Soul Friends - The Story of The Zen Bowl

Hello,
It's Sunita here.

It was the summer of 2014. 
We were in Seattle on the last day of vacation. Our flight back to Newark was not until 11 pm that night. We were slightly at odds on how to spend the day. Having energetically and enthusiastically checked off many tourist musts in the Pacific Northwest over the past couple of weeks, we were in a place of 'now ready to get back home'. Something ambitious was not appealing. However, the thought of doing nothing and spending the day resting in our hotel room was not what we had in mind either. So we found a comfortable middle ground. After breakfast, we decided to leisurely explore Seattle's First Avenue.

As we walked down the vibrant, bustling artery of Seattle's urban landscape, we dipped in and out of shops, visited the Seattle Art Museum and ate our share of creative fare offered by the gourmet eateries along the way. And of course, drank coffee. Lots of it. It was now approaching the time to get to the airport.

As we were walking back to our hotel, I noticed a store. I passed it, but could not ignore something that was buzzing around me. I went back and looked at the display. It was an art gallery named Ventri. 

It looked expensive. I did not need anything from there. We had no time to waste as we had a flight to catch. My husband and daughters were certainly not interested in going into one more store at this point. Let alone an art gallery...

I walked away. My common sense and logic prevailed. Yet, I somehow felt uneasy about my decision. Feeling guilty about holding everyone up and possibly causing a delay, I hesitated a bit but then decided to turn back and enter the world of Ventri. As I had suspected, it was full of exquisite art, mostly glass, and wildly beyond any budget I would have had for a 'parting gift' from our trip. I wandered upstairs to the Chihuly Exhibit. In contemplation, I quietly admired the artistry and imagination of this great artist.

But I still felt a pull to something unknown, somewhere else in the store. As I was making my way to exit the store, my eyes landed on a glass bowl. I stopped. This was it! It was what I was meant to see. An instantaneous purchase was made, paid for and packed for the flight back home. Somehow, unexplainably, in that moment, I felt a clear calmness.

It was weeks after getting home that I found time to read the information that Ventri had enclosed with my glass bowl. I learned that it was the art of Scott Fitzel from Hawaii. And that there was an entire line of Zen glass bowls that he made, based on the chakras that we inhabit. All, very much in synergy with my interest in meditation and energy fields. I reached out to Scott directly and started to collect his Zen Bowls. I would also gift them to friends and family on special occasions. Scott and I would email back and forth. Pleasant enough and cordial.

Until last year when he learned about my poetry and my journey of healing. That is when we both realized that we had met before. 

Aloha Sunita,
... 
I was compelled to put off all the crazy busyness of this Friday morning and watch and absorb completely the conversation of you speaking of your work. I felt almost as if we were in the same room and you were in conversation with me and I was answering back to you
 ... 
Thank you for living for truth, growth and sharing and thank you for finding me all those years ago-otherwise I likely would not have found you now...
Me ke aloha
Mahalo nui loa
Scott

The fact is that Scott had found me years ago. When his soul whispered to me as I walked the streets of Seattle. I am so grateful that I paid attention to my intuition and surrendered to it, allowing me to be led to something unknown.Trusting that it was part of a plan. And in that, I reconnected to a soul friend. Even after this connection was made, it took me awhile to recognize Scott.

Now, Scott and I catch up ever so often in a manner that is deep, meaningful and familiar. I see him through his sculptures and his words and I feel he sees me through my poetry and words.Our creativity was the bridge that brought us back together. We recognize each other from before. Our communication is without pretense. It is full of vulnerability and share. 

We are still to meet in person but don't feel the compulsion or urgency to do so in order to solidify our friendship. It is already there. It existed before we knew each other. It will remain after we are gone.

I share a photograph of a sculpture that Scott and his partner KC Grennan recently designed, and his words that describe their vision and intent. 

"Here is a photo of a piece that Kc and I finished recently for the Hapuna Hotel on Hawaii Island. It's called Ao Lani Wai Lani. Translates closely but not heaven in the Bible context to 'Pure light from heaven, sacred water from heaven'. The gathering bowl below is alo a place to gather, sit and look up and out at the sunset and endless blue."

Have you felt such an intuition? Did you listen to your inner voice and follow it's track to discover a soul friend? Did you ignore your intuition and regret it?

I'd love to hear from you about your experiences.

We have a guide inside us who is wiser than our conscious awareness. But to be able to hear it, we must do the work to cut down on the noise, doubt and fear that we collect along the way of our journey. Only then can we connect to the infinity that we inhabit. And be led to our soul friends.The joy of discovering our souls companions, connecting to their energy and inspiration and being in harmony with them is what our journey is all about.

There is no one who writes about this more exquisitely and tenderly than John O' Donohue. I encourage you to read Anam Cara. You will quickly see how it becomes a companion book that you will want to keep with you at all times and gift to your loved ones.

I thank you Scott- for being a soul friend to me and bringing great beauty to my life through your art, your words and your spirit. I look forward to seeing you in Hawaii someday in the near future!

Wishing everyone a week of light,

Aloha,

Sunita

#selfloveselfcarefirst#scottfitzel#glass#sculpture#seattle#ventri#soul#zenbowls#chakras#hawaii#johnodonohue#anamcara#meditation#mindfulness#poetry#anamcara#hapunahotel