My mother sent me this awhile ago and I absolutely loved it. It goes along with my new perspective on my new life (OK well it's the same life I've always had, I've just added new activities and changed location). My mother raised me to be independent on purpose and I attribute much of my current happy situation to her influence.
Receiving Your Own Beautiful Life - by Tama Kieves
I have often had a restless spirit. I have often thought I should have scored higher, weighed less, bought nicer furniture, and did something with my hair. But I am working with myself to let go of this impoverished way of being. I hope you will join me in this crusade for true peace and abundance.
I do not want to be anywhere else.
These are words of luxury. These are words of mystery. These are words of quantum healing. Sit down on the pillow of your own good life and be still. Stop searching, demanding, aching, casting about.
I do not want to be anywhere else.
This is what it means to live all the days of your life. This is what it means to stop and receive. You are like a hungry bird and you cannot receive because you have rejected the source of nutrition. The only source of nutrition is your present life. It's not over there or under that. It doesn't come later and it doesn't get better. You get better. You get better by believing in the remarkable perfection and wholeness of your own life.
I do not want to be anywhere else.
Let go of striving. Let go of hatred. Don't push away your bowl. Instead notice the crack and let its jagged line stroke your heart with its innocence and determination. It has something to teach you. That's why it's there. Everything has something to give you.
I do not want to be anywhere else.
These are words like open sesame. Dimensions reveal their secret light, their guarded precious language. Everything has always awaited you like a bowl of fresh fruit. Only you wanted to sit at someone else's table. You wanted another moment. You wanted another life. That desire cost more than you know. Don't pay the price. Seize the only existence you have. Seize your blemished moment, your exhausting day, your confusion and your elation.Everything in the media trains us to crave and hunger. Commercials starve us with the promise that satisfaction is over there. It's impossible. Satisfaction cannot be where I am not.
I do not want to be anywhere else.
This does not mean I will not walk out of the rain into a dry place. It means I will not belittle the rain. I will not regret the moisture on my skin. I will move forward. I will go where I am called and where I belong. But not with irritation or deprivation in my heart. I don't want to miss a moment of my life. I don't want to be anywhere else.
This time in my life is a gift. Not every woman (and certainly not every woman in the LDS church) gets young, single working years to focus solely on her own growth and development. I do not yet have to worry about maintaining a happy, healthy relationship with my husband or raising happy, well-adjusted children; those things will come in their proper time and place. My only hope is that I can use this time to really develop the attributes and skills God would have me develop during this time. I'd hate to find myself at the end of this period reflecting back and have nothing more to say than, "Well, I did a lot of shopping." There will be plenty of shopping, mind you. But so much more than that. I need to pour myself into church, work, service, family, friendships, travel, health, learning, and fun.
God has put me exactly where I need to be and has placed everything that I need in my path. I truly believe that. One of my favorite all-time scriptures (also copied from my mother and the theme of an education week talk I attended with RZ this summer) is Psalms 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God." I need this oh so badly at times. Quit crying, quit worrying, quit complaining, and for heaven's sake pick yourself up off the floor and be still and know that I am God. I'm thinking about having this printed in vinyl letters to stick on my wall. There's a perfect space just above my closet doors.
Today as I drove down the Seward Highway along the Alaskan coast I had a lot of time to reflect as I admired the beauty of the snow-covered mountains and the ice-covered water. I was struck so strongly that there was nowhere I would rather be at that moment. I could not be more thrilled to be on a business trip for a job I love and exploring an area of the world I've never been before. I love that I went to school at BYU and studied accounting. I love that I now live in Portland. I love my family. I love my friends. I love me. Thank you thank you thank you for this life.
2 comments:
Well I certainly don't think you're in danger of wasting this time you have. You've had such a good attitude and have taken lots of great mental steps. I'm SO impressed. Thanks for being a good example. Once again I'm sure I'll follow your lead one year after you make the trek, just as I watched you in the Junior Core and the MAcc before entering myself.
This is a beautiful article. I get caught in the same trap, thinking everything will be better later or thinking everything would be better if only I had done this or if only I were like that.
That scripture on your wall would be a great addition. If finding vinyl lettering outside of Utah County is a problem let me know and I'll hook you up!
This was such a great post! Thanks for sharing! I'm strongly in favor of making the most of every single second of life. Every day has so many adventures and stories to tell. We cheat ourselves out of all the richness life has to offer when we're wishing we were anywhere else. (And, ok, what I really mean is: Rather than wishing our church meetings were more up to par, we should laugh freely and embrace the crazy!)
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