Supported
It’s November! You’ve probably already made plans for the holidays and are ramping up for all the festivities to come. It’s a time for food and family (both of which I adore). It’s also a time when our relationships can be tried and tested, a time when we may find ourselves drawn back into old emotional patterns. Family can be a source of great joy while also bringing up unresolved feelings within us.
A few days I saw a quote by Brian Andreas: “There are days I drop words of kindness on myself like falling leaves and remember that it is enough to be cared for by myself.” We are often more powerful than we realize. Whether you are alone or with family if feelings of judgement, guilt and lack arise, remember this. You are supported.
Support comes from many angles. We are undeniably supported by those that care for us. We do not achieve things alone. It is our friends, our family, even workplace leaders, the ones we can be vulnerable with, that set the stage for us to be our best selves. We need only show up and shine. Certainly, we do the work, but their support (physical, emotional, financial) make us expansive. They give us opportunities to succeed and safe spaces to fail. They give us love to bridge the gap when we just aren’t able to find a way. Their ability to play a large role in our lives also means it can be scary to let them down or make a choice we fear they won’t understand. This support can sometimes feel conditional, so know you are supported in another way as well.
We are also supported and connected to something even greater. My meditative journey has introduced me to a new concept – that I am always supported by the Universe. I have embraced this idea and found peace in it, especially on days when I feel alone and disconnected. I remember this idea that every breath I take is a gift from the Earth, an exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide. I receive the support I need and in return provide necessary support. The ground reliably supports me whether at rest, work or play. I keep receiving the bounty of the Universe through food, water, air, sunshine. I am a part of an eternal feedback loop. I am always receiving.
Maybe this feels like a stretch, but the next time you’re feeling like you could use a little boost, step outside, take a deep breath, exhale and feel: the ground beneath you, the air inside you, the sun upon you, the love within you and around you.
