The basic recipe for happiness is very simple: When in doubt, open to the Light, and you shall receive clarity. When in pain, open to the Light, and you shall be embraced with Love. It works, but... somehow we just don't manage to follow the advice. Why? I always like to go back to observing the processes in Nature, and find solace in the insights I gain.
There's day and there's night, and sometimes the Sun and the Stars disappear behind the condensed masses of vapors floating in the atmosphere. Water is essential for living on the Earth; we need rain. And so it is with human existence. We want to be active and we require rest. We experience joys and sorrows, we laugh and we cry, we expand and contract. Perhaps we need tears. Yes, to wash away the suffering, but also to transform emotions into feelings. When all the salty liquid is squeezed out of the dark clouds hovering over the Soul, then laughter can be heard again, and the illusions of separation and loneliness crumble to dust. We breathe in fresh air of inspiration and soak in the strength of the Sun. Until we swell with tears anew, and we weep to nourish our gifts to shine in the brightness afterwards.
The key is to remember that the Sun always greets the morning, and says farewell to the evening. Trust that you will have sufficient amount of hours for work, and plenty of time to recuperate. Be patient with yourself and others.
A seed quietly sleeps in the cold ground through the Winter, yet, is not inactive, but moves gently inside. Preparing. One day the temperature rises and snow melts. The germinating core is ready, and gives birth to a curious sprout peaking through the soil. What does it see? Other bright-eyed beginnings, but also brown leaves decomposing. The young nod in reverence, and understand that the old are transforming to offer nutrients for the future. The tender sprout is confident to fulfill the mission that was encoded in the kernel whence it arose. Its blueprint includes sweet flowering to make people smile, and messy decaying to provide food for new life.
Have you ever noticed how drooping tulips perk up when put in water? Likewise, our slumbering ideas need to be rejuvenated. The etheric field or chi energy, surrounding the physical body, gives us Life. How do we nourish it? By hands-on creative activities: any needlework, weaving, scrapbooking, painting, sculpting, woodwork, gardening would do. If you write, do it by hand first into a paper journal, instead of typing on a computer or mobile device. The coordination of head and hand has to pass through the heart area. Thinking and doing imbued with feeling supply us with flowing juices. Searching for that elusive youth tonic? It's hidden in plain sight, in the most divine of human activities: creativity. It bypasses the anxiety mode (thus relaxes), and invigorates our higher human capacities of the frontal lobe. No, I'm not making this up, just digesting the neuroscientific research out there, along with my own experiences. I've been indulging in various needlecrafts, and movement modalities -- ballet, modern dance, and eurythmy -- since I was seven. The article "Neuroscientist Explains Why Crafting Is Great for Mental Health" is a quick read, but I encourage you to go for a more comprehensive summary, covering several decades of scientific explorations, in Smart Moves and Playing in the Unified Field by Dr. Carla Hannaford.
The fresh greenery grows from and amidst the withering plants. The decomposed matter enriches the soil to fuel emerging growth full of colors. We are reminded to review our past habits and experiences with care in the quiet of the Soul. The insights will feed the vibrant new endeavors -- practices and ideas -- whose seeds may have been planted a while ago, either earlier in this incarnation, or even in our previous sojourns on the planet Earth.
The white snow is a protective blanket that slows us down with the invitation to step within and find what has to be gratefully placed on the compost pile. Its rich substance will encourage the bits of dreams to push through the unconscious, and surprise us with glorious creations. There are no deadlines, just the right moment for a kernel to blossom. There is no hurry: Your dream will manifest exactly when and how it is meant to come true.
Through the cycles of joys and sorrows, the Soul keeps its flame alive. Happiness is cultivated through Trust in the Light, Patience with the process of Life, Confidence in one's Highest Self, and Acceptance of the eternal Transformation. To be happy is to be in love with one's destiny, from the exuberant infatuation when we are young, to mature intimate relationships as we get older. The Soul's inner Light and the heart's cosmic Love become one in the sustainable glow of Trust, Patience, Confidence, Acceptance. Light awakens Love. Understanding in the mind opens the heart to compassion.
Over to you, dear Soulful Reader:
Which bright ray needs your gentle attention at this moment in your life: Trust, Patience, Confidence, Acceptance? Or perhaps they all await your caring touch?