Your Renaissance Year

RENAISSANCE...
a renewal of life... vigor... interest;
rebirth... revival... rediscovery;
a reawakening.

Walking Meditation
© Mircea Bezergheanu - Licensed For Use

Perhaps you sense that something is missing or just a little off in your life. How do you determine what is really lacking or what is needed to feel more fulfilled, more complete, more at peace?

Each of us have those answers within. The key is finding a way to access them. Everyone has a different way of unlocking or tapping into the essential answers to life's biggest questions.

I have found that movement — what some call walking meditation — is vital for finding answers, inspiration, my truth. Often, during or after a long walk, I find myself in a deeply peaceful state that enables me to hear what my heart is saying. Not only do I find my answers, but I typically experience a surge in creativity and energy. That is a winning combination when it comes to launching change.

Have you had some refreshing movement today? A relaxing walk, bike ride, or run?

Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake. ~ Wallace Stevens

One way to know it is time for change is when you are experiencing an inner restlessness. This can manifest itself in many different ways. I can often tell when I have reached an important restlessness threshold by lack of sleep — tossing and turning — and by the dread I feel in performing certain everyday functions. You might also feel it in a lack of interest in things you used to enjoy. Perhaps you find yourself just going through the motions. This can signal a need to make some key adjustments in your life.

When your heart speaks, take good notes. ~ Judith Campbell

Several years ago I discovered an incredibly simple yet powerful practice for drawing wisdom from within. The exercise, which was developed and shared by Julia Cameron, is called morning pages. Each morning, first thing, before my mind has time to become cluttered, I sit in a quiet place and write until I have filled three pages with stream of consciousness thoughts. What does that mean? You write down whatever comes to mind without judgment or editing. Nothing is forced. You can read more about this method in Cameron's The Artist's Way.

It sounds simple, but it truly works. When you sleep, your mind and your spirit are still processing a multitude of things. This dream-work, or whatever you choose to call it, is essential to our health and well-being. Often, we can gain rich insights from all that is being processed while we sleep. The morning writing allows one to draw from that well of insight before it is muddied or tainted by the distractions of the day.

I have frequently been astonished by what was revealed through my morning pages. Insight doesn't necessarily happen all at once. Typically, over the course of several days, I begin to see themes emerge. Those themes help me begin to realize what it is I need to pay greater attention to in my life.

Have you set aside some time for reflection today?

Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart
and try to love the questions themselves. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

The 100 Questions activity is exactly that...

A list of 100 of your most pressing questions. This list can contain any question that has significance for you. For example, on my list I have these questions: What are my true gifts and who could benefit most from them? How can I best achieve and maintain balance in my life?

Create your entire list in one sitting. Write quickly. It's perfectly fine if a question repeats itself in different variations. No points are deducted for spelling or grammar!

At first 100 questions may seem like a stretch. Once you get in a rhythm, though, you will find that you have plenty of questions - way more than 100. Later, after completing your list, it is very helpful to group your listings by creating categories for similar or related questions.

You may be wondering: Now that I have my 100 questions what do I do with them?

The point of writing down your questions for reflection is to gain a greater awareness of what is on your heart. The exercise helps us learn to listen to our deepest needs and desires. We often go through life on auto pilot. We frequently do things unconsciously without much thought at all about the "why" of our actions or how we spend our time.

Rilke's exhortation to "live the questions now" may seem a bit cryptic, but he is speaking to our need to be more aware of how we find our answers in the course of purposefully living each day.

We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another.
~Luciano de Crescenzo

I am very grateful for Squid Angels who provide that second wing that enables me to fly.

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