In our last chat What 2015 Taught Me we chatted about how emotional 2015 was for most of us and the strength, courage and faith it taught me to cultivate.  Today we are going to talk more about the heart.  Literally that is.  These days hearts are everywhere.  When I say everywhere I seriously mean EVERYWHERE and in every way possible. They show up as snow and ice, water marks, tissues, splats on the side walk, you name it  I bet I have seen it in the shape of a heart.  Life has felt incredibly challenging lately.  I have been struggling these dahys knowing that a change is impending and finding breath to be short and quick most of the time.  The shorter my breath gets…the more I see hearts.  Today was one of those days that felt particularly challenging and this is what I saw when I got to my fav hang out  Trident Booksellers and Cafe

My Dad always tells me “Steph someone is playing a joke on you.  Someone is definitely following you around and putting these things in places you will see.”  My Dad is the eternal jokester.  I always tell people that I see them mostly when I need them and that couldn’t be more true lately!  These days every single day I see at least one heart.  NO JOKE.  The Universe has my back my heart tells me.

But then there is my head….

It has created this Hollywood film in which I am the lead character in a film that is building towards this climatic moment.  You know that moment in the suspense film where you are wondering whether the main character is going to get killed off or not.  Will your fav character in your fav show get the ax?

NOOOOO it can’t be.

As we speak I am having flashbacks to Grey’s Anatomy last season.

NOOOOOOO DEREK YOU CAN’T BE DEAD! NOOOOO!!!

Cue the music……loud and dramatic.  Dunt dunt…dunt dunt…DAAAAAAAAAAA  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Yes this is my life in my head.  It could be my life in actuality but given that most of our negative thoughts are just that, thoughts, it is most likely that I will not be dead.  I will not be Derek.

Then just before I sit to chat with you a supportive friend sends me this video that changes this whole sad sorry tale…

https://www.facebook.com/drama/videos/10153994242017439/

I watch this and my frown turns upside down.  Tears come to my eyes and I am amazed at the strength of the human spirit. My fears melt and my heart beams.  This woman reminds me of my grandmother, my father, and any client I have ever worked with who has come up against a bazillion life challenges and somehow continues to put one foot in front of the other.

Seriously now how can you feel sorry for yourself when you watch this woman move???  I mean the issue that I am presently up against is NOTHING like this at all.  Her ability to not only be resilient but to be genuinely happy and content is fascinating.  She so embraces life just as it is in this moment with all the wonders and beauties that life has to offer.  I am sure there are moments of challenge that are not in this video as she is human.  Life isn’t about being happy, joyous and free all the time.  But it also is not meant to be lived feeling sorry for yourself and running through tissues like they were something you owned stock in.

So what is life really about??

As I clear space within during this time of challenge, this is the thought I keep coming back to.  What is life REALLY about?  What I keep coming back to is that life is meant to be lived.  It is meant for tears and smiles.  It is meant for pain, sorrows and joy, giggles and heart pounding moments filled with things that take your breath away.  Life is about the hearts…which is probably why I am seeing them with the utmost of intensity.  The building crescendo of my life will be over soon.  It’s like any movie….it has an end. And like any good Hollywood film it ends with a new beginning.

Life is all about embracing the appearance of both the doors closing and the windows opening.  They always occur simultaneously.  Thank god for that!  The more I embrace the door that is closing, the more windows keep popping open.  Interestingly enough, they seem to be opening at a slow and steady rate.

My head still pounds with the loud music of the crescendo and it’s possible that will continue, much like the movie, until it’s over.  Even still, my heart knows that much like the video of this woman and her story of strength and resiliency, I too am a very resilient being.  And so are you.  You may not know this about yourself but you too have an innate ability to get through whatever hurtles life throws your way.  We human beings can sustain many blows and much like the ole Weeble Wobbles of the 70s, we are able to right ourselves once we have weathered the storm.

I am blessed to have many people in my life who keep reaching out with love and support.  My Soba Yoga™, yoga for recovery class last night was filled with so many new faces of hope, faith and courage.  As my heart beat to the rhythm of theirs, there was nothing but pure joy pulsing through my veins.

Life sometimes does feel like a Hollywood film; it is why we love them so much.  But ultimately life is generally more like the video of this woman putting one proverbial  foot in front of the other and dealing with life’s challenges a step at a time.  She and her skateboard are a beautiful metaphor of how to move through life’s challenges with the ease of acceptance.  Step out on Faith. Dance in the rain.  Cause rain dancing is far more enjoyable than crying and stamping one’s feet that’s for sure!!

Cheers to stepping out on faith!

Go ahead and get your rain dance on!!

Looking for some support along the way towards wellness?  Come meet with me in my office in Watertown, Ma for a consultation.  Contact me