Evening

Late in the day, as it begins to cool from the intense August heat, a time of transition begins. New sounds from insects chorus in the shrubs, a breeze flows up the river bed and rustles the palm branches, the light softens. Life is like this, the intensity of difficult times begin to ease up, an awareness of new possibilities enter our thoughts, relief comes like the cooling air of early evening. We need to pay attention, there is so much to see, to hear, to touch, to embrace, to mourn.

Weed and feed

Our souls are at their best when we tend them like a garden. A garden is a living thing, in need of regular attention. The dead leaves need to be raked into the compost area, weeds pulled, soil turned, seeds planted, shrubs trimmed, and fertilizer applied. The best soul fertilizer is the s--t that happens in our lives. When it is turned in with the soil, it is transformed into life-giving nutrients. Why let it stink up our lives when it can be used to make things better. It is empowering to use the hurt, the disappointments, the tragedies and the daily difficulties as the richest fertilizer available for a healthy life. So when things go bad, use it for making the garden of your soul more beautiful. Get a shovel and start today!

Fear of goodness

It is one of those strange, irrational human behaviors. The looking into the rearview mirror, expecting to see the front end of a MAC truck ready to ram into your backside, right when the view in front is breathtaking. More than that, it is a vista sought after for years and finally when the chance to view it arrives, fear of a disaster looms, marring the longed for event. Fear is not so much the problem, but rather the cause for doubting the blessing that lies ahead, and opening up the possibility of self sabotage. We are so often our worst enemy. We seek out what is best and when it comes, we suspect it will be taken away, so we undo the gift in the name of fear. To receive the abundance that comes after years of travail is sometimes more difficult than we can predict. Life is best lived open-handed, ready to give and to receive.