If You Planted Your Heart, What Would Grow?

It's the beginning of February and smack dab in the middle of the month is Valentine's Day. For some of us it is a  wonderful holiday, for others it's just another day, and for some it is a heartbreaking reminder that they're single. I have been guilty of responding in all of these ways and probably various combinations. However in the past few years I have been using the holiday as a reminder to check in on my heart.

One of my favorite questions to meditate on is "If you planted your heart, what would grow?". It's a tough question to answer and even more difficult to answer truthfully. Sure, I would love to say that my heart would only grow a tree of fruit that is made up of beautiful light and nourishing love but the reality is my heart would also grow some less than favorable fruit at times. As someone who is comfortable wading in the light and the dark, and the area in between, I have grown comfortable seeing the bruised fruit.

When you think of nature and the fruit that gets damaged on the tree or is stunted and ceases to grow, you know it falls down to the ground. It falls and the nutrients seep into the soil. This enables the tree to grow. I relate this to the darker parts of my heart. The dark comes from experiences that may not have felt great, but those experiences provide for me. They nurture my soil and allow me to grow bigger, brighter, healthier fruit.

So in honor of a month where we are surrounded by hearts in one form or another I invite you to sit for awhile and ask yourself "If I planted my heart, what would grow?". Don't shy away from the ideas that are less than lovely. Embrace all the bits and pieces and honor the dark and the light in your heart. Once you take ownership of all parts of the tree of your heart you will be aware of it's strengths on all levels and see all the wonderful areas that it will continue to grow.

I love this...

My dear friend Anna posted this quote this morning and I love it so much I wanted to share it with you all. 

"Those who love you are not fooled by mistakes you have made or dark images you hold about yourself.
They remember your beauty when you feel ugly; your wholeness when you are broken; your innocence when you feel guilty; and your purpose when you are confused. "
~Alan Cohen

I know for myself it's been a point of contention, letting others see my light when I only see my dark. I am thankful for dear friends like Anna and others who are so close to me.  I hope you all can carry a bit of this with you, especially when trying new things and putting yourself out there. Upon new challenges it may be hard to muster the strength, confidence, and energy to get through and it is okay, no it is GOOD, to let others remind you of your beauty, strength and light.

No Expectations

As I delved further into my yoga practice I recognized the need to let go of my expectations. Once upon a time I  dwelled upon what wasn't going right in my life rather than what is. I spent a lot of  time trying to figure out where I went wrong, what I did wrong, what I didn't do, and why things seemed so hard.

Then about a year and a half ago I realized I haven't done anything wrong. This is my path. As I open myself up to receive the lessons designed for me it seems life is not so hard. I just have to listen and be aware. I let go of my expectations, let go of the destination and have begun to enjoy the journey.  Through this process I have gained faith, empathy, and love. Being open to a path I hadn't thought of, planned on or expected as brought me an amazing bliss.

In the last week my father became very ill, the type of condition that if not caught could have been fatal. I have to say this is the scariest thing that I have been through as an adult. I was forced once again to realize that things can change in a heartbeat. The life you know is not guaranteed to last.  As trite as it may be I will take this opportunity to ask that you all enjoy your journey, love each day. You never know when your path will change and the best way to be ready is by not expecting the destination but cherishing the journey.