Waves

My choir is singing the The Sea Symphony this weekend, Vaughn Williams has set Walt Whitman's poem to music, and what music it is! Want to be inspired? Listen to this clip highlighting the Scherzo movement, The Waves, and enjoy the images. what an adventure! Whether or not I manage to nail all the tough bits, singing it will be a Memorable Moment!

Canadian elections are looming: there is lots of action on the internet to oust Stephen Harper's Conservatives -- and man have they done some bad stuff! The reported surge of voter interest and turnout is surprising and most encouraging. A change in leadership would be a heartening event, a wave of good for Canada and the planet. If you're Canadian, you might want to consider vote swapping...

"We just might be the luckiest people alive!" Have you seen the card with this quote? I have it on my desk and take a deep, appreciative breath every time my eyes land on it. In addition to giving ourselves permission to be ourselves -- our imperfect, zany, authentic, unique and precious selves (see earlier blog post) -- gratitude is another way to maximize our lives, to tap into joy... to be in the present moment, to ride the undulating waves of our lives.

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YES! YES! YES!

I just came across a sweet, deep, heartful poem called "God Says Yes to Me" by Kaylin Haught.

I love that God is female , that she talks with a warm, southern accent, and I was touched what she responded when asked whether it is was OK to do this, that, or something else... as be melodramatic, be short, wear nail polish, not paragraph letters. (Slip in your own special requests here.)

Guess what? God said "Sure it is OK." And "You can do exactly what you want to." And get this: "What I'm telling you is Yes, Yes, Yes."

How about that for permission to be ourselves! Of course no one needs to tell us that. What's more, it wouldn't do any good anyway. We need to know and accept it ourselves or we won't act on it. (And of course, it's not OK to hurt anyone else doing what we want to do. I'm sure God would agree. :-))

I was actually startled to notice the leap of joy in my heart that the poem's permission to say Yes! Yes! Yes! to ourselves, to our yearnings, our hearts' desires evoked in me. I was touched by the message, and I was also touched by how much it touched me -- as though I've never really given myself full permission to be myself with that wholehearted enthusiasm. It was truly a Memorable Moment! Maximize it :-), Yes, Yes, Yes!, by reflecting a bit.

How much and often do you give yourself permission to be who you are in the moment, to do what you really want to? How do you withhold permission, and what effect does this withholding have on your joy, your creativity, your capacities?

If you are new to the site, you can have a look at BECOMING: Journeying Toward Authenticity by going to the website or checking out the reviews on Amazon to get a flavor for the volume.