My room gets lighter. I hear the first sounds of cars passing by in the distance, as people make their way out into the day. For whatever reason, I awaken with a song in my head... ( 🎶Girls hit your hallelujah…🎶 ) and I am reminded of a saying that I favour: "Today is the first day of the rest of my life and the foundation of all my tomorrows". Given that Truth, what kind of building blocks do I want to use as I set the stage for myself today? (Well, first, I’ll start with a different song! I will choose it, instead of it choosing me, thank you very much!)
I believe that meditation is key in setting off into my day on the right foot. Occasionally, I find that it can be a frustrating practice, but the benefits I reap through training my mind to follow my lead provide enough incentive to maintain it as a daily exercise. Now when I invite my mind to count 10 breaths, it usually obliges. This mental muscle becomes particularly important when I decide to change my thinking - as in, “No, Jill, that is a limited thought. What would be a more effective thought in its place?” (Yes, I do this. Often).
After meditation, I like to follow up by reading some spiritual literature, then spending a short time journalling about any insights that have captured my attention. Once that is done, I am ready for breakfast!
Knowing that how we spend our dollars has power, another practice I engage with daily is that I choose to buy food as if it is a vote for the world I desire for my kids and grandchildren. As a result, I do my best to shop local and organic. Sometimes my grocery bill is higher than it might be otherwise, but the investment is worth it to me because of the vision it aligns with in my heart and mind.
Okay, breakfast is over and, having now nurtured my body, mind and soul, I feel inspired for my day. I am excited to discover what will come next.
Often, what comes next is some work outside, where I have converted our front yard from a lawn into a flower and vegetable garden. As part of the planning for that project, I insisted that we put up a wire fence rather than a wooden one. With a wire fence, we are able to keep the wild deer on their own side, while also maintaining a visibility that enables me to chat with whomever might be strolling by. The garden has three gates leading to it. One one is for my neighbour, since we often hang out as I share whatever crops I am harvesting. Another leads to the sidewalk, where I offer spring plants to passersby. The third gate leads to our driveway, which I cross to bring in the manure that makes everything flourish.
While I am out in the garden, I usually carry my phone with me in order to listen to music, podcasts or books. I also use an app to identify the 'volunteer' plants that sprout up between my plots. My phone comes in handy for recording the names of my neighbours too. In that way it acts as an aid in developing my community relationships. My neighbours are important to me as part of the circle I nurture around me. When it snows in the wintertime, greeting neighbours becomes extra easy, as everyone is out front clearing their driveways. In the summertime, when everyone tends to be out and away more, I find that I must be a little more intentional if I want to foster those connections.
The garden helps me to connect, but I also connect in other ways. For instance, when a young family moved in across the street from me, I let them know that if they were ever in a pinch, they could call on me. One night, I actually got that call. The family said that they had to rush to the hospital with their baby, and they wondered if I could I watch their other three children while they did that. I immediately answered, "Absolutely!"
Since I love Nature so much, and I consider it to be my neighbour too, I feel sadness when homeowners cut down trees. Some human neighbours have told me that they have taken such actions because they were afraid the wind might blow their trees over, crushing their houses. Others have felt that their trees "make a mess" - they didn't want to have to rake leaves or clean their gutters so much. I think we need trees everywhere, though!
Personally, my yard has five fruit trees, a healthy pine tree, an alder, and I recently also planted two cedars, a fir and a spruce. This spring, I am excited to be adding a big leaf maple. What a joy it will be to bring shade back to our little plot of land! Also, for the deer, I plant sorrel along my fence perimeter. They like that, along with my echinacea and the berries from our European mountain-ash. What a thrill it is to watch the birds that line up in rows along our power lines as they fly to the mountain-ash, flock to the garden for seeds, and then, in unison, sail over the house to land in the alder; investigating what other treats might be waiting for them there.
As I write this, my day has been alive with life and connection. Late in the afternoon, my husband and I took our dog for a walk at a local park called, The Spit. There, we stopped to watch the last rays of the sun sink into the horizon; sharing with others in the beauty of our town's mountain/river/ocean views. As I reflect upon it, I recognize that today has been a good day - the kind of day that contributes to a better tomorrow. To cap it off, my husband and I snuggle on the couch for a bit of Netflix time, and share our gratitude for our day. Before we tuck in, we will walk through our plans for tomorrow. We are inspired to make it another great day!
All of us are in this Life together. Our choices are what create the kind of communities we live in. Please drop me a line and let me know how you are setting the stage for your tomorrows. Let’s make a list of all the things we do for Good, and let's let that be the focus of our attention.
Together we are powerful. Believe it! admin@theCentreCR.org