Talking with a friend, yesterday afternoon. She tells me of how much she has changed, of how much less she "pursues," "pushes." Of how much she is letting things happen, not in a passive way, but rather in an active, alert, observing way. And of how peaceful that is. This morning, while baking Apple Slippers in the dark with another friend (we were unable to find the light switch in the bakery, and had to get everything done by 8 for the Happy Café), she tells me something similar. About parenting, this time. She tells me about how she notices that when she sits back, and becomes really present, really available, things unfold so much more beautifully. Suddenly, I think of something my son shared with me, a couple of weeks ago. He lives in France and is studying music. Percussion, mostly the vibraphone. Because this was not his original instrument, yet the one he auditioned with to get into the Conservatoire, he pushed pretty darn hard, all through last school year, to get up to snuff. When he was not in class, he was in the music room, practicing for hours and hours. Then came summer, and between his job, the Conservatoire being closed, and coming home to visit for a bit, he didn't touch the instrument for close to two months. When he returned to school, and had his first one-on-one with his professor, he was told how much progress he had made. His teacher then asked him: "Do you know why?" Costa let him know that he had not practiced, through the summer, and so did not know why he had made progress. The professor smiled and said: "That's exactly why." Stopping for a while. Getting in mental Shivasana pose. Resting. Breathing. Or simply doing something else. I think of it as partnering with the universe, as letting the magic catch up to us so that we may co-create in a rich way. A bit like saying: here, you take the wheel for a while. Because really, if we are always moving, always pushing, always "knowing what's next," how can magic do its work? Here's to a lovely day of co-creating with the universe, with Ease and Joy. XOXO A week from today, several of us will wake up in a beautiful villa in the South of France, ready to enjoy our first full day of Retreat together. We have no class planned for that day, just easing into the time change, getting to know our little village - and our swimming pool - and eating delicious food prepared just for us. What's not to love? Nothing, really. It's all a big batch of upcoming yumminess and I am beyond thrilled to share my home country with a great group of people. Yet, at three in the morning, stuff was moving around in my brain, moving around enough to wake me up. Leaving takes some work. Lists, delegating, preparing, preparing for what we can't anticipate, too. There is the Center to take care of, my home, the Airbnb, the kitty (and having just lost her sister, she needs extra love)... a whole other bunch of goodness to put in good hands, making sure these good hands have everything they need to do their job. Hence the waking up at three in the morning, mainly with one particular situation doing some funny cartwheels in the dark. Knowing it wasn't going to stop on its own, I turned on the light and grabbed a pen and paper. "Finding the Thread" saved my night. This super simple process is really powerful, I am telling you. Within less than 5 minutes, I had my answer. Just like that. And so, even though I already shared this with you recently, I am sharing it again this morning. Because I feel it is that good, and because you may have missed it, and because I want to. Next time, your mind starts to make swirlies, give it a shot? Wishing you an awesome day!
Some situations make us want to pull our hair out. Or maybe go back to bed. Or simply say: "Man, I just don't know where to start, here." During such a phone conversation with a friend having to make some confusing decisions, I devised this super effective tool. It's quick, it's simple, and it works really well. Here you go: You can follow me @LauraLavigne, and if you enjoyed this episode, please tell your friends, subscribe to the show on iTunes and leave a review!
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SCARED OF THE SACRED
HAPPINESS SCHOOL:
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