avatarTrista Signe Ainsworth

Summary

The website content discusses the importance of adapting to life's challenges with self-compassion and flexibility, using the metaphor of a kinked garden hose to illustrate how obstacles can be overcome by addressing their root cause and maintaining a loving attitude towards oneself.

Abstract

The author reflects on a personal experience where repeated difficulties with a garden hose led to a realization about the nature of life's obstacles. Just as fixing a kink in the hose allowed water to flow freely again, the author suggests that individuals can keep life flowing smoothly by being attentive to their own needs and addressing the underlying issues that cause disruptions. Drawing from the teachings of Stuart Wilde, the author emphasizes the importance of being fluid in one's goals and caring for oneself, especially in the face of challenges. The narrative concludes with a poem that encapsulates the theme of self-care and resilience, and an invitation for readers to consider where they might apply similar principles in their own lives to maintain a positive flow of energy and overcome personal blocks.

Opinions

  • The author believes that self-blame is counterproductive and that a loving approach to self-improvement is key to overcoming life's challenges.
  • It is implied that regular self-care was neglected by the author prior to embarking on a 100-day spiritual journey, which has now become a more integral part of daily life.
  • The author suggests that life has an inherent tendency to remind us to slow down and take care of ourselves, even when we resist doing so.
  • There is an underlying belief in the interconnectedness of our actions and life's responses, suggesting that by caring for ourselves, we allow life to flow more smoothly.
  • The author expresses a desire for readers to engage in introspection to identify areas of their lives that may require a more loving and proactive approach to self-improvement.
  • The inclusion of a prayer and intention for the readers indicates the author's commitment to fostering a supportive community and sharing personal growth insights.
  • The author tags fellow writers, indicating a sense of shared journey and mutual support among peers in personal development and writing.

Life is Fluid and Ever Changing

Day 52: Changing direction in a loving way helps you flow through life

Photo by Phil Goodwin on Unsplash

This morning, as I combined my morning garden walk with watering the plants, I started to have difficulty with the hose. It seemed like every time I would try to use the sprayer, the hose would kink up and the flow of water stopped. Each time this happened I went back to fix the hose and started to water again. After a while, this began to be a problem, stopping my progress every minute or two. At last, I decided to lovingly pick up the hose in the spot where it was kinking up, pulling it along with the rest of the hose to each destination. This kept the water flowing, and I was able to get on with watering and walking. This ordeal reminded me of how we treat ourselves when we encounter difficulties. We often are very unloving to ourselves, blaming ourselves for everything. If we are just able to get to the root cause of the obstacle, and lovingly pick ourselves up, we would see that life has an easier flow to it. This is one of the lessons I have learned on this 100-day spiritual journey learning from the book Miracles by Stuart Wilde, among his other works.

We give the mind a task, and it’s almost like it fixes itself upon that task. And I think it’s important for you to be fluid and to change the goals whenever you need to. -Stuart Wilde

This lesson was perfect for me today, helping me to realize that it’s important to keep life flowing, even if you have to stop, care for yourself and then move on. These days I am finding myself stopping to care and nurture myself more. Before this journey started, I would often just keep working throughout the day, and not taking time for self care. Life finds a way to remind us to slow down, even when we don’t think to.

Today I leave you with a poem about life’s twists and turns:

The flow has stopped

Stop to nurture the stream

Stop to carry it along

Life will flow again

The energy is stuck

Stop to care for yourself

Stop to take a break

Life will shine again

The current is blocked

Stop to look for a way around

Stop to find a solution

Life will carry you again

My prayer and my intention for you today is that you find the kinks that you need to work out in your life. Where is the flow being interrupted? Where can you care and nurture yourself more? Where can you be more loving towards yourself?

How are you lovingly picking yourself up today?

I am tagging my fellow writers here who are following along on this journey so that I may share this path with them: Noma Dek, Bob Jasper, Tree Langdon, Rasheed Hooda, Michele Thill, Charlotte Zobeir Ali, Gurpreet Dhariwal, Aurora Eliam, CMP, Dr John Rose, Amy Marley, Taha Abbas, Henery X (long), Suntonu Bhadra, Nomanono Isaacs, Chowa Sekai, Terry Mansfield, KeepingItRealWithAnnick, Jessica Cote, Tony Young, Jr., Sumera Rizwan and many more! Thank you Illumination Family!

Trista Signe Ainsworth is a professional organizer with Joyful Minimalism. She helps working women clear the clutter, overwhelm, and shame from their homes and lives so that they can truly live in joy.

Sign up for my living in joy newsletter for weekly living in joy tips: Live in Joy.

Connect with Trista on LinkedIn, Twitter, or by email: [email protected].

More on this Journey:

Spirituality
Spiritual Growth
Self
Self Improvement
Personal Growth
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