Your Life is Important.

On Friday, I was walking over the Williamsburg Bridge, listening to some beautiful piano music on my iPod, and thinking about the way myself, and other small business owners that I know, have wanted to keep our clients' spirits up in the midst of the economic recession by focusing on the positive. We share thoughts of optimism and thriving, and try to uphold a sense of expansion for the clients we would like to serve at this time - to stand in a place of abundance, and allow that to attract to us the clients who are ready to have us serve them.

The wind was soft and beautiful on the bridge, the sun was shining, and I could see movement all around me - people walking and riding bikes past me on the walkway, cars and trucks below, and the East River below that; cars on FDR drive and so many building housing so much commerce in the distance. I have always loved New York from this perspective - the sheer mass of so much going on at once has always been a beacon of what humans are capable of.

In that moment, I asked myself, "In the midst of all this financial worry, what am I, and my clients, truly longing to hear?" Was it "to thrive" or "be optimistic"? Actually, no. On a deeper level, I could feel that I needed more reassurance before I could find the strength to embrace positive action - I needed my fears to be acknowledged first and foremost. What I needed to be reminded of, and I am here to remind all of my readers is this:


In light of actual change in income, savings, or net worth, or even just the all-too-tangible threat of any of these things, people are now reconsidering what is important in life. Perhaps you have been brought to question your need for certain possessions, or desires. Perhaps you are considering changing career paths. While all of this change and uncertainty can be very exciting - it is also natural to feel ungrounded and insecure in the face of potential change.

As a community, we are being asked to stretch right now - to consider ideas and options we never have before. We live in one of the most abundant, developed, quality-enhanced times on the planet, and are on the brink of even greater break-throughs. Naturally, this would feel like a threat to our egos and psyches, whose cooperation would help bring drive and determination to the deeper calling of our hearts and souls. To foster that cooperation, I suggest that each of us take time to remember that as an individual, "your life is important." It really does make a difference to this planet if you follow your dreams, if you allow your creations to come forth.

Perhaps you don't need as many expensive pedicures as you thought, or perhaps you have to put off purchasing that new car, and of course, in being forced to come up against the limits of your current financial situation, you would feel defeated on some level. But it is not for naught - this is an opportunity to go deeper, to consider what is truly valuable. Start by trying to connect with the idea that your life is IMPORTANT. Define importance for yourself. Then, you will have your own standard of measure by which to decide where to direct your time, energy, and money. By acknowledging your own importance, you will enable it to grow.

.

Car Accident Anniversary

Seven years ago Monday, I was in a traumatic car accident. Luckily, all but the car and the tree survived (I was a passenger), but I came away with a head injury and a chronic neck injury. Having the injuries and the trauma caused me to go deep within my psyche looking for answers to a lot of hard questions, like why do bad things happen? was I given this lifetime to do something more important? and if so, what? how does one use mind over matter to learn to strengthen and recover?


What has been really great is that with regular exercise, I can keep the neck pain to a minimum. Not that I wish for pain, but just that I know it is within my power to minimize it, has shown me a lot about what humans have to deal with in their lives, and how great it feels to be able to take charge of oneself. It has been amazing to see the progress I have made, and it has shown me that the stuff that humans are made of is powerful stuff! We have the capacity to not just know our limits, also to know how to gently test them. We have the ability to envision ourselves in a healthier state, and figure out how to let ourselves heal. I haven't perfected it - goodness knows I have very stiff neck days, sometimes shoulder pain, and sometimes a clicky jaw. But I have had enough success to know that it is always possible to improve, that we don't have to just wither as we mature, but in fact, we can use our maturing selves to develop patience and persistence.


The images with this posting are photographs I took of my CT scan, my MRI, and my neck x-rays. When these medical images were made, I was terrified! I hated looking at images of my body, thinking it was going to fail me, seeing only evidence of its imperfections. Now I look at them, and I think - WOW! That is just a tiny fragment of all of the amazing stuff that's going on inside of me - just what they were able to record in that specific way. There is so much wonder going on inside me, and actually, the problems are quite small in the grand scheme of my body. I can see the little spurs on my vertebrae and the congestion around my jaw, and go, "There are those little problem areas - they need extra love! That's why it's so great that I keep up with my yoga practice!" The x-rays were from years ago, and I have no idea if I have done enough muscle work (or if this is even possible!) to have created any improvements to my spine - but I know I have learned how to not make it worse, and how to make myself feel as good as I can, even with my body's areas of sensitivity. This is an amazing thing! When I think about my thoughts and feelings, I see that I have changed DRAMATICALLY in the past seven years - I have gone from feeling fearful and always thinking that more terrible things could happen to my body at any moment, to feeling empowered and joyous and always thrilled at the strength I have been able to build, and looking forward to more improvements in my physical body.


Seven years is a long time, and by the standard western concept, I have "aged" a lot during that time. But I actually think, that by doing what I was inclined to do to empower myself over this trauma (too much to even begin recount here!), that I have learned a much more natural and youthful perception of myself - that I can trust this body, and I can take care of it, and it will take care of me.


At some point in time, I bought a copper necklace with a little square charm - the charm is a tiny little square photograph of a tree, coated in resin. I call it "my copper tree necklace." I learned that copper is very good for aches, and so it was very appropriate to have it hanging around my neck, maybe even beneficial. I like to think of that tiny image of the tree as the symbol of the tree that jarred me awake into my physical body. I like to wear it around my neck as a gentle reminder of my gratitude - for my life, for that tree, for all of life, for my physical body, for life in all its physical forms - as a reminder that a purpose can be found in the most unlikely and unwanted of events.