Food for Thought

"He who loves, flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free and nothing holds him back."
-Henri Matisse

I love this photo of my sister's horse, Shadow, embracing the many inches of snow Pennsylvania has been getting.  Not only is it so funny to see a creature of his size (he's a big boy Thoroughbred!) rolling around so playfully but I love the symbolic nature of the moment.  I believe my sis appropriately tagged the image on her Facebook with the caption "What else is there to do in all this snow?"

Life can certainly be stressful.  If it's not one thing causing a hiccup, it's another.  That's why embracing the very moment I am in is so important to me; there's no past and there's no future.  Only right now.  If I manage to be here right now, then I feel like I'm doing something right. I'm learning more and more each day to pause for a moment and take in my surroundings.  To stop worrying over little things, especially the ones I can't control.  To get excited over the many joys, big and small, that constantly cross my path.

I'm learning that I can choose to listen to my gut, I can choose to move through life kindly and gently and I can choose to recognize that impermanence is part of the harmony of life.

And perhaps most importantly I'm learning hardships are inevitable; misery is optional. 

So my advice to all my east coast loves who are tired of the winter wonderland they have been trapped in (and yes, this is easy for me to say after a 70 degree weekend in Cali) is to channel your inner Shadow.  To love, fly, run and rejoice.  And maybe flop on your side and make snow angels. I'd join you...but I'm wearing a dress today ;)


In Gratitude,

Trish