I need to make a confession. I started My Hat Trick on a whim. I have no plan, I have no mission, I have no message. I, obviously, needed to get some things off my chest. I know in my heart and through my life experience that there is a reason we teach our children to share. Sharing is empowering. It sets us free. It feels good. And, in my case, sharing heals. So, I decided to share these things that were screaming to be shared. I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of thinking, writing, and sharing. I adore anyone who takes the time to read what I write. I am flattered by your positive feedback. I cherish your support and encouragement.
Everything has been going so well, until this week. My head is swimming with millions of things that need to be done. I feel so discombobulated! When I plan for some time to try to sort things out, it often backfires. Like today, for example, the plan was to drop my two little ones at pre-school, then take my older guy to his dentist appointment, then take him to school, then try to get my head straight. Enter ice. School was delayed this morning. Consequently, I had to take the little ones to my older guy's appointment. By the time everyone was dropped off where they were supposed to be, my 1.5 hours turned into 45 minutes and I didn't know where to begin.
When I saw my son's pre-school teacher at pick-up she said, "What a crazy morning!" By the way, I am convinced that all of the teachers in the local area think I am a complete basket case. I feel like Pig Pen from the Peanuts. Instead of dirt swirling around me, I am encircled by a tornado of three children, our great big dog, and an insane amount of that dog's hair. It's chaos. I forget things. I don't return phone calls. I'm late sometimes. I'm not a model mother citizen. But, I have a huge smile and I can be fairly charming at times so I think they like me anyway. Miss Theresa and I joked about how unpredictable life is, especially with small children. We agreed that it is best not to plan because plans so often change. We said the best thing to do is to just go with it. To let it be.
Once the kids were safely buckled in their seats and we were on our way home, it occurred to me that Miss Theresa and I were on to something. Rather than worrying about how I'm going to do everything that needs to be done, I need to spend more time simply letting it all be. So there I was driving home, thinking about all the books and articles that I so badly want to read and the laundry that I need to put away and the phone calls I need to make and the places I need to go and the people I need to see... As all these thoughts mingled in my head, I realized that whether I'm planning to do it all, doing it all or not doing it all and just worrying about it, I am not truly doing anything. On the other hand, on the rare occasion that I can let it be, when I can go with the flow, I am fully engaged in the life before me and I am open to receive whatever it is I need to receive. And then, when I go to fold the laundry or drive my kids home from school, I am more focused. I can mindfully complete the task at hand because my head isn't swimming with thoughts gone wild.
I have shared that my dad's death presented an opportunity for me to take inventory. In the area of Spirituality, I came up short. My background does not root me in any one religion or world-view. I am open to all possibilities. The Universe is huge! It would be impossible for us to know what all is out there. I had been feeling fairly content with my outlook on the Universe and its vast abundance. I didn't feel the need to define it or put a face on it. But then when my dad died, my broad view of Spirituality didn't seem like enough. I wondered about all the things that most people wonder about as they explore their spiritual beliefs. Mostly, I wondered what happened to my dad. I wondered if he went to Heaven, and if so, what was it like? I wondered if he was okay and whether he liked it there. I wondered if he knew that I missed him, if he knew that I loved him, and if he knew how sorry I was for never listening to the last two cds he gave me. In my darkest moments I wondered why I was left here on Earth and how long I'd need to stay. I asked the Universe, "What is the meaning of all this? What is the meaning of life?" And ever since, I've been scrambling around trying to find the answers in all those damn books I mentioned. I've asked people what they think about the meaning of life and where they think we go when we die, if anywhere. I think about it, read about it, and talk about it constantly. Some people may even go so far as to say I'm obsessed.
My husband has always said that the point of life is to live it. How can I live my life if I'm so busy thinking about it?
So I decided today that I'd like to save you the trouble of reading the books and asking the questions. Even though, it's all very fun and I think a very healthy part of any spiritual journey. Today I join the Beatles, Eckhart Tolle, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ram Dass, billions of other writers, thinkers, masters, teachers, guides, rabbis, priests, pastors, monks and ministers, and Miss Theresa, in sharing a piece of great wisdom: the answers we seek don't come when we are doing, thinking, or planning. Instead, we learn all we need to know when we let ourselves be, when we are quiet, open, receptive, and when we simply and fully, let it be.
Everything has been going so well, until this week. My head is swimming with millions of things that need to be done. I feel so discombobulated! When I plan for some time to try to sort things out, it often backfires. Like today, for example, the plan was to drop my two little ones at pre-school, then take my older guy to his dentist appointment, then take him to school, then try to get my head straight. Enter ice. School was delayed this morning. Consequently, I had to take the little ones to my older guy's appointment. By the time everyone was dropped off where they were supposed to be, my 1.5 hours turned into 45 minutes and I didn't know where to begin.
When I saw my son's pre-school teacher at pick-up she said, "What a crazy morning!" By the way, I am convinced that all of the teachers in the local area think I am a complete basket case. I feel like Pig Pen from the Peanuts. Instead of dirt swirling around me, I am encircled by a tornado of three children, our great big dog, and an insane amount of that dog's hair. It's chaos. I forget things. I don't return phone calls. I'm late sometimes. I'm not a model mother citizen. But, I have a huge smile and I can be fairly charming at times so I think they like me anyway. Miss Theresa and I joked about how unpredictable life is, especially with small children. We agreed that it is best not to plan because plans so often change. We said the best thing to do is to just go with it. To let it be.
Once the kids were safely buckled in their seats and we were on our way home, it occurred to me that Miss Theresa and I were on to something. Rather than worrying about how I'm going to do everything that needs to be done, I need to spend more time simply letting it all be. So there I was driving home, thinking about all the books and articles that I so badly want to read and the laundry that I need to put away and the phone calls I need to make and the places I need to go and the people I need to see... As all these thoughts mingled in my head, I realized that whether I'm planning to do it all, doing it all or not doing it all and just worrying about it, I am not truly doing anything. On the other hand, on the rare occasion that I can let it be, when I can go with the flow, I am fully engaged in the life before me and I am open to receive whatever it is I need to receive. And then, when I go to fold the laundry or drive my kids home from school, I am more focused. I can mindfully complete the task at hand because my head isn't swimming with thoughts gone wild.
I have shared that my dad's death presented an opportunity for me to take inventory. In the area of Spirituality, I came up short. My background does not root me in any one religion or world-view. I am open to all possibilities. The Universe is huge! It would be impossible for us to know what all is out there. I had been feeling fairly content with my outlook on the Universe and its vast abundance. I didn't feel the need to define it or put a face on it. But then when my dad died, my broad view of Spirituality didn't seem like enough. I wondered about all the things that most people wonder about as they explore their spiritual beliefs. Mostly, I wondered what happened to my dad. I wondered if he went to Heaven, and if so, what was it like? I wondered if he was okay and whether he liked it there. I wondered if he knew that I missed him, if he knew that I loved him, and if he knew how sorry I was for never listening to the last two cds he gave me. In my darkest moments I wondered why I was left here on Earth and how long I'd need to stay. I asked the Universe, "What is the meaning of all this? What is the meaning of life?" And ever since, I've been scrambling around trying to find the answers in all those damn books I mentioned. I've asked people what they think about the meaning of life and where they think we go when we die, if anywhere. I think about it, read about it, and talk about it constantly. Some people may even go so far as to say I'm obsessed.
My husband has always said that the point of life is to live it. How can I live my life if I'm so busy thinking about it?
So I decided today that I'd like to save you the trouble of reading the books and asking the questions. Even though, it's all very fun and I think a very healthy part of any spiritual journey. Today I join the Beatles, Eckhart Tolle, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ram Dass, billions of other writers, thinkers, masters, teachers, guides, rabbis, priests, pastors, monks and ministers, and Miss Theresa, in sharing a piece of great wisdom: the answers we seek don't come when we are doing, thinking, or planning. Instead, we learn all we need to know when we let ourselves be, when we are quiet, open, receptive, and when we simply and fully, let it be.
Let It Be, by the Beatles
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