POURING FROM THE OVERFLOW

The gifts we give ourselves are also gifts we give to the world.

The many little things - the moments of pause, rest, nourishment and love we offer ourselves - do not end with us. They find their way into our families, our relationships, our communities and, eventually, the world around us.

We are often taught to pour from a full cup. I have come to believe that even this asks too much.

Pour from the overflow.

When we put time, effort and intention into what we nourish and nurture ourselves with - what surrounds us, the food we eat, the clothing we place upon our bodies, the music we listen to, the things we watch - we begin to understand that these seemingly small choices shape our days. Our days become our time. And, truth be told, our time eventually becomes our lives.

On my own journey of becoming - of embodying more fully what I know to be true within myself - it became clear to me that although our paths may differ, perhaps we are all travelling towards the same place: a truer relationship with ourselves.

And with that came the understanding that I must first learn to be present with myself.

It took time for me to understand that if I am not well within, I have very little of substance to offer another. Not my children. Not my friends or colleagues. Not my community.

And, truthfully, not even myself.

Perhaps one of the simplest gifts we can give ourselves begins upon rising.

Before your feet touch the ground, pause.

Take three deep breaths.

Give thanks for the gift of another day. It need not be elaborate. As my mother often says, a simple thank you will suffice.

Then, be silent.

Listen.

We speak often of spirit guides, ancestors and angels. There is beauty in this. But in seeking guidance beyond ourselves, we must be careful not to leave ourselves out of the equation.

Rumi writes:

“There is a secret core in everyone not even Gabriel can know by trying to know.”

— Rumi, The Big Red Book.

There are places within you that must be listened for.

Your own inner compass is part of the journey.

So before the world enters - before the phone, the news, the children, the work, the expectations and the many voices asking something of you - give yourself a few moments of your own presence.

Breathe.

Give thanks.

Be still.

Listen.

And, where you can, write.

Over time, perhaps you will begin to hear yourself more clearly. Perhaps you will become more familiar with your own gifts, your own knowing, your own inner language.

Try it.

Before your feet touch the ground.

And if you do, come back and share what you find.