R is for Respite

Let's face it, we all need a rest some times, especially from the crummy stuff.

I have been working very hard, at both of my paid jobs and on my personal growth. It has been longer than a month since I gave myself permission to DO nothing. To take a day off for real. Yesterday was an attempt at that day off. But I ended up cooking and doing housework (and thinking way too much) all day instead.

I woke this morning with a sense of urgency. Already abuzz with my wheels spinning, I felt compelled to get right up and make something I forgot to make yesterday. Talk about fixated!

Drive like that doesn't feel good.

 Ommmm Mooooooo 

 

And here I am, typing away on my true day off, writing this darned post about respite, when I need one so badly. This is my 5^th attempt at writing the “R” post. None of them read how I intended them to read. My venture to guess is because I'm feeling a wee bit fried by this challenge.

What I learned through accepting the A to Z challenge:

~I am already a dedicated writer, whether or not I write daily, at a certain time, or share it or not- there is no contention about my love for writing.

~I must stop this insanity with following rules. It's not my style and when I adhere to these unrealistic “guidelines” I end up frustrated. I am not a linear person. Point taken.

I need a respite from any opinions and judgements.

I need a respite from anxiety and over-exertion.

I need a respite from others' icky moods and fears.

Respite for today:

A healthy brunch followed by a bubble bath!

The Power of Words

As I type this, I am steeping in a bath tinged with sea and epsom salts also sprinkled with eucalyptus oil.

Ginger Lemon Tea- for one

Verdict: I am a warrior on the germy front lines.
Pathogens have shot blazing arrows at the fortress of my immune system. Yowch! 

But it's okay. 

When I feel under the proverbial weather, I see it as a time to gently heed the messages my body is trying to tell me. 

Message received: Mind your Words, Violet.

We all know there is great power in words. Think about how you felt when you were last praised for doing a job well done. You can probably reflect on the exact moment, maybe even picture the exact scenario and conjure up some good feelings about it. Now think about how you felt when you last said something you regret saying. Perhaps you were not kind- to yourself or another. Feels pretty icky, huh? (Don't dwell on that though.)

Words can be healing or damaging, soothing or exciting, loving or violent and everything in between. Being a chatty type, I tend to prattle on ad nauseum. Sometimes I am having a "good" day and I naturally say loving, kind things, generally informative or pontificating things, or make idle chit-chat. On a "bad" day, I can be seething, acidic, judgey and worse- 99% of it to myself. 

When we make statements like "it IS a beautiful day" more often than not, it IS. We may have a spring in our step, let stuff slide that we may otherwise take personally, and see the positive more easily. Same is true of days we proclaim negative statements. The car at the light cuts you off, the cashier charges you double, you break your favorite mug... you get the picture.

What it comes down to is magnetizing with words which you put out there.
Garbage out, garbage in, as my family elders said.
They didn't know the half of it. 

I have been taking a step back from certain people in my life who use words harshly on a regular basis. It just made me feel bad being around them. Their abrasive ways were rubbing off on me. I noticed my heart rate going up, my muscles tightening, and my desire to run. Whether someone is blaming you for some nasty, unrealistic whatever, or harshly putting themselves down, it is sending out a negative vibration.
Like a boomerang, it always returns. It may come in a different form, but it comes back. 

Saying statements like "I hate this ___(job, town, event, etc.)___" are telling the Universe to send us some hatred back.
Statements like "I am stupid for not knowing ____" or "I will never understand____" only set you out on a CAN'T path. 

Roadblock up! Forget being an obstacle, it is a great wall!

Folks in the know know this is true, so it is obvious sometimes when the "I hate/ I can't" energy knocks at the door. But do we even notice we are doing it? I know I was sometimes noticing, but mostly, I was planning a self-pity party for one. Victim mentality (and pompous pragmatism is another offender, more devious and sneakier than negativity) and subservience to "Murphy's Law" are futile. 

Standing in your power always wins. 

So, I can replace words like always, never, can't and hate.
I shall use: now, sometimes, won't/am not and dislike. Soften the blow a bit. Because if you are a hard-hitter, like I am, the boomerang punch-back is a doozy. Living and speaking with intention is a kinder way to be anyhow.
Only with awareness, patience and practice will the words change. 

What does this have to do with my sore throat? Everything.

The throat chakra, Vishuddha, is where our energetic voice resides. It is the Gemini-ish hub for communication. When we speak too much, perhaps in vain, or too little, as when we do not speak up for ourselves, Vishuddha becomes out of balance. It may be of no surprise, but not of no consequence, that I have not been using my words and communication to serve my highest power. 

Lesson: Quiet down. Listen to the words and hear what is said behind them. Speak only when it is necessary, and do so intelligently, with Love and kindness. Talking can be a giving away of ideas and energy and I have been running on back-up recently. 

I could use the peace and quiet. 

Perfect time to listen... Mercury (the great communicator) went into retrograde today and he will be that way for 3 weeks.  Great time to restart that meditation practice...


{Chakra LINK for more info.}