Mindful Moment #13 - Shine On Me

A Creed for Renewal

If you’ve been reading these musings of mine for the past few months, it should be no secret that I’ve been trying to write uplifting content to raise our spirits. It seems called for in a world that could be likened to a runaway train barreling toward some bleaker and darker reality. But I guess I’m stuck this week considering recent events. I don’t know what words I could offer that are appropriate given the reality and weight of it all.

So, I offer you this: a creed I wrote when I had to pick myself up from a low spot in my life…after a divorce, after an assault, after a betrayal, and after breaking from my childhood religion. I had made a grand gesture of digging in my heels to rage at the universe for many months. I wallowed in it, too. Drank too much. Ate too much. Lost some friends. Got sideways with family. Questioned my whole existence, purpose, and trajectory of my choices. Until something shifted.

One morning I woke up earlier than usual and couldn’t go back to sleep. When I let my dog out in the backyard, the light was different somehow, but I couldn’t identify just why it felt that way. It looked like a golden peachy-pink had been washed over everything. A waxing gibbous moon was still high in the sky, also pink in this not-yet-above-the-horizon sunrise. My beagle dog, Emmajean, was snuffling around in the dandelions and clover and knee-high grass, rousting wrens and surprising toads. The mockingbirds were calling to each other, and I could hear my neighbor’s goats across the field beyond the fence. It may have been a momentary state of mind, but I relished this perfect slice of morning as a sign of better times to come. There was just a “rightness” to it. I was bolstered by a sense of belonging, just being one of the many creatures soaking up the dawn.

And I cried. With relief, maybe? Because even though I still had the ache of disappointment and failure and loss still swimming in my blood, I could just exist for a minute without any other thing to consider or overcome. I let all of my worries out to the universe that morning, focusing on the moon and just daring myself to embrace meaningfulness over meaninglessness.

Before I began the daily routine of getting ready for work, I wrote down the things I wanted to remember feeling that morning so I could craft them into something permanent and repeatable. In case I needed to chase that negative mindset away again, I would have this snapshot of convening with nature in a moment of quiet honesty.

A Renewal Creed

Mother moon, shine on me,
Be the light that shows the way
From nothingness, pain, and strife
To wholeness, hope, and peace.
Allow me to recognize my ability
To understand and navigate
The whys and hows of each day
That make tomorrow a destiny and a gift.
When hardships rock my foundation,
Universe, please hold me steady.
Walk me through the trials of life
Celebrate with me in the joys.
Please ease my worries, soothe my aches, and
Empower me to raise my consciousness
Beyond the meager boundaries of this body.
Grant me the wherewithal
To go forward with an unfettered heart.
Show me how to untie the bonds that hold me
In a haze of anger and hurt.
Help me choose love, how to rejoice each day,
And allow me to sleep soundly
With the certainty of wisdom
Knowing there will be another sunrise.
Thank you for the marvel of creation,
The sweetness of a golden daybreak,
And the promise of a brighter tomorrow.
Help me remember this magic, this connection
As a being made to commune with
All of existence.
I give my gratitude, Universe.
Please show me the way again.

If you’ve never tried writing your own creed, it can be a valuable exercise in considering what is most important to you. Give it a go some magic morning when the world is paused for the sunrise. Hang in there, friends. May we all abide.

Namaste.

-Amy

INSPIRATIONS THIS WEEK

We’re feeling inspired by these incredible and thought provoking pieces:

86% of People Can See This Optical Illusion. Are You One of Them?A team of psychologists studied people’s reactions to this optical illusion to find out how our bodies react to our minds being tricked.
3400-year-old sunken city emerges from the Tigris RiverA team of German and Kurdish archaeologists have excavated a 3400-year-old Mittani Empire-era city that has emerged in the Tigris River. – HeritageDaily – Archaeology News
Parents’ Unpredictable Behavior May Impair Optimal Brain Circuit Formation – Neuroscience NewsUnpredictable parental behavior and an unpredictable environment disrupt the optimal development of emotional brain circuits during a child’s development, increasing the risk of mental health disorders and substance abuse later in life.

That’s all for today, y’all – remember, taking time to focus on you is an act of love.

We hope you found this helpful – don’t hesitate to reply with any feedback on how we can improve future Mindful Moments! We can’t wait to hear from you.