Conscious Inklings Blog. Ideas, Insights & Ink-spiration!

Perfection is a lie and most of us are aware of this. But somehow this knowledge doesn't prevent us from hanging this ideal of perfection over our shoulders and criticizing ourselves for falling short of our expectations time and time again. 

I was having a conversation with a family friend recently and the topic shifted to the importance of forgiveness.  My conversation partner mentioned that she felt like she was pretty good at forgiving people and I responded by telling her that I forgive, but that first I need a resolution.  She very quickly pointed out that that was not, in fact, forgiveness because forgiveness is not conditional.  When she said this, I had an immediate physical reaction.

People are always telling us how much they love sporting our fun, inspiring, and provocative body art, and it is always such a gift to hear that people enjoy our tattoos as much as we do!

More often than not the reason why new things aren't coming in is because there isn't room for them. In order to expand in new directions, we first need to release the baggage of the past. The departure into new beginnings is a one-way flight, no carry-ons accepted. Holding on to the past only slows down our trajectory.

According to the law of thermodynamics (fancy, right?), energy cannot be destroyed, only transferred or changed from one form to another. One interpretation of how energy cannot be destroyed is why we feel so moved in the presence of art, like a beautiful painting, or exquisite architecture. The energy…this “essence" energy…from which the beautiful art was created...is still in it, no matter if 100 or 500 years have passed!

What other people think of us is none of our business. This is a matter, among many other things, that is out of our control. Investing time trying to understand and manipulate others' perceptions of us is a pastime that does more harm than good. Still, it is human nature to be concerned with what other people are thinking about us and many of us will drive ourselves crazy pondering this.

Ever have a crazy good idea only to come to think later that it was just plain crazy sans the good part? Ever get a whim of inspiration then become convinced it was really just a moment of madness? Ever gone from Sassy Sally to Debbie Downer in lickety-split?

We crave the order, sense of security and predictability that our comfort zones provide us with. Everything beyond the bubble of comfort that many of us have enshrouded ourselves with is a foreign land--its untouched wonders both entice and provoke fear within us.

We all have certain events, people, things that rouse uncomfortable emotions in us. It is often our first instinct to go the other way the moment we feel triggered. To turn the other way, though, is to miss out on the value that these triggers have to offer us.

There is power in having a vision to work towards. When we commit ourselves to a vision of a future that excites us, we are no longer shackled to limitations of the past and are free to expand into our full potential. A strong vision is an elixir for any manifestation. 

Panic sets in when we zoom out into the future, pondering over what ifs. The truth is that we do not know what the future holds. Analyzing it too closely is a cruel, yet all-too-usual punishment that we subject ourselves to. Fortunately, we can put an end to this insanity by shifting our focus from out there to within; from the future to the present moment. The easiest way to do this is through the breath. 

Many of us go into the new year with intentions to do better than the year before. We've relieved ourselves of the weight of the previous year and are ready to make changes that better serve us. Now's the time to dust off those running shoes in the hallway closet, to embark on a new career path, or to simply move past 2020 blues.