The wind just blows. It doesn’t ask for permission. It just does its own thing. It doesn’t tell the sun to not shine. It doesn’t ask if it’s blowing too hard or too soft. It blows its own truth.

Good advice says be grateful for what you’ve got. Can't argue with that. It helps.

Good advice says focus on what you can change and accept the rest. I probably should. I have indeed learned recently how much wasted energy I exert on things that aren't worth trying to change.

Good advice says to disarm anger with breathing and mindfulness. It’s true. You actually can.

Good advice says you can be peaceful in each moment. Even this, as bonkers as it sounds in today's reality, is true — with work. We can grow to be peaceful in every moment.

But…

I can’t help but question this advice. After all, Malvina Reynolds was also right when she said: 

“It’s not nice to block the doorway.

It’s not nice to go to jail.

There are nicer ways to do it.

But the nice ways always fail.”

And I think that maybe these pieces of advice can lead to peace and acceptance of the world just as it is but question whether they do much to change things. The yogis would say that change comes through acceptance of our true selves and everything just as it is and only through true compassion and love can we open the doorway to acceptance. TRUE AGAIN!

But…

We are at a time where we are rewriting what gender means. What does it mean to be a woman? What does feminine strength look like? Most of the time we see a feminized version of masculine strength. I am interested in discovering what feminine strength can look like. I am searching for these stories. 

What can feminine strength look like when it is compassionate, honest, and uncompromising?  Does feminine strength selflessly give from a place of joy — not obligation? Can it find beauty and joy in the richness of holding paradoxes as equally true allowing others’ experiences but living Truth and easy abundance? How can the feminine bring a hurricane of change?

Renee Baribau, The Practical Shaman, says, ‘The wind just blows. It doesn’t ask for permission. It just does its own thing. It doesn’t tell the sun to not shine. It doesn’t ask if it’s blowing too hard or too soft. It blows its own truth.’

I find the energy of the grandmother or wise crone quite an inspiring and beautiful vision. You can see the wisdom etched on her face and know the power of her spirit. You know not to second-guess her or pull something over on her or she will put you in your place real quick. We've all had our own experiences with these powerful forces. The energy of the wise crone is fun to practice embodying as it gives new tools and perspectives. 

But I guess we equally need to honor our path and show up wherever we are. If you are angry, be angry without thinking you should be peaceful or you need to emit good feelings to get good feelings back. Anger is part of the healing process where you leave learned helplessness and reclaim agency and power. It is a vital part of the process and one you shouldn't skip over. 

As I was starting to release old trauma, I found myself getting inexplicably angry a lot. For weeks. I couldn't explain it and it scared me. Is this the real me? Where is this coming from? Why am I angry at this insignificant thing? The only thing that makes sense is that this was me processing my trauma and reclaiming my power. I guess it may be similar for others. 

A lot is asked of us societally now and we are in the midst of a paradigm shift in society as we move from Newtonian physics to quantum physics (essentially everything is matter to everything is energy). Let's hold ourselves gently and compassionately. Wherever we are is totally ok. We are literally creating our future. Nothing is written in stone anymore. No future path is predetermined any more. 

These are concepts I am wrestling with as I know that paradoxes exist and we each have to discover what is True for us. I don't have any answers. Just thoughts. 

But I know that you have the answers inside you. We all hold our own answers inside of us and taking others' advice gives our power away. Let's agree to be compassionate and show commitment and unconditional love to ourselves first. We can't pour from an empty cup and can't love others unless we learn to love ourselves. That's where it all starts.