New Possibilities

“Be like a tree. Stay grounded. Connect with your roots. Turn over a new leaf. Bend before you break. Enjoy your unique natural beauty. Keep growing.”
~ Joanne Raptis

Look closely at the photo above.
The tall, majestic trees.
The branches reaching out to the world.
The leaves offering shade to the earth below.
See the beauty Mother Nature gives us in those trees.

But what about the space between the trees?
The magnificent blue skies.
The vastness of those wispy white clouds.
If we use our imagination, we see what lies beyond them.
If we look…really look…we see beauty in the space beyond the trees.

It makes me wonder…why do we always need to fill our space.
Back-to-back meetings.
Phone call after phone call.
Texts, email, tasks.

What if…we allowed some space in our lives?

What if we took the time to find the peace in our “space.”

January 1, 2025

So, it’s a New Year.

First new thought when waking up…I am alive.

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
~ Oscar Wilde

First new day…to begin again.

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

First new step out the door…to move forward differently.

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice.”
~ T.S. Eliot

A new blank page…to write our life stories.

“Our words are more than words; they represent our inner selves.”
~ T.N. Pottinger

To fill our space with whatever calls to bring a fresh look to our life.

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
~ Leo Tolstoy

The dictionary defines a space as: A continuous area or expanse which is unrestricted, available, or unoccupied.

Gosh, I would love to experience this continuous area now.😆

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

The other day, I read a poem of terri st. cloud’s that gave me a renewed perspective about January First. (terri has always used lower case letter’s as a part of her signature writing. I honor her desire to do this.)

“a space”
“with the releasing and allowing comes a space.
a space of possibilities.
a space where magic is born.
refrain from holding,
from controlling.
you cannot grasp it.
open to it and surrender to it ~
and let it dance thru your very being.”

I don’t know about you, but when I find an empty ‘space’ anywhere in the house, I feel a clearing of sorts and wonder what I might do with it…or not. terri’s words on space speak to me. As I sit in the room contemplating new thoughts for this story and scanning for open spaces, I see with clarity something I didn’t notice before.

It is mid-afternoon, the Sun’s rays are flowing through the window and onto the floor. Besides seeing some dust and a few micro spiders hanging out in the corner (Why? They have a whole forest out back to play in 🙄), the light shadows against the wood floor and the walls between the windows feel like a fresh breath. The rug below my feet has different sizes and shades of green leaf designs with an off-white background.

I focus.

The spaces between the leaves on the mat bring balance. I look up at the trees in the woods and see branches full of yellow and orange leaves intertwined from other small trees between the spaces of the taller ones. It gives the view a colorful, whimsical vibe. As the wind blows through, a few leaves fall slowly, and I watch the dimensions between them; it is as if, almost on queue, they fall simultaneously. 😳

Wow, who makes the time to sit still long enough to see this kind of magic? And I think the simplest things, like leaves falling, have the power to change our outlook on life in a blink of an eye. They follow the beat of their own drum, and no one knows it better.

Right now, my ego tells me to get a life….not meanly, because I’ve learned that the ego feels it is in control, wants to protect, and would like to guide me to do something much more important, like clean that bathroom floor that I have been contemplating to do for a week.
Sheesh! 😒

As I reread, terri’s poem, I see that just in this last hour…

I experienced:

Releasing…the need to get up and do something.

Allowing…the awareness of what is in front of me.

Refrain from holding on…to thoughts that do not serve me in the moment…
(like…a hot cup of tea sure sounds good right now, how about getting up and making some and the mail should be here, so check it while the water is boiling, etc.).

Staying open and surrendering…to focusing. (I found space…in a rug for goodness sake, and in the woods, the floor, the walls, and even in my breaths.)

Then…I took a few minutes to allow these feelings to dance thru my very being.

I’m laughing here because I can only imagine where your thoughts are taking you as you read this.

Hopefully to a place of…”Where do I ‘see’ a space in this moment.” If so, Yay! 🤸‍♂️

I’m thinking, though, that your ego is probably having a field day with this post. If it is, I hope you break out in some hardly chuckles because, if anything, I’ve made you laugh, which no doubt will bring a space from within to release the heaviness of the day a bit.

“Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.”
~Frank Scully

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Thought to Ponder…
Where might you discover the possibilities in the spaces around and in you that will allow for reflection, realignment, and a different kind of engagement with life?

Happy New Year, everyone.🎉

I wish you daily reminders of your importance in the world and abundant happiness, joy, and love.

In gratitude for you,
Terry 🦋