Sunday, July 5, 2015

A Little Love


Our mind gets used to worrying. Almost at any situation, more or less difficult, our first reaction is typically to start worrying. We defend our right to worry by thinking that it shows how much we care. We dignify worrying as something essentially gracious - we are better people if we worry, and if we don't, then there is something wrong with us - we are cold, we are indifferent, we are ignorant. We must worry. That's the first sign of a decent person - someone who is awake. We even worry when we are happy - what if this happiness will be destroyed? Better start worrying about it now, so we don't feel like fools later.


What if instead of our old beloved habit to worry just about anything and everything that we encounter in life, we stop for a moment, take a deep breath, quiet our mind and reach that place deep inside of us that is responsible for love? Stop. Let your thoughts do whatever they are doing. Don't try to get rid of them. Just do not pay attention to them. They will go away as uninvited visitors would go away if you do not open your door to them, do not offer them tea and a friendly conversation. Nobody likes to feel unwanted. Our thoughts are no different.


As you feel your head emptying out the usual worries, you will most probably not be able to help it but feel peace inside of you. And most probably, as you reach that peaceful place deep down, you will start feeling love. You won't be able to explain love to what or to whom really - you will just feel like love filling your whole being, every big and little cell. You will start feeling light - in both senses of the word, like the weight of the world gone off your shoulders, and like some incredible source of light starts shining from inside of you.


This light will fill everything in and out, your body, your mind, the room you are in, will spill into the space like the most beautiful outburst of joy and love you've ever experienced. The sensation will be so irresistible - you won't want it to ever end.


And so the next time you catch yourself starting to worry again, remember that little spot within you that is stronger than your worry. That is lighter than your worry. More dignifying than your worry. More beautiful than your worry. More desirable than your worry. More powerful than your worry.


If it is your health you are worrying about, if it is your vocation, your child, your troubled friend - take a deep breath, quiet your mind, don't care about your thoughts, don't offer them a cup of tea - no matter how demanding your uninvited visitors are, they will not stay, just give them all the time they need, leave them alone and go about your own business. Find that spot inside of you, reach for love, then release it. Let it spill from you and reach that same spot inside of the person or the problem you're concerned about. You don't need to make any efforts other than just let yourself to feel it.


If it is the war, the politics, the crimes, the drugs, the ecology you worry about - reach that same little place inside of you, feel the light, feel the love - and then let it spill out - outside of your soul, outside of your being, outside of the room, the country, the continent, outside the outer space. Let your love reach anything and everything that it needs to reach. Let this light shine and touch the ones who need it most right now, this exact moment. 



Don't worry about doing this "good enough" or "often enough". Just do it when you remember it. Every time you remember, catching yourself worrying - go within, breathe, let everything just be, don't concern yourself whether it's right or wrong, feel the love inside you and let it touch all that needs love, be it people, animals, government, church, politics, that person who hurt you, that difficult situation you have no clue what to do about, your worries about aging, about not being rich, successful, fulfilled, loved, your children, your pets who pee in all the inappropriate corners, your elder parents, the neighbor who is loud and annoying, that old childhood friend who does not talk to you in ages, your aunt who passed away way too early, the sales person who was snappy with you, the policeman who caught you over-speeding, the president of your country who seems to have lost his way, your beloved one who is exhausted, that little sore spot in your lower back, the blister on your foot... reach it all in this moment, whatever and whoever comes to mind - you know deep down that it all needs love, all and always need more than anything, love.


Let your soul do the most precious job it is designed to do.


And in return, you will feel happier, calmer, more fulfilled, more confident, more of anything you dream of.


Send a little love to the world. Do it now. Do it whenever you can. The world does not need more worries. But it always, always needs more love.




Photos by Justin
Location: Chinese Reconciliation Park, Tacoma

Dress - Goodwill
Hat - Old Navy
Wooden and amber accessories - 
collected over the years, some are gifts from beloved people

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20 comments:

  1. First I had noticed the photos and I got absolutely charmed and then I read what you wrote and it was beautiful. Very nice meitation. And surely we do worry habitually and it can be changed.
    Hugs!:)
    xxxxx

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  2. Here is Natalia, wise and beautiful! You are so right. I am a worrier; a really big worrier, but I know it and I am always working to let go. It would be nice if letting go were effortless but it's not for me. Worthwhile things are not always effortless. Gardening used to be my most successful form of medication, of letting go and being one with the moment. Now, it is painting and writing fiction. I always did those before, but gardening took up most of my free time. Now I paint and write gardens instead. Sometimes I think I might be an expert in letting go simply because I am also an expert in worrying.

    I love your dress and these warm, burnished colours that suit you so well. Beautiful photos by Justin! xoxo

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  3. Dear Natalia, great post! I take a deep breath- you're so right ♥️
    Love the dress and you look amazing in the evening sun.
    have a nice day, kisses Tina

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  4. I won't offer tea, or even coffee or booze, to my worries. Thank you for this sage advice at this time. Your photos are a perfect reflection of your words, warm and beautiful.

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  5. This is a good reminder. What you describe is, I think, quite like meditation, and also like Quaker (silent) prayer. I often forget to do it, but it helps a lot when I do. I would add only one "instruction": let your love lead you to action and even activism for those who need the help that is a natural outcome of love.

    Now, as for the dress, and the hat, and the sunglasses, and the yellow nails... just wonderful. Your colours are my colours and my colours are your colours, on these hot hot sunny hot days.

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  6. P.S. I often post your photos on my Style Inspirations pinterest board.

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  7. Wise words! By worrying we're not actually doing anything to change the undesired sitation...and often even the bad things that happen, have something good in them....and often there is a lesson we can learn- if only we stop worrying so much!

    you look positively perfect! such a lovely combo! very charming and feminine styling...I really like that dress and the accessories you choose to go along with it are simply divine.

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  8. amen and ooooohhhmmmmm!
    :-)
    did i say that last sundress is chic? it is - but this one is a stunner! with this gorgeous print!! love the purse! and amber jewelry - aaahh - wonderful!
    and how cute is the pic with you sniffing lillies!!!! you look like a sweet flower fairy doing her job :-))))
    wish you a wonderful new week my beautiful friend!!! hugses! xxxxx

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  9. Beautiful post, Natalia! The photos taken at the sunset with its warm light are just amazing. The text is so optimistic, full of love and understanding, it can help someone to feel better on its own. I used to worry much when I was younger, just as you said - about everything, "what if" kind of worries. But I learnt to block those thoughts, I learnt not to let them occupy my mind and influence my mood and peace.

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  10. Wise words and a beautiful post, illustrated perfectly by images of gorgeous you! x

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  11. I agree with Vix and was just about to type the same thing! Both a beautiful and well written post. This is so much the philosophy of a book I'm currently reading, Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach. A lot of our battle is fighting against ourselves rather than allowing the emotions to run through us and observe/learn from them. Battling against ourselves makes things worse. Loving ever part of ourselves, even the hard times, is true acceptance.

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  12. I need to heed these words. Lately I've been awash in worry. I need to kick those thoughts out the door.

    Beautiful writing and images to accompany it.

    bisous
    Suzanne

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  13. Beautiful post in word and fashion. I tend to worry less these days. It's not that I don't have reason too, I have chosen to redirect the worry toward more productive ventures. I often find when I clean or tidy-up, it helps with the angst.

    Let me ask, your chosen color palette is spot on with the pavilion. Was the pavilion your inspiration? These colors always look so right on you. We're discussing inspiration at So What to Twenty. I would love to read your comments on the subject.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Glenda! It does look like my outfit repeats the colors (and even shape, especially with the hat - "roof") of the pagoda, but to tell the truth, I only noticed it when I looked at the photos. Justin noticed it while taking the photos, but we did not plan it. We just were taking a walk in one of our favorite spots. We usually are spontaneous about the location and I rarely plan the outfits - it's all instinctive and depends on my mood.

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  14. thanks for sharing these fabulous post, it makes me smile!!, lovely wise words, dear lady!
    I think my own life has been way better when I stopped to worry about everything, particularly about stupid things which filled my mind with noise!.
    And love your beautiful dress with all those brilliant tones, oranges and reds, shining on the sunshine! you're gorgeous!
    besos

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  15. Beautiful post with lots of wisdom Natalia. Letting go of worry is not easy but making a conscious effort to remember that our worries will not change anything is reason enough not to worry. Thanks for sharing my dear friend. xo

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  16. A beautiful and thoughtful post Natalia and so very true , a fair chunk of our lives is spent worrying about things we have no control over, far better to let those worries wash over us and go on to more productive thoughts. You are such a wise and beautiful soul, that shines through in these beautiful photographs. I love you and the lilies, you are every inch the flower fairy.
    Thank you, dear, sweet, Natalia. xx

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  17. Lovely sentiments, eloquently expressed. You're wearing lovely jewellery. All the photos are gorgeous but my favourite one is your smelling the lilies!

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  18. Wise words... I worry about everything, all the time... I'm a real Negative Nelly, in fact, always anticipating the worst possible outcome, and getting stressed about everything. I should really stop that, but it's easier said than done. But I'm working on it... You look lovely, I think these earth tones and rusty reds are really your colours.

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  19. Look at the stunning light and warm colours here - I love these photos, Natalia!
    And I am interested in what you have to say about worrying. I am really not a worrier! What difference do those thoughts make to the outcome of a situation? When did worrying ever make you feel better? Or help anyone else? I don't believe that the level of worrying thoughts you have demonstrates how good a person you are - they merely seem like a lot of wasted energy to me. Planning, problem-solving, taking a thoughtful approach to life, these are sensible approaches to life's issues. Repetitive fruitless ruminating seems pointless. xxx

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