Taking My Hands off the Controls – Emotional Dexterity

This past week I hosted our annual staff appreciation dinner! Every year we gather to celebrate the year that has past and to look forward to the one in front of us. Every year the same thing happens for me. I am filled with gratitude. And as much as gratitude is a part of my life, I realize I also have it connected to a control switch. Meaning, if it feels like I am too grateful, it will trigger something that disrupts my gratitude. Or, that if I am grateful all the time.., my gratitude is diminished. So I attempt to keep my gratitude dialed into an acceptable range! Oh my… Now mind you, this is not all the time. But I catch myself doing it frequently enough that it puzzles me. I know better! Of all the generating energies we can embody, gratitude is probably the most potent. When we embrace and lean into our gratitude it expands and so does our ability to imagine, envision and create. So the more we are aligned with our gratitude, the easier it is to manifest and actualize our goals and desires. So why would I want to limit or control my gratitude? It makes me think about another situation that has me question the value of many spiritual teachings. The “I only experience Love” phenomenon. As if being able to feel and express only one emotion should be a goal. It kinda creeps me out. Saying “I only feel love” is like saying “I am always in neutral”. The real growth and expansion we seek is achieved by learning to...

Western Barn Dance

Last night we had an Open House to share our recent remodel of the center. It was a blast and so fun to see and celebrate with so many friends. It was also a great reminder of how somethings shift and change, while others stay the same. What a pleasure to see people who have been a part of Storm Wisdom since the beginning. And then, to notice the number of new friends who have just connected with us recently! It was a beautiful mix! It occurred to me that this is how life is too! There is this natural ebb and flow of people in our lives, that is constantly in motion. Some situations, like our family or maybe workplace environments seem constant. Whether they are supportive or not, for many of us, they represent the status-quo. They don’t change that often. Others shift and change, many times without us even being aware of it! As an example, when people ask how Fito and I met; I tell them country/western dancing! We did that a couple of nights a week, when we first met. However, now I have a pair of boots in my closet that have a inch of dust on them and haven’t seen a dance floor in several years! This means that many of the folks we use to see on a regular basis, are faded memories. At the same time, new interests and people come into our lives! God knows opening a business or starting a new job will do that for you! Starting or ending a relationship, a significant loss or even a...