When a Life Sting is Sliced

When a life string is sliced;
plucked from the connection between your body and heart,
it creates a dangling feeling that can make you want to restring it back together quick.
Stay still and dangle a bit.
The plucking was sent for good reason.
Don’t be too eager to restring back up to something that does not serve your health or your heart.
Wait with the open space,
Cultivate faith,
Acknowledge lessons sent from the Universe.
The restringing will take time and your intentional cultivation.

When we have a sudden unexpected change in life, it can be a challenge to go with this change and accept the new path that has been painted. We tend to want to grab onto the old and/or grab onto something new; anything that will heal the pain and fill the void that has been opened.

Try to let your feelings about this transition arise. Acknowledge them, let them out and stay with the open space that was created from this transition. It’s important to wait and meditate on the lessons learned from this loss. It’s important to allow for the new to slowly arise in the now open space. Stay open to the new opportunities and connections coming your way. You may need to take some time to re-evaluate your personal values and beliefs. Spend some time doing the things that ground you so you can make your next steps with a “rooted” self. Stay true to your own values and needs as you allow this space to be occupied with something that feeds your soul. This can take time and leaving the space open can be a challenge but it’s certainly worth it when you find something that feeds your mind, body and soul. Only restring when your heart, body and soul tell you that this string will serve you and others well.

Well Wishes,

Rooted Living Liz

Alcohol is Bad for Me and My Family!

In my journey towards wellness, I've had many challenging decisions to make regarding what I choose to allow into my body. One of my more recent decisions centered around the consumption of alcohol. I've come to realize that consuming alcohol really has nothing positive to offer to my mind, body, and soul. On the contrary, it acts as a poison to all of these levels of my being. During my battle with cancer and pain over the past couple of years, I have turned inward to find out what emotional components of my being needed healing. I slowly discovered that when I felt the "need" for a drink, it also meant that I was in need of escape from something. I began to observe when this urge would occur and I wrote down who was present, what I was doing and any feelings that I was attempting to escape. Sticking to this plan and remaining alcohol free helped me to discover some unhealed emotional wounds. It also helped me to discover that alcohol only "helped" me to continue with obligations and commitments to others that were not serving my authentic self.

It's taken a long time to realize that alcohol simply does not work well with me. I'm pretty sure I have fit every style drinker known; from the Social drinker to the drunkard to the DD and everything in between. Alcohol consumption is a personal choice and I am happy to say that my last sip of alcohol was on July 7th, 2012 and I plan to keep it that way! It's been a long battle to figure out if I can have it in moderation or if I should just cut it out completely. I can never say if I will drink again, but for now, my mind, body and soul simply say it's a poison to my overall well-being. I haven't had the urge to drink, even when the guy at the table next to me offers me some free cold sake!

There are so many compounding factors that make it important for me to be alcohol free. Besides the obvious delicate state of my health, my family is littered with alcoholics on both sides of my family. My father and mother are recovering alcoholics amongst many others in my family. It seems we are just not built to handle it. If alcoholism does run in your family, I would invite you to consider your own alcohol consumption. You may be able to "moderate it" but I would invite you to take some time to observe how it actually "serves" you.

From my own observations, this is how alcohol was "serving me":

1) Lowered my immune function.
2) Reduced social anxiety.
3) Provided poor boundaries with friends, family and others.
4) Took my time away from more important and creative projects.
5) Made me act on a more primal and physically self-serving level.
6) Contributed to my forgetfulness.
7) Took away my ability to be truly present with others.
8) Took away my authenticity.
9) Created a sense of false freedom.
10) Contributed to feelings of regret.
11) Steered me down ungrounded paths

Drinking alcohol is a personal choice and one that I thoroughly respect for everyone. I just hope that each person takes the time to see how well or not well it works for their mind, body and soul.I realize that I have a good life and I don't need to escape from it or create the illusion that it will be "enhanced" by using alcohol.

Thanks for stopping in folks!

Rooted Living Liz ;-)

Going For a Run?

As I was lacing up my sneakers to take my dog for a walk, someone asked me, "are you going for a run?". I quickly responded with a bit of laughter and then I said, "I wish, I am just hoping I can make it through the old loop at the park".

It's been about 2 1/2 weeks since my surgery and I am slowly recovering my mind, body, and soul. I have been told many times how great I look, however the insides of me continue to require tender loving care for proper repair. I am not able to go for a run or go to work. I may look good, and mentally I feel much better than I have in years, yet repair for good health remains.

Taking good care of yourself during times of illness and recovery involves a great awareness and continued acknowledgement that just because you may "look good", it does not mean your healing is done. It's important for all of those healing from any kind of injury and/or illness that you must look within to determine what you are ready for and when. Listen to what your body tells you and honor it fully. Do not push yourself to do too much just because others may think you are ready. At the same time, do not hold yourself back because you are afraid to move forward towards health. It's a delicate dance and one that I certainly have gained much practice with over the past couple of years.

The key to carefully working this delicate dance has been to accept exactly where I am now. When I was walking in the park today, I saw many runners and I thought about how wonderful it would be to simply run again. However, this thought did not come with attachment to sorrow or jealously, as it had in the past. Instead, I was able to take a moment and be grateful for the illnesses and injuries I have incurred over the past couple of years. I have accepted the pace of life that I am meant to live at this time. While in the park, my pace was slow and joyous. It allowed me to feel the gentle breeze from birds flying up above. It allows me to take the time to stop as I please and take a beautiful photo. For I know if I had been running in the park, I would not have been able to experience these things.

Wherever you are in your life now, I invite you to listen to the pace of life that is being offered to you. Accept the pace of life that you know will serve your health and well-being now. Do not pay attention so much to "how you look" and do pay attention to "how you feel" to determine this pace. You may find that if you can agree to this intuitive pace during this time, this season of your life, you will melt away your tension and bring more joy into your life.

Love,
Rooted Living Liz