This is 2 of 40 weekly PoPs (Places of Pause). OUR FOCUS: DREAMS & DESIRES.
When you dream big, you are awake.
You are strong and fierce.
You hold your head high; your eyes are direct and focused. You speak clearly about what matters to you.
You keep it real, and you look for and find the same in others. You are at peace among the oft’ present imperfections, discomfort, and unknown. Fog and confusion lessen … and they don’t matter so much when they do come into view. You listen and act with conviction and inspiration. You discover that the things that have separated you from yourself and others decrease. The ways you think and talk about what matters in life is captivating and expansive.
Let yourself be drawn by the pull of what you really love. -Rumi
It may feel as though your dreams are dormant. You may have become disconnected from your sense of your palpable purpose. Or maybe you don’t see a way to connect those dreams with your everyday life. Not to worry. They are with you right now. They may just need a bit of nurturing, of gentle encouragement to c’mon out. In Nepal, they have a word I love, particularly when it comes to things like this that cannot be rushed or forced. It is bistari, which means “slowly.” Bistari gives us permission to move gently, intentionally, and without rushing.
My friend, whether you have a hunch,
no idea at all, or laser clarity about your small or big dreams,
I’m cheering you on.
Wherever you find yourself right here and now
is good—it is plenty.
More will be discovered and uncovered
in the days to come.
Bistari.
BE Still. Surrender.
Take a breath. Another one. Soften your face. Close your eyes.
Whether you feel the kindling of an old dream,
the pulsing possibility of a new one,
or the disappointment of seemingly dormant dreams, let it all go.
Those are all important things,
but they can be tended to later.
Here and now, it is about stillness and silence.
Peace to your heart, your mind, your soul.
Just be
for this moment.
Stay here for ten seconds or ten minutes.
Ponder. Go Deeper.
Fan the flame of your itty bitty or supersized dream. Write some more. Even if you see it faintly, write about what you see, what you feel. If you removed any goals or measurables, such as making an impact, making a difference, or even making money, what do you dream of having time to do more of? What would be just plain amazing to do more of in life? Play and frolic in your imagination.
Are you drawn in by bistari? What would it be like to claim, “I am not in a rush” just for this moment, to embrace bistari? Breathe it. Sit with it. What if even in the midst of big dreams, big vision, big hope, big destiny, you embrace not needing to rush, to do anything just now? Or, have you been moving in bistari for too long and are now ready to speed things up a bit? How might you begin to move in a way that energizes you?
Can you see, taste, and feel your dream? If it were a seed or something growing, what might that look like? Is it underground? Does it have small or big roots? Has the growth popped up above the soil? Is it clamoring for your attention—does it need water or fertilizer or more sunlight? Is it begging you for some space to grow, weeding out the competing weeds that are choking it? Draw it. Write about it and describe it. Or hold it close to your heart and in your thoughts as you sit or walk for a few moments.
Engage. Commit.
If you sense the need for more bistari, choose a time and place to move slowly today, in your everyday, real life … whether for a minute or an hour. Make it a specific time (for instance, in your car for one minute before heading in for work) or activity (maybe lunch today—eat where you want, while reading a book, sitting in the sun, with some new act of bistari). As you do, note how you feel, what you’re thinking. Pay attention to the gold in you.
For a guided Place of Pause (PoP), check out this PDF reading from Soulfully Ablaze, the video below about today’s PoP, or the complete video series (all are free) of 10-minute PoPs.
I share these PoPs because boy, oh, boy! Do I ever need ’em! And, I hope that they create a place in which you can BE STILL, FILL UP with peace, and navigate all that is wild and crazy in life with strength and courage. There is much clamoring for our attention 24-7 with LOUD, FEAR-based, PANIC-inducing messages – but let’s practice peace, together, amidst these stormy days. Not only are we better, together, but dare I say that our lives depend on it now more than ever?
Slow down. Don’t rush. Be still.
As you do, remember:
You are loved.
You belong.
We belong to each other.
xo, -Sarah DT ❤️🙏🏻🌏
