“That is brilliant…” I just knew nothing was important!

 

Somewhere

by January Handl

Somewhere at the depths of my being
Lies joy- awaiting to arise
But the weight and pull of hormone and pulse
Of emotion and breath
Build an aching wall that buries it fully

Somewhere at the heights of my awareness
Rises peace- complete without addition
But the everyday circumstances of this experience
The weariness of perception
Construct an opaque ceiling that covers it whole

Somewhere in the very center of my soul
Exists love- abundant and radiant
But the illusion of body and separation
The din of organic being
Disguise it in diminishment, in shadows of itself

Let joy arise
Let peace descend
Let love be

 

Look at that little bunny. Cute yes, but also a master at Serenity.  Each time Serenity week rolls around I seem to get all strategic about it. I make myself wrong for not following through on a meditation plan or I think that if I put myself in the perfect serene place, I will some how find my way to Serenity.

Funny thing is, those things really have very little to do with Serenity. January’s poem speaks beautifully to the mastery that bunny is showing. That little ball of fur is not doing anything. Moments earlier it may have been frightened, or not. It could have been hungry, or jumpy, or any number of rabbit things but at some moment it stopped. It stopped and did nothing. For a baby bunny the stopping leads quickly to sleep but for us the magic lies in the stopping, in allowing. How often do you really do that?

When I say stop, I mean completely.

When I say allowing, I am inviting you to try nothing.

Really.

When was the last time you allowed yourself the chance to do nothing?

In my case, I can’t remember when.

Just last week, my friend Sandi wrote Ode to Joy (or how to take better care of yourself), in which she suggests you start everyday with 15 minutes of nothing. I remember thinking, “That is brilliant! What good advice!” I just knew this was important, however, as with many “good ideas,” I promptly forgot about it.

Now, Serenity week shows up.

And Tamara, shares that photo of that wise little fuzz muffin.

And January suggests we allow peace to descend.

Even Winnie the Pooh says, “Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.”

And I’m left realizing NOTHING is the key.

So, this week’s Bliss Initiative is TO DO NOTHING.

Give yourself that gift. At least 15 minutes a day, allow peace to descend.

 

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Tamara and January are here each Monday to help set the mood for the week!

Tamara Magnitsky

Tamara Magnitsky, a child of the wild blue yonder,
has been an ardent student and advocate for poetry, photography and excellence in general.
She is the mother of a 6 year old daughter and a beloved wife.
She can be found most days.

Bio written by Cary Brosius ~Tamara’s husband  🙂

 

January Handl

January Handl is first and always a mother, has been a preschool teacher and parent educator for 25 years, and currently is an early head start home visitor in her community. She resides with 2 dogs and a cat in Boulder Creek and and simply lives in awe of existence.

She calls her photo “hot tub bliss”  🙂

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