One of the traps we can easily fall into as humans is seeing cause and effect in a limited and linear (rather than circular and spiraling!) way…
waiting until we feel a wave of love before we do something loving for another,
waiting until we are aware of what we appreciate before we begin to express our gratitude,
waiting until we feel happy before we do something that brings us even more happiness,
waiting until we are inspired to pursue something inspiring,
waiting until we feel confident to take the brave leap,
waiting until we have proof before we trust the process,
waiting until we’ve done something praiseworthy before we speak with compassion to ourselves,
waiting until that moment of relief before we take the deep breath,
and on and on.
Unfortunately, it tends to create a lot of waiting, a lot of wishing, a lot of postponing, a lot of unnecessary suffering, and a lot of forgetting the power we have in this very moment…
to utter the words “thank you,” and let our hearts fill in the rest,
to do something loving, even (maybe especially) in the direction of someone important to us we’ve not been feeling it towards,
to give ourselves grace,
to take even the tiniest action that will uplift and inspire us,
to smile for no reason at all,
to take the deep breath,
to keep the faith,
to take the risk and realize the only way to confidently swim is by first diving in,
and to look around and decide it’s a miracle we’re all here, even if it doesn’t feel like that just yet.
—
One of the things I love about authentic joy is that it frees us from being dependent on other people and on whatever we are currently experiencing…
…in order to tap into the enduring capacity we have within us to reconnect with joy…
and, in this case, to do the action before we have the feeling…
…knowing that the action itself often leads to the very thing we thought was a necessary precursor (it’s not).
Feelings can lead to actions, yes.
And actions can also lead to feelings.
We get to traverse both pathways, forwards and backwards and over and over again.
Now, it’s your turn.
Are there any places where you’ve been waiting to feel a certain way before you take the positive action you know will serve and benefit you?
Sending so much love and support as you remember that cause and effect is circular, not linear and that now is the perfect time to begin.
20 Things I’ve Learned From Grief and Loss
Grief has a way of opening, softening, and transforming our hearts in profound ways. This personal reflection shares meaningful practices, insights, and loving reminders that can support healing, deepen connection to love and joy, and help us move through loss with greater grace, tenderness, and hope.
