Do not dwell too long in hopelessness

 Feeling hopeless?

Yes, feel what you feel. Then look up! See the pine spiraling towards the sky. See light and color and texture. Feel also the world, and the wind.  Hear leaves rustling. Feel the joy of being alive. You do know joy. Right now. Not tomorrow. Not in some imagined break-through or quantum leap. Right now. Your dog sleeping nearby. A small animal moving about in the underbrush. A woodpecker knocking on a tree. The smell of sage you offered earlier. And the knowledge that you have played a part in someone’s freedom. You can be aware of your shortcomings, but you can also be aware of blessings and graces and the presence of angels.

You can shift your attention. Energy follows attention. Do not let your attention dwell too long in your sense of hopelessness. Notice, yes, but do not amplify. Amplify the gifts: the one’s you have been given, and the one’s you have to give.

Photo by Diane