The Winds of Change - Value: Choice

The Winds of Change - Spiritual Value: Choice/Choosing

The Winds of Change show up in life in a variety of ways. They encouraging us to step beyond the known. Sometimes they come on strong, sometimes they are gentle. For this week you are invited to see them as an opportunity to make a commitment to yourself in the following areas: To embrace change, transformation, and newness. To look at life through a fresh perspective of possibility. To drop away old ideas that no longer serve and to go with the flow of the Infinite calling you forward.

“The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.” Nathaniel Branden 

When we are young, somewhere in the ages of 3-6 we learn to embrace change and exercise our choices in simple ways. Often it starts by choosing what to wear, what toys to play with, what foods we like, or don't like. We learn about textures and how they feel, we may form a preference. Certain colors may be more appealing to us and we begin to form a mental list of the things we enjoy and the things that take us out of joy!

Around the ages of 6-9 things shift a bit. When change happens suddenly we may have strong reactions to it. Those reactions may be things such as, resistance, fear, uncertainty, our doubt. They could also trigger curiosity, intrigue, excitement and wonder. Even when it seems like we don't have a choice, we always have the choice to choose how we feel. And, within us is the power to change the way we feel if needed. Take the example of visiting a Halloween house, it may seem scary at first, yet it could also be exciting and fun!

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” C.S. Lewis

 When we are in or between the ages of 9-12 we've likely formed several ideas and opinions about life. We may have adopted certain viewpoints that come from our parents, grandparents, teachers or the world around us. This is a great age to learn the art of going with the flow and not taking things so seriously. 

My mentor, Rev. Jeff Anderson taught me a practice that at first sounded silly yet has served me very well through the years. It is this - "Be more like Teflon and less like Velcro". Velcro is that sticky stuff that is sometimes on our shoes. When two pieces come together they stick tight! Negative thoughts and feelings can be like this, as well as our resistance to change. They keep us stuck and limit our ability to be flexible. Teflon is a coating that is often found on cookware. It allows food to slip and slide with NO resistance. When we are more like teflon, we let our negative, resistant ideas and feelings slide off, leaving a clean surface in our minds so that we can form our own choice about what is going on and how we wish to move through it. 

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change.” Wayne Dyer

Your invitation this week is to explore the areas of your life that you get to choose as well as the things you resist. How does it feel when you get to choose? How does it feel when the choice is made for you? What are some of the things you resist? Why do you resist them? What is the feeling behind your resistance? Is that feeling limiting you and holding you back in some way? If yes, what small steps can you take to be more like teflon so those feelings can slide off? Share a favorite choice you made with another person. What was the feeling you had when you made that choice? What are some ways you can feel that in other areas of your life? 

AFFIRMATIONS:

I AM open to seeing the good Life offers me today. 

I have the power to create change. 

I AM the creator of my own life. 

I have the power to choose.

MEDITATIONS:

Conscious Breathing:   from Thich Nhat Hanh's book,   "Peace Is Every Step."
This meditation can be used at any time, anywhere you are because our breathing is the connection between our body and our mind. 

1. As you breathe in, you say to yourself, "Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in." 

2. As you breathe out, say to yourself, "Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out." 

You recognize your in-breath as an in-breath and your out-breath as an out-breath. You don't even need to recite the whole sentence; you can use just two words: "In" and "Out". This technique can help you keep your mind on your breath. As you practice, your breath will become peaceful and gentle, and your mind and body will also become peaceful and gentle.

Square breath Meditation for Kids: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFdZXwE6fRE

MUSIC:

Jimmy Cliff: I can see Clearly Now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSuB4t3q_dA. (may need to skip adds!)

Courage to Change: by Sia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxTRysMDtj4

BOOKS:

The North Star - by Peter H. Reynolds
From Storytime with Suzanne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcFQONj1u3M

Where every you go - by Pat Zietlow Miller

From Reece Reads: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2YAR2-TmPI

CREATIVITY:

Tie Die Crafts! Nothing says change and choice like a fun tie die craft. There are a variety of ways you can do them. Get your GOOGLE on and search Tie Die crafts for fun ideas. Make a new shirt - or a colorful pair of socks. Or a special pillow case. The possibilities are limitless - kind of like Spirit! 

Follow me on Pinterest and check out my Tie Die Folder! @Suzlight2 - aka Susan Robinson! 

Have fun this week and make great choices! 

(Photo credit to Agnieszka-Ziome and Ben Wilkins on Unsplash)