Excerpt from Mary Oliver’s The Singular and Cheerful Life:
“The singular and cheerful life of any flower in anyone’s garden or any still unowned field—if there are any—catches me by the heart, by its color,
by its obedience to the holiest of laws:
be alive until you are not.“
Be alive until you are not.
What it means to be alive can seem so different for each of us, but in the moment, it is always the same.
To be truly alive is to allow life to fully express in and through us regardless of circumstance as it flows in any moment.
That singular and cheerful flower’s life will grow and blossom in a tended garden or simply along the roadside amidst the weeds.
We, too, are asked to follow the expression of our own nature—to unfold and blossom in whatever shape that takes, wherever we find ourselves.
In my life and coaching, this comes down to cultivating and allowing our aliveness to express through us.
How do we do that?
Our aliveness expresses on a continuum of quiescence to excitation. Where do you find yourself? Try playing around with the edge and adding a little more of the one you least often allow expression.
Another facet is to become aware of how we block our aliveness. What beliefs, stories, emotions, or behaviors are keeping you stuck? These affect the way your life force energy flows through you, too. Work with understanding and releasing these thoughts, feelings, and behaviors…and see what happens.
Notice your familiar ways of expressing your aliveness—your habits. Can you try on something new? Can you approach something you have labeled taboo? All, of course, in a safe and nourishing way.
One client said at the end of her 6-month program with me:
“Now, I’m happy to say that I have laid the foundation for a company I had wanted to launch. I achieved my weight loss goal by better understanding not only the reasons I was eating, but also the real effects of the food. And I am ready to live this second half of my life, feeling more alive, sexier in my skin, and more full of passion than I have in a long time!” Read more.
Whatever you do, be obedient to the holiest of laws:
be [fully] alive until you are not.
If you would like some support following your aliveness, I still have a few spots for holistic life coaching. I would be happy to offer you a free Discovery Session to see how my work can support you.
Katy, you are an inspiration. You always have been and become even more so. Thank you for you!
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oh, thank you, Ruth! backatcha!
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