The Present: May
Get into the habit of asking yourself, “Does this support the life I’m trying to create?” - Gabby Bernstein
Hello, and welcome to The Present, the 2023 Flourish Integral Health newsletter. If you find what I am sharing about intentions, joy, and being true to yourself helpful, please join and share.
This month was challenging. For inspiration, I continued to draw hope from affirmations and prayers upon waking. I also drew strength from my book. When under stress, I can loose routine and supportive consistancy. For example, I’ve been so focused on May 26th (for personal family reasons) that I forgot until this Wednesday afternoon that it is also the last Friday of the month (my Substack self-imposed post date). Returning to a process, like Flourish, is grounding.
I also drew faith from this pair of eggs. My preference is to see an even number of eggs in the carton. Earlier this month the situation was odd. Every morning, I would open the carton uncomfortably, and wonder how it would even. To my surprise one morning, I cracked open a double. (I make two eggs each morning; so order was restored!) This is a small moment of joy that signals everything always resolves itself and to allow the Universe to work its magic.
Onto intentions…
If this is your initial reading, my intention is to share how I’m using Flourish, A 365-Day Guided Path Towards Love to heal, grow, and be where I want to be. I hope these examples help you with your aspirations. Instead of sharing the details of a goal, this month’s letter highlights self-care.
It’s not my best plan yet because I still feel an emptiness. My self-care list might look different to each reader. What I observed this month is a struggle with being. There is a firm voice to overcome before getting to practices if they take place during the hours of 9am-5pm M-F. There’s a statement from Glennon Doyle in Untamed that resonates here: “Hard work is important. So are play and nonproductively. My worth is tied not to my productivity but to my existence. I am worthy of rest.”
In this month of self-care, I am attempting to focus on my list of possibilities - what do I really want to do. One experience is to have my art in a show. The community center where I began painting classes this year is hosting a “go BIG” show (big canvas); so on Mother’s Day my weekly joy date was a trip to Blick’s to buy paint and paint. The toes in the Fort Sheridan beach painting (shared in March) originally began in January 2022 on 48”x48” canvas in Oak Park (and was put aside). The final looks different than imagined: Barefoot in the Grass. (The name of my bedroom paint.) I learned the show has a waitlist. Nonetheless, 17 months later (the same number of months I’ve been experiencing Long-COVID symptoms) it’s ready to place on a wall! Keep going with your aspirations - have wonder.
Onto joy
I’m grateful to share that Flourish won another award! The book is a Silver Non Fiction Book Award Winner in the category of Personal Transformation.
Holding space for your joy, your intentions, and being true to yourself.
Best,
Allison