A Constant Becoming

AConstantBecoming

Audio Reads of Some of My Posts

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Yesterday · 2 min
Everything ends
Can you have joy for the ending, for the change of the day, for the passage to what is next? Can you let the tinge of sadness be met with a sense of what you have contributed and the moment of loss with the knowledge that more is always coming? OK. I will admit the title is a bit dark and I debated whether I should keep it. I chose to because it’s so very real. Everything ends. There really is no denying it. And it’s hard to have joy for the ending of anything. But while cliche, it is true that every ending, even our own, is a moment of passage. And there is joy to be found in what is next just as there is joy to be found in now. I’m not trying to suggest that we should not grieve when something we love ends. And I’m not suggesting that we should be joyful when someone we love leaves us, whether through death or choice. But what I am suggesting is that we can meet the sadness, whether a tinge or a flood, with the knowledge that we wrote part of the story we are now missing and we have the chance to write another. As you read this I wonder: * As you look at the stories that may end, can you look at your part in them and feel the power of it? * Can you know that you have a chance to create a new story, different in kind but potentially just as powerful? * Will you keep your eye on all the places your love flows even as one node may darken? These were some of the harder intentions to write. I’m still trying to find my way through this topic but I felt like I needed to connect to those I love who are finding their way through this in this moment. That this was a way for me to add to the tapestry as they navigate loss. As we close the week, can you see the full tapestry in front of you and make the most of each moment? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
Wednesday · 2 min
Joy in the Movement
Can you believe that balance is coming? Can you look for the glimmers among the clouds? Can you accept the fall that comes after the rise? Can you ride the wave as it flows and find joy in the movement? I’ve never been a surfer. I’ve never even tried. To be honest, it looks like a pretty painful pastime and I’m old enough now that it’s probably not in my best interest to go tumbling off a surf board (or anything else for that matter). But I have to admit that when you look at the pictures of people doing it, there’s something truly unique about what you see. They are balanced on the wave, creating motion in the middle of disruption, stability in the middle of the end of something. And it all relies on balance, on seeing the wave that has potential, of being willing to crash in pursuit of that moment. To me, there is something in that for life. It is this idea of finding joy in movement, not joy in progress, not joy in attainment, but joy in the fact that we get to move. Not every day is going to be a day we move, but every day gives us a chance. As you read this I wonder: * What glimmers have you seen today? Did you let them find a place in your heart? * Can you accept the balance of life, the ebbs and the flows? * Can you see the movement of this day and find joy in it? We all want to make progress. We all want there to be more rises than falls. Every surfer wants a great set of waves to ride. But the reality is that we also need moments of peace and moments of rest. Without them, we cannot find the center. As you go through the week, can the moments of progress give way to the moments of rest without a sense of loss? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
Monday · 1 min
The Beginning...
Can you live with the fall as well as the rise? Can the sunset bring you as much peace as the sunrise brings you hope? Can you see the beginning in the ending and the ending in the beginning? Usually, I pick a theme and then look for the intentions. Today, however, I picked an intention, one I wrote this very day, and picked the other two this week to match. A few people in my life are dealing with the rapid decline of those they love, a decline that will result, probably sooner than later, in those people passing. And so this intention was written with them in mind. There’s a Harry Chapin song called “Circle” that this intention reminds me of. I genuinely believe there are beginnings in every ending and vice versa. We don’t need to obsess over the fact that all things end but we need to be willing to let the times of sadness and departure come. The tighter our connection with another, the stronger the loss we feel when they finally depart. As you read this I wonder: * What is one ending you do not want to see? Can you reframe it as a beginning? * Can you find peace in the closure that comes with loss? * Can you know that the universe is bringing something new to you to be as precious as the thing that is moving out of your life? A friend once asked me for an intention about loss and I realized that I have not written many of them. In part, it’s because I shy away from thinking about it. And in part, it’s because I really do believe there is always another choice in front of us, always another wave to ride, always another sunrise waiting to be seen. Each ending is real. But each ending is only a part of our story. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
October 2 · 1 min
The Light Ahead
Can you keep hoping? Can you keep seeing light ahead of you? Can you mark the small moments of progress, the little glimpses of the sun? Can you acknowledge the challenges without letting them diminish your life, your mood, your love? I don’t know if I’ve ever truly been hopeless. If anything, I’ve been disappointed and hopeful. I’ve resisted hoping but that to me is different than being hopeless. Hopelessness to me is having nothing to hope for. My state is closer to disbelieving in the things I hope for. And so my challenge is the challenge of evaluating whether there is a reason to hope. Which brings me back to a theme I’ve been talking about for a few weeks now. There is always something to hope for. There is always a reason to believe that the sun will shine, that love will come, that the world will bring you choices and lessons to learn. The challenges, whatever they may be, do not change those things and thus, should not remove our hope. As you read this I wonder: * What is the one thing you are most hoping for today? * What progress have you made? What is standing in your way? * If you don’t get that one thing, what is the next thing you’d hope for? Where we can get lost is when our hoped-for outcome becomes impossible or unlikely. But what if, instead of giving up on hope, we just moved on to the next thing we hoped for. Or, even better, we realized that the one thing may not be the thing that is best for us or is meant to be. As we close the week, can you be more willing to express your hope through your journey than tying it to your destination? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
September 30 · 2 min
One More Breath
Can you sit with the discomfort for One more breath? Can you accept what is and know that change is coming? Can you create space for growth, for peace, for love? I really hate discomfort. Well, I should amend that, I hate personal and emotional discomfort. I actually quite enjoy intellectual discomfort and, to some degree, physical discomfort (the kind that comes from exercise or exertion). But sitting with discomfort, without acting, without gripping, is incredibly difficult for me. And it’s not only sitting with my own discomfort but others’ discomfort as well. Two weeks ago, three people who are incredibly important to me all had difficult weeks for different reasons and I was not physically with any of them. And I found that deeply uncomfortable because all I could do was listen, offer a perspective, and send energy their way. And in no way did that seem enough. But in a way, not having the ability to act was a blessing. It allowed me to create space to show my love without getting tied up in what to do. It allowed me to see that the very act of being present, of being open, of putting them first, made a huge difference. As you read this I wonder: * What discomfort are you sitting with today? Can you name it? * Are you able to take a moment without acting to create space? * What will you choose to fill that space? Change is a constant. The sands are always shifting beneath our feet. But with all of that, we have the choice to be present rather than to lose ourselves in activity. We have the choice to listen, to love, and to care. And perhaps, in doing so, we can not only create space in ourselves but help others to do so as well. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
September 28 · 2 min
Walking on
Can you continue to walk the path? Can you ignore the bumps on the road? Can you welcome the twists and turns? Can you smell the flowers, see the beauty, confront the challenges? Can you be certain of your destination, certain of your value and certain of the love that is with you at every step?Those of you who have been here for a while know that I sometimes put up an intention I wrote a long time ago and see it differently than when I wrote it. This one is one of those. Two lines in particular jump out at me. “Can you ignore the bumps in the road?” Maybe sometimes you can and you should but the bumps have things to teach you as well and ignoring them may not be the best choice. “Can you be certain of your destination…” is another line that hit me. I was speaking to my best friend yesterday and I said that I’m no longer certain of my destination. I’m certain of my intentions, I try to be true to them and to myself. I have confidence that there is joy and peace at my destination and along the way. But do I know how it’s all going to work out? I don’t. And there’s greater peace in letting go of the specific end point, at least for me. As you read this I wonder: * Have you given a name to the path you are walking? * Are you comfortable with what is with you as you walk along, the beauty but also the bumps in the road? * How can you be a little more confident that there are people walking beside you wherever you may choose to go? Some days the path feels uncomfortable. Being true to who I want to be can lead to some difficult moments. But nobody said that being true to yourself was easy. And nobody said everyone would like that version of you. As you start the week, can you commit to being you, to staying true to the path you have chosen? And if you cannot, can you see there is another path for you to take? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
September 25 · 2 min
Why Not Now
Can you stop waiting for certainty? Can you give up the idea of the moment that will change the game? Can you see the fine weave of life, the small moments, the tiny pivots? Can you understand the power of accumulation and compounding and be thankful that you have the chance? Those of you who have been reading for a while know that I really believe in the power of small changes to shape our lives. And yet, I think all of us sometimes are waiting for the right moment to act. Maybe we’ve watched too many movies but sometimes I find myself not acting because I don’t think the act will matter enough. In those moments where I have a choice, I sometimes wait for a better moment or a better idea. But here’s what I have come to believe. The universe gives me each moment as a moment where I can choose to act. My action generally will be imperfect. My timing may be off. But I think it is better to choose, even to choose no than to wait. That’s not to say that it’s always right to not think things through or that we should live in a world of ready, fire, aim; but it is to say that we should treat each opportunity to act as the gift that it is. As you read this I wonder: * Where is your biggest “not now” or “I’m not ready”? * If you had to act in this moment, what would you do? * Can you see the opportunity in that action as well as the limitation? If I want to feel more powerful in my life, I need to choose. These days I feel like it’s more important to make the choice than to let it pass me by. “No” is always a choice, but my own life experience is that “not now” is more often a cop out. As we close the week, can you try to convert one “not yet” into an action, even if the action is to say “no.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
September 23 · 1 min
Beyond the Visible Markers
Can you allow time to pass without measurable progress? Can you see that the markers you have established are incomplete? Can you have more faith that you are building something and having to do it without the instructions? Can you give yourself grace in the process? One of my challenges with finding peace is that I am constantly measuring myself against something, against what I was, against what I aspire to be, or, most destructively, against those around me. There’s always a marker. There’s always a measurement. But what if there really isn’t? Let me use this Substack as an example. Substack gives me lots of data and by much of that data, I’m not really making progress. It’s not as if there are thousands of subscribers or even hundreds, or millions of views. It would be easy for me to say, there’s no progress here. And some days it feels that way. But there’s a different way to look at it. I can see that each day, each post, may land with someone in a way that matters. And when that happens, there is progress. As you read this I wonder: * What are the markers or milestones you have set for yourself? * How confident are you that the ones that spring to mind are the ones that best serve you? * What would happen if you looked at whether you mattered today rather than how it compared to someone else or some plan you have? Admittedly, there are days where the lack of achievement gets me down. Where I feel like I’m not doing enough to get to where I want or need to be. But progress is a movie, not a picture and the path that we think leads to the goal may not. I hope that you find a way today to see the movement you are making rather than focus on the places you may be stuck. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
September 21 · 1 min
The Shape of Progress
What does progress look like to you today? Can it be taking a small step versus a large one? Can it be holding your ground against the current? Can it be becoming more certain that you will act even if today is not the day? Remember that progress looks different every day and every day you have a chance to see it if you only take the opportunity. Some days I feel like I accomplished nothing or that the plans I had when the day began are largely unrealized. But I wonder whether I know how to measure progress. I don’t think it’s the same as “did I check off the things on my to do list?”. Rather I think it relates to my journey along my path. Some days, all that may mean is that I stayed on the path when there were reasons to get off. Some days, the path may be gentle and downhill and I merely have to walk gently. Some days, there’s a boulder in the way and I have to climb over. And some days, I decide it’s time to take a turn. All of those can be progress. In other words, progress isn’t measured against a constant yardstick but it’s more what we choose to see. As you read this I wonder: * How would you define progress today? Do you even need to do so? * When you feel like you didn’t progress, why is that? * Can you see it differently and find a way to see change as progress or even the lack of change in the face of challenge? It’s too easy for me to make task completion the only measure of progress. If I look at the course of my life, the moments that matter the most to me are rarely the ones when I complete a task. Indeed, they often are ones that I don’t even think will matter in the moment. As we start the week, can we have a broader definition of progress and give ourselves a little more grace? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
September 18 · 2 min
Mourning together
Can it be ok to mourn the loss that is not yet here? Can you use the time not to plan the after but to sit with the now? Can you know that you are not alone and that what you mourn is also a loss to others even if they don't give voice to that fact? I’ve probably said it before. I’m an anticipatory worrier. I worry constantly about things until they happen and once they happen, I quickly move into response mode. And yet, we as a society have sayings like “Don’t borrow problems” that encourage us to ignore the problem until it’s a reality. That is never who I will be and, for a while at least, I thought it was something I needed to change. Today, I see it differently. I think it’s fine to mourn the loss of potential, to fear what might be. That said, I think the right response is not to try to make the fear not materialize but rather to sit with it and understand what it has to say to you. If what I fear comes to pass, I know I will not mourn it alone. And so, whatever may come, the connections I have will sustain me. As you read this I wonder: * What are you mourning that has not yet come to pass? * Who will mourn it with you if it ever happens? * Can you sit with the why of your mourning and see what it has to show you rather than raging against the dying of the light? I’m a future focused person and so I don’t do a lot of mourning about what has happened in the past. But I do mourn what may come and I’m working to use that as a force for internal change more than external action. As we close this week, can you look forward with confidence, not because everything will work out, but rather because you are loved? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
September 16 · 2 min
One More Step
Can you accept the moments of sadness, the moments alone? Can they be part of the tapestry? Can you believe that they are a piece of the journey and not your destiny? Can you take one more step toward connection and know you are cherished? Solitude is one of those things that I genuinely believe is polarizing. Some people long for it and others fear it. I think most of us have both reactions but which one is top of mind is often a response to where we are in the moment. We long for solitude when we feel surrounded by demands and we fear it when those demands disappear. And so, I truly believe we need to accept and maybe cherish the moments we get to be alone, even when we are saddened by them. Solitude is in some sense our purest state, if we allow it to be so. We can be true to nobody but ourselves. And we should be confident, based on our life’s experience, that we are cherished and connected in ways we don’t fully appreciate. As you read this I wonder: * When was the last time you were sad and alone? Did you use that moment to reflect or to attack yourself? * Do you believe you are connected and at least some of those connections are forever? * If so, can you take the moments of solitude you are given and make them a chance to choose for you what comes next to you? I’ve come to a place where I’m quite comfortable being alone in the moment but I also fear being alone forever. But part of my journey is realizing that the fear recedes under the light of the connections I have and those I am building. Can you find a way to make your alone time neither a respite nor something you fear but rather something you embrace as part of your tapestry? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
September 14 · 1 min
Alone in the Crowd
Can you distinguish surrender from giving up? Can you see the space between letting go and not caring? Can you find the peace without the isolation? Can you be alone in the crowd and surrounded in silence? It’s hard for me to let go of something that I want without making my response negative. Whether that’s giving up on it ever happening or pretending that I no longer care, I can see the attachment to the outcome and feel myself creating a wall that keeps the hurt away. But these days, I’m trying something different. I’m trying to tell myself not now, or not that way, or not this time. I’m trying to hold my conviction that the things that truly matter to me, to my development, to my becoming are in fact going to happen, or at least I’m going to have the opportunity to make them happen. And so, even when I am forced to turn away, it doesn’t have to be forever. I can be alone and held, I can be at peace without being alone. I can find hope in the moment as long as I choose to do so. As you read this, I wonder: * Can you treat your misses or your failures with the nuance you reserve for your victories? * Can you accept the times you are alone and find in them the time to renew your commitment and your faith? * Can you find a way to hold your core even when the world is wildly spinning around you? I firmly believe that we do not choose what happens. We don’t have nearly as much control as we would like to. But I also believe that the things that matter are coming and we always have another chance, another choice. As you begin the week, can you see the choice in front of you and have the conviction to try again? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
September 11 · 1 min
Keep Moving Forward
Can you have faith in your ability to take action? Can you have confidence in your intentions? Can you be certain that you are seen by those who matter? Can you just keep moving ahead? For those of you who are Disney fans, the title of today’s post may be familiar. It’s from the movie Meet the Robinsons. While I will not engage in a movie review, it truly is one of my favorite movies and one that is not as well known as many in the Disney catalog. The idea of continuing to move forward is simply that. That no matter how many times we don’t achieve our objectives, there is an opportunity to move forward and keep trying. And trying is not just putting the effort in, it’s being willing to be seen, both in the highs and in the lows. And it’s knowing that the people who truly love you will help, not by telling you that you succeeded when you didn’t or that it’s OK when it’s not; but instead by telling you to get up and keep moving ahead. As you read this I wonder: * What would you describe as a recent failure? * What was the intention behind your action? Was your action a true reflection of the intention? * Can you keep moving forward to the next incarnation of that intention? People will talk about dusting yourself off and trying again. I think the magic is in what you are trying. If you are trying for an outcome, you may never succeed. But if you are trying for a pure expression of your intention, you almost always do, even when the result is not what you imagined. As we close the week, can you feel the energy in intent more than the judgment in outcome? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
September 9 · 1 min
Through the Windshield
Can you see the opportunity in front of you? Can you know it is there even if you don't know the form it will take? Can you hold on to your belief in what is to come? Can you see all sides of it, the good and the bad, the challenging and the exciting, the joy and the struggle? All of it is in front of you and belongs to you. Can you keep moving? There’s always something in front of us. Sometimes we can see it clearly and sometimes we think we can even if we cannot. We, as humans, are obsessive forecasters, always looking for what is ahead and for what comes next. But, the hard work is believing in the opportunity even when you cannot see it and you cannot name it. I truly believe the universe is always bringing us opportunities. And regardless of how we choose, more choices and more opportunities are coming to us. Not all of those choices will be pleasant. Not every opportunity will be comfortable or easy. But they keep coming. The secret I think is to keep our eyes open and recognize what we are being offered even when we choose not to take it. As you read this I wonder: * What is right in front of you now that you are considering? * How will you decide what choice you will make? * Do you believe that regardless of the choice you make today, more chances, more choices are coming to you tomorrow? We don’t have to do anything to be offered choices. However, we do have to be willing to see what is ahead and choose (or choose not to). Can you be willing to both see what is in front of you and to know that what you see is only a small portion of the choices to come? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
September 7 · 1 min
With hope
Can you hope without grasping? Can you know what you want without needing to have it? Can you let your hopes lift you up rather than tie you down? Can you see that hope should be a positive? Whether your hope arrives or not, the lift that comes with it is leading you to a better place. Hope may be the most important thing we have as humans. It allows us to persevere, to dream, to create, to do all manner of things that require us to struggle and survive. But there’s a downside to hope. There’s the comparison of what we hope for with what we have. Hope keeps us going but, if we are not careful, it can be the flip side of disappointment and of comparing everything to the ideal. Hope should make us more content, not less. It should allow us to accept what is while we pursue what could be. It should be a force for moving toward rather than moving away. For me, it should be but sometimes it is not. Sometimes it is pulling me down a rabbit hole and distracting me from this day with dreams of some day. And then the energy of hope is holding me down rather than lifting me up. As you read this I wonder: * What is the one thing you most hope for today? * Can you accept a future in which that hope is never realized? * Can you imagine it might be better than you even hoped? We should not underestimate the power of hope but we also should not give it power over us and our path. As you start the week, can you use hope to move you toward tomorrow and to recognize the wonder of today? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
September 4 · 1 min
Change Comes, Doesn’t It?
What do you do when the end of the story seems to change? How do you adapt to a new ending, a new path? Will you fight your way back to the path you imagined? Will you accept what you see laid out in front of you? Or can you suspend expectation and walk each path as if it is the path and never feel the change? I’ve told you before that one of my challenges is not becoming overly focused on the end of the story, the end of the path, the final destination. We live a life where, as circumstances change, so do the possibilities in front of us. But some of those possibilities are dear to us and when they disappear or become less likely, there is a loss. The question is how we respond to that loss. Earlier in my life, I responded by fighting my way back, by looking for another way to achieve the same end state. This involved a lot of analysis and effort, typically only to have circumstances change again. And while there genuinely are ends worth fighting for, most of those ends for me are more about who is in my life than how it goes. As you read this I wonder: * How has your story changed in the last day, the last week, the last month? * How committed are you to how it ends? * What can you do to commit to less but fight for the smaller pieces that matter? I’m committed to fighting to keep love alive in my soul through those few people who magnify it for me. I’m committed to holding those people close. But that opens up all kinds of paths and all kinds of ends. As we end the week, can you examine your commitments and be sure they are the ones you want? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
September 2 · 1 min
The Depth of Silence
Can you accept the quiet moments? Can you avoid filling the silence with fear, with hope, with plans? Can you be willing to be, without judgment, without rushing? Can what is be enough without needing to know what's next? One of my very good friends lives a life filled with noise and activity. She is constantly moving from place to place and thing to thing with never a moment for quiet. She longs for the quiet moments. At a different time in life where I live now, the quiet moments are more frequent. And confronting them can be uncomfortable. It’s hard to sit with nothing. There are whole schools of thought on the power of doing this but they are consistent in noting it is challenging. As humans, we abhor a vacuum in our minds. We want to fill it with something, with a plan, with a fear, with what’s next. The restless mind moves. But there is a real power in quieting that motion and in finding a way to sit, even if for a second, with what is, without moving to what will be or could be. As you read this I wonder: * When was the last time you truly sat in silence? * What did it feel like when you were there? How long did it take you to move on? * The next time it comes, can you sit there a little bit longer? Humans are I think restless by their nature. We are creatures, at least while awake, of constant motion. Part of the reason sleep matters is we calm, but can we seek the ability to calm in moments of wakefulness and feel the renewal that comes? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
August 31 · 1 min
A Light in the Gloom
What if the universe intends for you to be a lighthouse, shining brightly but where the ships always pass on and leave you behind? Can you embrace that role or will you dim your light because you prefer another task? Shine on in peace and have hope. I remember writing this intention right around the time I wrote the story Hank and the Lighthouse that you can find here in the archives. And I remember distinctly where my head was, that the light wasn’t appreciated, that it was valued but not loved. And today, when I read this, I feel it differently. While the light can be seen as passive, it’s not. It needs a direction, an intensity, a focus. And each time the light shifts, the world it illuminates or does not shifts as well. So, in a way, the light from the lighthouse is constantly dimming and brightening as it sweeps around. Yes, there is always choice to dim your light permanently or to take it to another place entirely. But I’m no longer sure that we get to choose whether we are a lighthouse, but rather we choose where and how intensely we choose to shine. As you read this I wonder: * For whom are you shining most brightly today? * What joy do you take from the illumination that you provide? * How do you assess what difference you make by shining? We don’t really have a choice as to whether we shine. We do have a choice how we greet ourselves as we do it. As you begin the week, can you shine forth knowing you are making a difference even in the moments when it’s hard to see it? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
August 28 · 1 min
Without Aim
Do you need to know where the path is going to take the next step? Do you need to know the why in order to accept? Can you look at what is, know it is there for a reason, and have faith in what is to come? This reflects the other side of waiting. The side where you aren’t waiting for something but simply waiting. I think we live in this state a lot more than we sometimes believe. Sometimes we won’t move until we are sure where we are going. And that results not in anticipation but in stasis. I don’t claim to know anything about the nature of time, but I do think I’ve learned something about the nature of causality. It’s not linear. I cannot count the hours I’ve spent in plotting out the steps. Imagining what will happen and what I will do and what will happen after and so on. But, as I have the chance to look back, so many things have worked out for me, not because I’ve managed the steps but in spite of that. As you read this I wonder: * Are you moving forward today or are you waiting to decide where to go? * Can you be willing to surrender how you are going to get there without giving up on the outcome? * Can you spend more time understanding what today has to give you than you do plotting what’s next? There’s nothing easy about the path of moving through life, and yet, in each day’s decisions, we have so many choices: whether we act, what we do, what we learn, who we affect. As we close out the week, can you be more willing to be here for this now? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com
August 26 · 1 min
Take Today First
Can you avoid giving in to anticipation? Can you be sure of your strength? Can you sit in the discomfort of now even when joy and comfort are on the horizon? Can you seek to learn today’s lessons before tomorrow’s? One of the watch outs for me for the things I want most is when it’s nearly time. I’m pretty good when things are far in the future or when there are major barriers that must be overcome. I can look at those things and wait quietly, maybe not peacefully but quietly. But the closer the outcome comes, the more my patience recedes. When it is just on the horizon, the urge to hurry it up becomes almost impossible to resist. And in that, I think is our greatest risk. We can get out of order or, even worse, fail to learn the lessons available to us along the way. When I fixate on one thing in the future, I tend to ignore the things that are here and now. And those things have joy to bring me, lessons to teach me, and opportunities to make the world sing. As you read this I wonder: * Can you not give what is just out of reach more time and attention than it deserves? * Can you see today’s lessons and opportunities clearly even when tomorrow’s are more interesting? * Can you be sure that tomorrow’s joy is there even if you take time to witness today? It is truly interesting to me how anticipation moves in my soul. The closer something becomes, the harder it is to wait. But waiting is everything. Because without it, we lose today in our focus on tomorrow. Can you simply allow today to be and to teach you before you move on? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com

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