“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” — commonly attributed to George Eliot
Tag: life lessons
Gratitude 2.0
No one will argue the benefits of practicing gratitude. Count your blessings, look on the bright side of life, be thankful for what you have, the wise advise. Sure, it’s good for us, and enjoyable too, to acknowledge our wins — an achievement, acquisition, validation, improvement. But what about gratitude when things don’t go our way at all — during loss, failure, uncertainty, rejection? GRATITUDE 2.0 Lately, I am practicing my gratitude on this deeper level. Advanced gratitude. Gratitude 2.0, I’ll call it. The foundational pre-requisite for this course is humility, the acceptance that perhaps I don’t know what is…
Ask. Let Go. Listen.
This painting is one of intention, hope and faith, from the Light chapter of Millennial Mom’s tale. Desire is fundamental to our human nature. It fuels our growth, and leads us to evolve. Ultimately, it is the path to our true selves, leading us to work for the things that bring the deepest fulfillment. It is a universal desire… a need… to be known, to feel understood, cared for, loved. When those needs aren’t met, we turn to substitute gratifications. We over-consume substitutes — food, drugs or alcohol, entertainment, shopping, sex, work, perfectionism. Or we seek to protect ourselves with…
I Didn’t Think It Would Be like This
Here we visit those infamous partners in sorrow – expectation, and resistance. We expect life to turn out a certain way. In annoyance and complaint, we resist what actually happens. This painting is of the DARKNESS chapter of Millennial Mom’s tale. WANTING AND WISHING And this is the noble truth of the arising of sorrow. It arises from craving… — The Pali Canon If only ____, life would be better. Many of us seek happiness in achievement and lifestyle, in living well. We are certain the answers lie in the right relationship; in financial security or status; in the comfort…
Millennial Mom Battles the Sweet Demon
This painting, Millennial Mom Battles the Sweet Demon, is of the Descent chapter of the Millennial Mom: I Have a Probem with Fantasy series. I hope my artistic abilities are sufficient to convey this noose is made of candy, meant to symbolize those substances we turn to, which, when used in excess, (with fixation, imbalance, and loss of control) can harm us, either mentally, spiritually or physically. THE NAMELESS YEARNING Many of us turn to a substance/behavior to meet our fundamental needs that are not met. We feel a nameless yearning for something other. Believing we cannot handle these uncomfortable…
Forgive Me
Forgive Me, is a pivotal work in the final chapter of the Millennial Mom story. THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE Want freedom from suffering? A good place to start is to face your painful truth. In trying to make sense of challenging outcomes, rather than blaming those things we cannot control – other people, society, fate/the universe/God/whatever-you-believe-in – instead, look within. After many years of struggle, I’ve found freedom in honestly and humbly looking at my part, in how things go down. How have I contributed to what is troubling me? Where have I selfishly wanted life to go…
Love Yourself First
I have pondered long the difference between selfishness and self-love. My husband has a problem with this one, says people will take it the wrong way. Egos will read this as license to think only of themselves. Mayhem will ensue. That I fail to acknowledge the true One-Self of the enlightened. But I trust my readers will understand what I’m saying, largely because many have lived the consequences of what happens when we don’t heed this advice. Below, I share why this matters, and what it means in our day-to-day life. We can heal the world by first healing ourselves,…
I Didn’t See This Coming
LIFE IS UNPREDICTABLE One of the basic laws of life is the constant of change. Living in fear and resistance, it can be too much. Lack of care for psychological stress can tip one into despair. Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. — Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy), John Lennon THE ILLUSION OF CONTROL Our culture teaches us we can get what we want if only we try harder, sacrificing to get where we want to be. Today’s norms have us moving away from family support, over-committing ourselves so we can enjoy all life has…
Millennial Mom Battles Monkey Mind
Meditation has saved me. Along with exercise, a nutritious diet, great sleep, sunshine and fresh air, a daily meditation practice is key to my health and well-being. Much of our suffering is caused by our thinking. We can free ourselves from this suffering by learning to recognize what is true in the present moment. We do this through the regular practice of mindfulness, otherwise known as meditation. – Tara Brach, PhD WHY MEDITATE Very practically, meditation has been shown to help manage pain, depression, stress, and cortisol levels, as well as raise our happiness set point, that point on…
There Will Be an Answer
When life is challenging us, we may push away our discomfort, wanting life to be different. In this place of fear, we are lacking faith that we are being led through a gateway to deeper understanding. Sometimes the best thing we can do is … let it be. Soothing our suffering with the wonder and magic of our natural surroundings can help ease the pain, until our faith is restored, until we know from deep within … THERE WILL BE AN ANSWER. INSPIRATION On the 49th anniversary of the release of The Beatles’ Let It Be single, I honour that…
DARLENE BAKER 