Week Ten - Safety

Week Ten. Unbelievable! At this point in the process, I'm always amazed at how quickly time does fly.

When I think of the word safety, I wonder, is that even possible? For one, there's today's world and all the dangers that lurk. And then there's just life in general, accidents happen, life is fragile, where is the sense of safety? And then as a creative person, we dont want to simply be "safe." We want to risk, and stretch, and move beyond safety into the exhilirating unknown! Right?

This past week I've been struggling with the idea of a benevolent Universe. As much as I feed on synchronicities in my own life and the life of others, as much as I can feel one day that the Universe is winking at me, on other days or even other moments, I feel like it's all a bunch of crapola. I think I'm only fooling myself into believing such nonsense. And then the following day, I'll hear such a beautiful story of synchronicity that my heart opens for the millionth time to the possibility. So, I suppose that once again, this chapter is well-timed. For, I could use a sense of this kind of safety. Not necessarily a safety from harm or from things going "wrong", but a sense of safety in the fact that I am surrounded by a net of support...support from family, friends, and yes, the Universe too. Throughout this chapter, Cameron shares stories of other artists experiencing their own version of this struggle. I feel slightly relieved in this. I feel so utterly grateful for all the good in my life right now Perhaps this is how I feel "safe", this waiting for the other shoe to drop, this too good to be true feeling. Perhaps what I desire, is to let that old belief go because it is no longer useful and open myself up to a new belief.

I do experience art as a mystery most of the time. I do feel, when I allow myself to get connected, led by my intuition in wild and unexpected ways. When I'm outside I constantly feel a sense of the sublime. I understand why Cameron suggests the walks, which in getting us outside, gives us the opportunity to connect with that feeling of being so small, that feeling of awe and wonderment. On Friday, I took a long walk and was thrilled to see my favorite trees, Magnolia trees, about to burst into flower. There was one on my street growing up and I was madly in love with it. Despite the timing for allergies, I am still so happy with the days in which the Magnolia trees bloom.

It's usually at this point in the process that I feel a sort of breaking point or a wall that I slam into. Heh, I just remembered that on my walk on Friday I nearly walked into a pole because I was walking and looking backwards at an old building that caught my eye. If you have hit that wall (or pole) in your own journey, don't give up. Even if you've had a "bad" week, brush it off and get back to it, write your pages, get out in the glorious sunshine, try those divining rods and be open to possibility. Me, I plan on opening myself up, as much as my heart can stand, letting the light in, and playing with the idea that as Rob Brezsny says, the whole world is conspiring to shower me with blessings.

How do you feel about synchronicity? What do you do when you doubt it all?

Some luscious linkage:

Article: Sharon Salzberg on Faith
Images: Stunning pictures of the Universe.
Poem: Wild Geese by Mary Oliver
Symbol: Lighthouses are known to be symbols of safety, comfort and hope.
Books: Comfortable with Uncertainty by Pema Chodron, Pronoia is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings by Rob Brezsny, The Red Book: A Deliciously Unorthodox Approach to Igniting Your Divine Spark by Sera Beak.

Lots of love and creative juiciness,
Leah, Creative Everyday