hello bloomin' beauties,
I have a little story for you today - are you all comfy cozy?
What is REAL asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child love you for a long, long time not just to play with, but REALLY love you, then you become real."
"Does it hurt?"
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are REAL, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But those things don't matter at all, because once your are REAL you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand." (excerpted from the beloved story of the Velveteen Rabbit)
It occurs to me, in this story, the rabbit and Skin Horse were talking about the differences between superficial beauty, the stuff we often feel others need or want to see (the perception) and REAL inner beauty - the stuff we're made of - the stuff that makes us unique. They are telling us that in a life well lived, where we are TRUE to ourselves, all the struggles and challenges make us more loveable and more REAL. When we give ourselves permission to be vulnerable, to let our light shine, others can see this quality in us and this makes us even more real with their love and nurturing. What is REAL in you? What reflects your unique beauty?
When I was 6 or 7 I received a Thumbalina baby doll from Santa. She was my baby, and I took care of her the way I wanted (needed) to be cared for. Over the years, I washed Thumbalina's baby doll hair (please don't do this!); I carefully, tenderly placed band aids® on her boo-boos; and I held her and loved her until her stuffing began to come out. She became real to me, a projection of me. She journeyed thru my turbulent childhood with me - nestled safely in my arms.
My life's journey has been one of recognizing, embracing and expressing my precious, irreplaceable, uncopyable (is that a word? let's make it one, shall we?) sweet self. It's a process, day by day, much like tending to a garden to keep the flowers in full bloom. Do you recognize, embrace and express your precious, irreplaceable sweet self?
If you keep a journal, give yourself the gift of twenty-thirty minutes to sit and write out some of your unique qualities: Begin with "I am . . ."
strong
persevering
survivor
optimistic
spiritual
creative
loving
loveable
encouraging
insightful
visionary
compassionate
These are some qualities I see in me and prompts to get you thinking about your sweet self.
I came across, for the first time, Spring Inspiration in Bloom (what a fabulous compelling name,huh?!) and the lovely ladies there are talking about authenticity too. The thought of it is in the soon to be Fall air I tell you. There, they share the joyful talented Graciel Evenstar's ABCs of Authenticity:
Abandon doubt.Be yourself in all situations.
Care for yourself first and foremost.
Do not criticize yourself.
Eat all things in moderation.
Forgive your imagined faults.
Give generously.
Honor your instincts.
Invite adventure into your life.
Just say "yes".
Kiss the back of your own hand.
Listen to your heart.
Make amends.
Never call yourself "stupid".
Open to new opportunities.
Play.
Question dogma.
Rise above negativity.
See the beauty within you clearly.
Tell the truth.
Understand your needs.
Value your own opinion.
Wield your power responsibly.
Xpress your talents.
Yield to softness.
Zip your lips before you start to gossip
Brava, Graciel, Brava!
Here's my little gift to you for your journaling (kindly use for personal heartfelt profit and not commercial monetary profit)
Feel free to print and cut this out, then glue it in your journal and remember to write all your unique qualities that make your heart so bloomin' beautiful!
I'd love to hear from you here, or on my facebook page - What makes your unique heart bloomin' beautiful?
xoxo
Terri
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