Barriers to Being

Today I walked by the Boston Public Library during my lunch hour, and noticed that they already have a stack of barriers ready for the Marathon. It got me thinking about barriers in general. First of all, I think our thoughts are so much more powerful than most people realize.

If we think we can’t do something, then chances are pretty good that we won’t do it.

Everyone knows the saying, “where there’s a will, there’s a way”. I think for the most part, that’s true. But I also think that we’re not meant to always have all the things that we we wish for, or at least not at the time we necessarily wish for those things to happen. Sometimes it takes a long time for dreams to come true. And dreams change a lot of times, too.

I think something that’s very important is listening to our inner guidance. When we get busy living our lives, it’s so easy to forget to slow down and just be aware. Whenever I’m out walking, this is when I truly am aware. I love to look at the sky, and notice what patterns the clouds are making. I love seeing and hearing beautiful things, such as birds. If they’re tweeting in a tree or bush as I’m walking by, I talk to them, or just feel grateful for their presence. This morning there was a male cardinal singing on Cardinal Medeiros Avenue. My husband and I like telling each other sometimes how we heard or saw “Cardinal Medeiros”.

For years I’ve worked on becoming more aware of my thoughts, and try to notice when they’re negative. Negative thoughts tend to just lead to more negative thoughts. They don’t help anything. My new year’s resolution this year was to be kinder to myself, and it’s really challenging sometimes. It’s so easy to feel discouraged for example when you get on the scale in the morning, and see that instead of losing, you’ve actually gained weight. Today when this happened, at first I was disappointed, but then I decided that this is the weight I’m supposed to be. I know that the times in my life when I decided to accept myself the way I am, and to appreciate my body the way it is, these are the times when I feel the best and actually lose weight. I think constantly dwelling on something in a negative way has a counter effect. So if I don’t lose weight for awhile, I will be okay with that.

My goal is to be aware as much as I possibly can, and to eliminate any and all barriers to my life’s purpose. I hope that when I reach the end someday, I’ll be able to look back and see some great accomplishments. Sometimes beautiful things I see take my breath away. I can only hope that the things I share with the world have that kind of effect on others as well.