Daily Gratitude: We all need to follow this advice. Nature is the best model for patience. But as we know nature can also be savage and harsh. In other words “forceful”. There are times in our lives when we have to be forceful too. But most of the time patience and quietude provide the best payoffs.

Nature can appear “quick” though. I love to watch the flowers on my daily walks. One day there’s a bud and the next day it’s in full bloom and one day later it’s gone. It’s tempting to think that’s such a waste. But that flower fulfilled its purpose in the time it had – how many of us can say the same thing? The thing we tend to forget is the period of time where that flower is growing and being nurtured where we don’t see it. The song “The Rose” highlights that beautifully.

“When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun’s love
In the spring becomes the rose”

Nurture the rose within you and then patience will appear.

Happy New Year!!

Daily Gratitude: It’s funny how the universe always knows what to put in front of you. I’m experiencing this now. I am not happy about something going on in my life. And although it’s painful, it’s also very trivial and I shouldn’t care. I’ll never change the circumstances nor should I want to because that’s not really in my control.

But I can change my response. I also know that it’s a part deep within and very young that’s reacting this way. Therefore it’s good that this situation showed up because there’s a little child or baby in there that needs work. You can scoff all you want at IFS but it has changed me completely in just a few years.

Remember that you can’t change other people. But you can change yourself. Maybe you have to pull away from a person or series of events. Perhaps it’s time to move on. But just maybe it’s one thing that needs a tweak.

How are you feeling about your world- notice I said YOUR world not THE world

Daily Gratitude: I can tell from my personal experience that this is true. I’m still not the bravest cookie in the jar but I’m a lot better than i ever have been.

I was afraid. Of everything. And everyone.

But once i discovered IFS, I discovered many of the whys and was able to heal part of me that had hidden away from the world. There’s still much work to be done and so much to explore. But my world has definitely expanded.

I’m able to approach things without such fear- fear I’d fail; fear people would laugh; fear I’d be rejected and on and on. Now I can do things and not worry (as much) about those intangible thoughts that crowd a child’s mind (the general age of my protectors is from 1-5 years old). And If I start to feel some fear, I know where it’s coming from and usually why. If not, I know how to find out.

Even if you don’t want to study IFS, I encourage you to think about the times you’ve said “a part of me….” Or “that was really out of character.” Or “I don’t know why I always do that. I don’t mean to and I don’t want to..it just happens”. These are times your parts are present and they want you to acknowledge them. That’s all. Can you just do that much?

Your world can expand like mine has.