Dear Mindy,
This is a message for you from your higher self (you know, the glorious person you are when you leave this life). Don't be alarmed, but I've been watching you up close lately. This morning you went running (way to go, by the way!). The morning sun beat down on your shoulders while your feet hit the pavement in perfect rhythm. Your heart pumped oxygen and emotion through your body and I could read the stream of thoughts running through your conscience.
First of all, I know you're worried that it's Tree Street Tuesday and you haven't interviewed anyone for today. You worry about the silliest things sometimes! Don't waste your time setting unrealistic expectations for yourself. I really admire that you want to have a special connection with your neighbors and those around you. You feel deeply for people and it is your gift to know of their infinite, individual worth. Now work on knowing that you also have infinite worth.
You've been thinking about your friend, Paul Cardall. I know how tears streamed down your face as you sat in the dark at the benefit concert for him last night. When you worked with him on Feather in the Wind your pride made it hard for you to get along with Paul. You just don't quit until you get what you want. That's a wonderful thing except for when it's not. I think you've learned now to compromise with people a little bit better. Don't wait until someone is deathly ill to say you're sorry ever again. And please forgive yourself too.
You have a lot of goals and dreams on your mind right now. You will achieve those. God wants all of those blessings for you. Be patient and stop comparing your gifts to the gifts of your friends. Yours are unique to you. No one, no one else at all, has what you have to give. Emphasis on the to give. After all, gifts are for giving. (And you get what you give. It's a beautiful thing). Now go develop those gifts and pine no more. You are a strong, confident and wonderful person.
Captain of Your Destiny,
Yourself
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i think we all need that kind of talk with ourselves sometimes.
ReplyDeleteWow. I needed to hear that today. Thank you Mindy. I'm coming to just love you.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post! Thanks for sharing such personal thoughts with your readers! A good reminder for us all.
ReplyDeleteyou are wonderful!!! You can tell that from your music. You think deeply, you feel deeply, and you are striving to be the best that you can be. It is super hard to be a deep feeler sometimes. You really are wonderful. :-)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your music, but one thing I will say about all the Mormon Women's Blogs I read, is that you girls are sure hard on yourselves. Why on earth would you wait to be glorious?
ReplyDeleteI think women in general are hard on themselves. For the larger part of my life I have lived in areas where I was one of a few or the only Mormon among my friends. Many of the girls I knew and loved struggled with eating disorders, sex and teenage pregnancy-all signs (in my opinion) of filling a void in their lives. But my dear Donna, you are right to say "why wait to be glorious?" I think that's why I wrote myself this letter: to remind myself that I have infinite worth and to NOT be so hard on myself.
ReplyDeleteLatter Day Saint women hold themselves to a high standard and strive for excellence. They also believe in daily repentance and in being our very best selves. These are all good things, but indeed, I agree that we can be too hard on ourselves. So I suggest we forgive ourselves and like Donna says, start being glorious right now :-)
gifts are for giving. (And you get what you give. It's a beautiful thing).
ReplyDeleteso nice to read, mindy!
hmmm ... you're one of my favorites you know. love you. both your higher and your lower selves.
ReplyDeleteKrista! When are we having our belated birthday lunch? I LOVE you.
ReplyDeleteThanks For responding. You are so right about girls and women being hard on themselves. We learn so much in our pain and our struggles. We all have darkness and light. If can be a bit tricky to stay in the dark too much, to give it too much focus, wondering if we are working hard enough or are good enough. If we accept and acknowledge the weak/dark part of ourselves, we keep a balance and can face our pain from a place of strength and acceptance. Dark then, cannot overshadow the light. It is perhaps, a new way of thinking, but one that will bring peace. Do we need to fix ourselves? Do we not learn and grow as we live? So, this natural progression, while filled with some sorrow, is also accompanied by the the grandest of joys, that we are indeed, enough. It is from this, that a feeling of perfection flows.
ReplyDeleteBest to You...Thanks for Sharing your Gifts with so many.
Donna
PS. When you get feeling a bit low try listening to "Haven't Got Time For The Pain" by Carly Simon. Musical Sunshine!
Everything in life changes. The path to true happiness is one of integrating and fully accepting all aspects of our experience. This integration is represented in the Taoist symbol of yin/yang, a circle which is half dark and half light. In the midst of the dark area is a spot of light, and in the midst of the light area is a spot of darkness. Even in the depths of darkness, the light is implicit. Even in the heart of light, the dark is understood, acknowledged, and absorbed, If things are not going well for us in life and we are suffering, we are not defeated by the pain or closed off to the light. If things are going well and we are happy, we are not defensively trying to deny the possibility of suffering.
-- Sharon Salzberg, from Loving-Kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness
Donna, you're awesome!
ReplyDeleteMindy... I feel a song coming on... that was cool! Thanks so much for writing what so many of us feel in our responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteYou put into words my exact thoughts, the divine potential within us needing to shine through. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI love the comments that you leave Camille. It's so good to hear from you!
ReplyDeleteCan I sign my name at the bottom of this one? It's much like what I am thinking but haven't put into words. Thanks Mindy. You're always uplifting!
ReplyDeleteThanks Natalie! I love your blog, by the way . . .
ReplyDelete