What Are We Waiting For?

"Always think first of what you are about to do and how it will affect you. To act on impulse is not freedom, for you will be bound by the unpleasant effects of wrong actions. But to do those things your discrimination tells you are good for you is all-freeing. That kind of wisdom-guided action makes for a divine existence...When you make up your mind to do or not to do something, and you carry out that resolution - in spite of contrary influences of moods or bad habits -

that is real freedom."

-Paramahansa Yogananda

I used to play a song in yoga classes some years ago by an Icelandic music group called "amiina." Like many Icelandic groups I've listened to, they have the quality of being openly experimental, creating new combinations of sounds, using unconventional instruments, and willing to take risks.

The song that came to mind today is entitled "What Are We Waiting For?"

It reminds me that it's important to challenge the everyday mood of the day. We seem to be waiting... and waiting... and waiting... that's the overall mood. At the same time we see creative people out there sharing their creations, funny videos, beautiful art, parodies, all helping us to keep spirits high, while we wait.

In my neighborhood, it feels like the 80's. I love seeing people active outside. The other day I stood in the sunshine in the park behind some houses and heard a string of neighbors all in their designated backyards enjoying themselves. I've never heard so many people all at once in the neighborhood before.

If you feel like you're waiting, I'm going to just poke in that beautiful mind of yours and remind you, this is not a waiting period. Before we all committed to staying home, these houses seemed like holding cells for waiting - waiting until it's time to go to work - waiting until it's time to go do something out there. We simply cannot treat our homes this way at this point, and if we do, I see it as a sure-fire way to depression and anxiety.

The quote above by Yogananda reminds us to do what is right for our well-being. It is not easy to do something new, to experiment, to feed our souls and not our desires to be numb because it's easier.

When we give in to old habits that aren't really good for us, we are acting on impulse. Freedom is making conscious choices that are good for us and following through. This is not new information, but it's easily forgotten.

So, please remember, even if the mood of the day is caution, or worse, fear, we need to resist the old habit of humanity and dance forward into the new combinations that we create.

With Love,

Sandy