Blog · Page 2 of 340 · Ashley Barnes

Daily Bliss – September 6

Daily Bliss

Standing at the gate

She hears a familiar whisper

And turns her ear from Fate

No longer her confidant,

Her mate,

Instead she steps through

To a new domain,

Finding the joy fate promised her,

But never could sustain

©Ashley Castle Barnes

Fate is a curious topic.

On one hand, I like to believe I’m in control and nothing is predestined.

And on the other hand, when I’m honest, I see repeating patterns that certainly suggest that some things are simply meant to be.

Or are they?

My gut feeling is a resounding NO.

I’ve most definitely lamented the feelings that seem like “fate” but are becoming more and more obvious to be subconscious choices. Or at least allowances.

Like the belief that things always must be difficult in order to deserve success, joy, or peace. And so they are.

Always difficult.

Because I’m allowing that belief to masquerade as fate.

So I’m choosing to break up with that idea, and any others that suggest my life is “fated” to go a certain way.

It’s a bit scary – and also really effing empowering.

I mean it’s one thing to see the pattern. It’s a whole other thing to refute it and refuse it.

And it feels GOOD.

What beliefs are you breaking up with today?

Daily Bliss – September 1

Daily Bliss

What is erupting,

Fueling her inner fire

And stoking the flames

Of her transformation?

What moves in her

Like a mountain,

Heavy yet resolute,

Co-creating her power?

©Ashley Castle Barnes

What I’m receiving today: sometimes the rumbling is best left to rumble without immediate action.

That’s a hard pill for me to swallow.

I feel the movement and I want to move too.

But I know it’s important to also rest and gather strength and nourishment so that I don’t overextend.

And sometimes, a slow and deliberate build is exactly what is needed.

What is moving and rumbling in you today?

Daily Bliss – August 31

Daily Bliss

What if her soul is shifting,

And what if if shifts so much

She doesn’t recognize herself?

And what if that is okay,

What if that is the way,

To destroy so she can rebuild,

To delight herself in the thrill?

©Ashley Castle Barnes

I, for one, am becoming acutely aware of how conditioned I am to find so many things unfavorable. Unpleasant. Downright miserable.

I’m not talking about really bad things, like death or destruction of property.

And I’ve mostly worked through not getting thrown off by things like bad hair days or a car that cuts me off in traffic.

No, I’m reflecting on patterns of behavior that I’m recognizing I have vitriol against but that I also feel somewhat powerless to change.

And so I feel resentful and upset instead.

Of course, now that I’ve acknowledged these, it feels logical to stop these patterns.

If it was that easy, I think I would’ve done it already!

Or would I?

So many patterns we seem to hold onto because even though they’re unpleasant they are recognizable.

And so many others are unconscious. We recognize the perceived negative outcomes but not the pattern itself.

And when we’re presented with the opportunity to shift that pattern, there can be resistance. Fear.

What if I’m not the same person anymore??

But isn’t that what we want?

For me, the fear isn’t that I’m going to be different, it’s that I’m going to be different in a way that is off-putting to others.

Or worse, I might come face to face with my own power and intimidate myself, as well as others.

Belonging is such a core need of humans that we can unconsciously talk ourselves into avoiding almost anything that might create a lack of belonging and instead experience it as pain.

But what if the destruction of the pattern is worth the cost?

What if there is pleasure to be found in the uncomfortability of change?

Daily Bliss – August 29

Daily Bliss

The ride isn’t over,

It’s hers to navigate

And sail amidst the winds,

Shallow waters,

And jagged rocks that threaten

But cannot –

Will not –

Sink her soul

©Ashley Castle Barnes

I’m feeling the pull of new adventures to navigate.

Maybe because I’m still riding the wave of excitement from the launch of my book, Liminal: Between Life and Breath.

Or maybe because summer, the time when I naturally work less and relax more, is drawing near a close, and my energy is gearing up for my natural fall and winter work cycle.

Maybe it’s the energy that has shifted from the remodeling we’ve been doing in our home over the spring and summer.

Or maybe it’s something else that I’m feeling but which hasn’t yet materialized.

Maybe it’s all these – and more.

I’m getting better at paying attention to my energy and how it changes with my own natural cycles of doing and being, which are often also aligned with the seasons.

And at noticing different energies as they begin to emerge.

My challenge is not to get impatient and push too hard, too soon.

Follow the energy, follow the season, follow the flow.

Navigating my ship to my own next adventure.

What are you navigating toward today?

Daily Bliss – August 24

Daily Bliss

She celebrates

The little things

The insignificant

Yet powerful

Little things

That mark her path

And give her courage

For the big things

Today marks 7 years with my current employer.

It’s the longest I’ve ever been in one place.

Ever, in my entire 30+ years of working.

Prior to my current career, the longest I’d lasted anywhere was 2 years.

I’m not a job hopper. But I am “multipotential”: my interests and passions span multiple topics and fields.

I’ve done non-profit fund development, cat rescue and adoption, corporate event planning, contract staffing, and now learning and development (not necessarily in that order).

One of my most favorite jobs ever was working at the local drive-in theater the summer after I graduated from high school. It wasn’t a glamorous or particularly fulfilling job, but I loved the people I worked with.

And of course, I now also write poetry, publish books, and teach women leaders Reiki.

I’ve felt pressure over the years to pick one thing and do it well. My career didn’t actually start until I was over 30, so I’m technically behind by some standards.

But I have to say that each one of these experiences has been a stepping stone on my path to what I’m doing now, and what I will do in the future.

I’ve gained skills, met a wide range of people, and most importantly, learned a ton about myself – which has all informed the work I do now.

Seemingly little things that have built into bigger things.

And more on the horizon.

What little things are you celebrating today?

Daily Bliss – August 23

Daily Bliss

The wave crashing over her

Won’t bring her down,

The pounding of the water

Instead drawing her strength up

And out to the surface

Where she finds her breath

And dives in again

I was sharing with someone the other day about how so often the highs are so high, which makes the lows feel so much lower.

I thought at one point I had this mostly figured out with balance and healing work, but I’m learning that part of the pattern is simply how I’m wired.

Working against your own wiring is exhausting and generally unproductive.

But I suspect there’s also a middle way. Or middle ways.

That as we grow, we can learn how to keep the wave from crashing so hard that it knocks us to the bottom.

I don’t have the answers yet but I’m feeling like it’s the next part of the path, now that I know better how my brain naturally works.

And I’m curious what works for you?