Blog · Page 3 of 348 · Ashley Barnes

Daily Bliss – January 4

Daily Bliss

The days are brighter,

Her mind calmer,

Still, she can’t help but wonder

And dream of what may be,

What good may come

Of her silent screaming

Once it falls on naked ears

©Ashley Castle Barnes

When my oldest daughter was in kindergarten, I went to her first conference with the teacher, excited to hear how things were going.

My excitement was quickly dashed, however, when she started to give me examples of how my daughter couldn’t stand in line without wiggling or talking or complete assignments without getting off track.

I listened to her and so many of the examples she presented sounded a lot like a child that was bored. And so I asked about that.

Her answer was that my daughter would be given more challenging academic work when she learned to stand in line quietly.

I didn’t know then that later in her life, my daughter would be diagnosed with both ADHD and autism. But I did know that she wasn’t going to succeed on this path.

How often do we see this with adults as well?

Where someone is evaluated more by their ability to conform to a generic standard rather than by their own unique strengths?

Where it’s automatically assumed that they have a personal shortcoming, weakness, or character flaw rather than considering the impact of their environment?

And where they end up prevented from further opportunities because they can’t adequately conform to an arbitrary norm or acclimate to rigid surroundings?

I know I’ve experienced this. So many spaces where I never really did fit in. And the feedback I received reflected that.

But the ones where I felt like I did fit in, where I felt safe and valued – I thrived in those environments. And the feedback I received was very different.

This shapes us as people. It makes us wonder if something is wrong with us. If we should speak up, move on, or just stay quiet and fit in.

Over and over again.

But the world is looking different these days. More voices are being raised.

Professionalism, growth, leadership, authenticity, empathy, and more – it’s all breaking open to reveal and demand better ways of treating humans.

At work, at school, and every aspect of life.

How are you looking beyond the status quo for yourself and others today?

Daily Bliss – January 3

Daily Bliss

What if her world stops

And this is her big break,

Her change to get off,

To stop the spinning

And start the living?

©Ashley Castle Barnes

Sometimes it feels like the world literally stops spinning and time slows down.

Like we’re being invited into something new.

Maybe it’s the new year.

Maybe it’s all those tiny pieces we put into place that we weren’t sure meant anything at the time.

Maybe it’s intentions put out into the Universe finally coming into being.

Whatever it is, things that felt intangible and distant suddenly feel palatable.

Life-giving and real, like air or water.

And we have decisions to make.

Hesitate because past experience has taught us to be skeptical.

Or step out of the spin and trust the flow.

Which are you choosing today?

Daily Bliss – December 29

Daily Bliss

What if the most formidable way

Is the one path forward?

What if the elusive path,

The most obscure,

The path with fear and strangeness

Hanging like vines,

Has always been the one?

©Ashley Castle Barnes

Being the end of the year, I’m reflecting like many of us do.

Reflecting not only on the last year, but across the last several. A decade, really.

Noticing what keeps returning to the surface of my awareness.

What keeps whispering to me, “Go this way.”

And what I’ve been ignoring or avoiding.

What directions I’ve shunned for seemingly easier, more obvious choices.

For the low-hanging fruit.

Which sometimes turns out to be the easiest to pluck but the hardest to eat.

Perhaps there’s something sweeter, more succulent in the fruit picked along the road less traveled?

What are you reflecting on today?

Daily Bliss – December 28

Daily Bliss

In her haste

She misses the beauty,

The stillness,

Of her inner sanctuary

Carefully adorned

For her arrival,

Awaiting her return

©Ashley Castle Barnes

We move along pretty fast most of the time, and often on auto pilot.

In doing so, we miss out on so much around us. And more importantly, so much within us.

I worked with a coach that uses a lovely and powerful “secret garden” visualization to go into our inner sanctuary.

Even though my time is long since up with her as a client, I still return to my garden from time to time. Maybe not often enough.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the doing of things and get out of the habit of being for a bit.

To rush through just to get things done. Even mindful, restful things.

But I’ve learned that inner sanctuary is always available, whenever I make the time and intention to visit.

How are you making time to go inward today?

Daily Bliss – December 27

Daily Bliss

Her hope,

Carried on wings

Delicately fluttering

Through winds of purpose

And determination,

Taking flight

To rise and soar,

Dip and dream

What is it about hope that it often feels so fleeting?

When in reality, it’s more like a butterfly – delicate yet strong and fluttering, but with purpose and intent.

If we can’t seem to catch it, it’s because hope isn’t meant to be caught, but rather to enjoy the journey it takes.

Following its whimsical path keeps us inspired and dreaming- and never bored.

And oh – when we finally touch it – its glowing light in the darkness allows us to soar!

And then we begin again.

How are you engaging with hope today?

Daily Bliss – December 21

Daily Bliss

Some days she wades right in,

The cold water tightening

Around her throat,

Testing her resolve,

Other days she dips in just a toe

And feeling the chill,

She retreats,

Saving her strength for another day,

Another way of reminding herself

That her strength is not found

In drowning

Early this month, a wise coach helped me remember why I don’t plan much for December besides focusing on the holiday gifts and gatherings.

In doing so, I avoided the overwhelm I was headed toward.

And as importantly, taking a much-needed break led to the awareness that some of the projects I had planned to work on I didn’t want to do anyway.

Not now or in the future!

Even after all this time, I still get caught up in the productivity lie.

That if I’m constantly getting things done, my business will flourish, I’ll have abundance, and success will be mine.

But it is a lie.

We need rest. We need to step back. We need to give ourselves space to integrate. To do nothing, if that calls to us.

We don’t have to drown ourselves to get ahead.

Of course, what drowns one person will keep another afloat.

As unique people, we all have individual limits. And they may change throughout the seasons, cycles, and trials of our lives.

And it’s all right.

It’s alright to find strength in stepping back instead of seeing how much we can toleratef before we fall.

How are you finding strength today?