Healing embrace

Last week I shared a wonderful and healing conversation with a friend....

Last week I shared a wonderful and healing conversation with a friend.  

Interesting though, no-thing (nothing) has changed. No structural adjustment, no changing of plans. Outwardly things look much the same as prior to the conversation. Inwardly, however is a significant and different story...

This was no conversation of 'goals', 'action lists', 'solution focused',  'conscious appreciations' or the like [although to be clear I do value those types of discussions too]. This was a space of deep listening; an allowance of truth sharing; bearing witness to unutterable utterings; irrational worrying; unbearable ponderings; a space to voice heavy and disappointing thought and action.     

The dilemmas have either been gurgling away in the background, or forceful impacts at the front and centre of life's worry for the past few months. They dominate the landscape looking forwards too. The dilemmas were laid out and spoken in full. But, importantly - it felt to me, it was a conversation which reached no solutions or conclusion. Importantly because in this space of no-solution and soulful exchange I felt a soothing nurture of deep acceptance and embrace.

Naturally, my rational mind searches for action and goals. The tangible things that will make the difference. I greet this lightly and know that actions will not be far to follow.  The deep acceptance and embrace invites a gentler place from which these actions will flow.  My shoulders soften and a smile takes its natural place on my face and in my heart.  A quiet confidence has replaced the heavy weight of worry. An irrationality of viewpoint and expectations has widened. A softening and opening to possibilities has emerged like a bright light. 

Gratitude for the gift of that conversation, and all similar conversations in our lives. May we share this embrace with others and ourselves.

[Jeff Foster has some great things to say about the 'deepest acceptance' - you might want to read www.lifewithoutacentre.com. or listen:
https://www.soundstrue.com/store/weeklywisdom/?page=single&category=IATE&episode=6885 ]

{sorry that the quote below cut off the first bits of each word - couldn't get it to work}