Tag: life

The Field

lizaaitken

Life is like walking barefooted across a field. Wild flowers spread out across the field in front of us, some in the sunshine and those under the tree. Each flower we come across is a different experience, a person we meet, a moment in time.

Each flower is a lesson, a message from the divine, a memory coming to the surface. We cannot possibly experience each and every flower, there are too many to encounter, some will be here next time we cross. 

Make the most of each flower you see on your way across the field, look closely at it, see how it shimmers in the sun, listen to it but do not pick it. As you reach the other side, take a deep breath, hold onto what you have learnt, it may be a while before you cross again.

~ Liza

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lizalizaskysaregrey©2017

Precipice of Tomorrow

lizaaitken

I’m on the precipice of tomorrow,

but I’m no longer looking down.

I’m looking out into the distance,

to way out there and all around.

I know that I’ve climbed up high

it’s still much higher up ahead.

On the precipice of experience,

with my wings about to spread.

~

As I climb the final steps,

I know I’m on the right path.

Knowing that I have this right,

this time it’s going to last.

I don’t need to look behind me,

I know just what I left.

Served a purpose for a while,

but didn’t stand the test.

~

I’m on the precipice of life,

I’m nearing all my dreams.

I just found the biggest secret,

life isn’t what it seams.

Life is what you make off it,

the chances that you take.

Life is good and bad you see,

full too with mistakes.

 

Precipice

Journey of Discovery 

lizaaitken

Life is about opening, we cannot avoid it, each experience teaches us this. Each discovery opens us a little more, teaches us something new and we expand further. We discover our connection to all things, we open up and reach out. As we open to experience we grow into what we always were, we realise ourselves and all the potential we were born with, we become.

Opening up, awakening and realising self is not something that happens to the chosen few, it is something that happens to all of us from the very moment we are born, we just need to recognise and allow the process. 

Life is about finding ourselves, finding the force that travels with us, realising and becoming our authentic selves.

Think back now, think about your own experiences for a moment and what they have taught you. Ask yourself if you could have avoided them and if you had would you have learned as you did. Would these things have happened anyway in another way, was each lesson necessary, mine were.

And as we travel forward I know that there is more to come, we are here to learn, here to discover and within that make a difference. Life is simply a journey of discovery.


lizalizaskysaregrey©2017

Owning the Story

lizaaitken

I don’t believe in living in the past but believe it incredibly important to make some sense of it in order to understand ourselves today. If we don’t know where we come from, how will we ever know where we are going.

The past is important in that it has shaped us into the people we are today. Our lives are dictated in a way by our experiences, good and bad, and if we don’t understand them then it is difficult to fully understand ourselves.

Many of us recreate events unconsciously because we don’t understand them. I married my father, or somebody very similar because my father walked out on us when I was a very young child. I know it’s quite common that we might marry someone very similar to our own parents, familiarity maybe but it’s good to understand why. When we understand where we come from it’s less likely that we will keep repeating the same mistakes.

I spent a period of time not believing in myself as my experience told me I wasn’t worth believing in, I had a terrible time with rejection of any sort. I still don’t like it much but I know now, I’m okay. I won’t continually be judged because of who I was, but who I am today. I spent a long time gathering possessions that might up my status somehow, I didn’t come from a wealthy home and believed I needed possession to speak for me. Only on thinking about where I come from and getting to know myself better am I able to let some of these things go.

Life story work is a process that’s often undertaken with children in care so they are able to recognise their past, understand the present and plan for the future. It’s also a routine part of preparing children for adoption. Life story work is often used with those suffering dementia to develop a biography and help those caring for them communicate their backgrounds, like interests, identity and who and what is important to them. It’s hugely beneficial in helping someone understand their past experiences and life events.

Our life stories are so important, we need to understand and own our stories. Some of us do better than others, writers for might as they find inspiration from their own experiences. I’m sure there are plenty of other examples such as therapists who have had to undergo therapy as part of their training. But I find it amazing how many people don’t understand their own stories.

I’ve worked with life stories during my career with children, I’ve also worked on my own life story and helped others with this too. I think life story work is beneficial to anyone wanting a better understanding of themselves, it’s healing and can remove the blocks that hold us back. It’s more than just a therapeutic tool, it’s helpful to anyone working on themselves, and lets be honest aren’t we all?

~

lizalizaskysaregrey©2017