You have the freedom to be yourself, here a­­nd now

You have the freedom to dance in your room;

Blast the music, no one is watching.

You have the freedom to sing in the shower;

Belt it out, share the words with the water.

You have the freedom to go for a walk;

Appreciate nature, breathe some fresh air.

You have the freedom to write down your thoughts;

Clear your mind on a napkin or in a journal.

You have the freedom to dream about the future;

Anything you want, the road to make them happen.

You have the freedom to smile at a stranger;

Feel it in your heart, make someone’s day brighter.

You have the freedom believe in what you like;

Maybe in the moon, maybe a higher power.

You have the freedom to learn about anything;

Check out ten books, search it on Google.

You have the freedom to cook your favorite food;

Change up the recipe, pretend there’s nothing better.

You have the freedom to look at your reflection;

Remember who you are, fall in love with yourself.

You have the freedom to unclutter your life;

Practice non-attachment, donate old clothes.

You have the freedom to love your family;

Find at least one positive trait, try each member.

You have the freedom to meditate;

Take a deep breathe, turn your focus inward.

You have the freedom to enjoy each day;

The moment you wake, through each hour

You have the freedom to be yourself;

Here and now. Everyday, forever.

By: Danielle Meyer

Danielle is the Art Therapy Intern at the Awakening Center and a student at The Adler School of Professional Psychology. She runs the Eating Disorder Drop-In Support Group on Tuesday evenings and the Art Therapy Support Group on Thursday evenings.

The Patience of Trees

Today, while I am writing this, it is a warm, sunny and beautiful spring day! (Although the office start of spring is not until next week.) I saw the first crocus blooming in my yard! The birds are making their way back north! I've noticed the skunks have become active at night while I walk my dog. A hint of green is being to show in my lawn.

While January 1st begins the New Year, I usually don't get around to thinking about new beginnings until it's sunny and warm. Each spring I notice a Part of me feels antsy to start something new and this Part gets impatient. It wants to abandon projects that are still unfinished. It wants to rush headlong into something else.

The other day while meditating, I noticed that high above, the clouds were racing by, even though it was a windless day down here on earth's surface. As I watched the clouds they reminded me of my own antsy feelings - the clouds hurried by seemingly without thought or goal - abandoning where ever they had been and rushing to get somewhere else. I noticed what it felt like when a Part of me hurried without thought or goal - not a pleasant feeling, but very familiar to me.

Then I shifted my focus and observed the two maple trees out my office window. The trees were bare of leaves and motionless. They seemed to be waiting, patiently. They knew there time to bud and bloom would come, but were not in a hurry to do so. The trees seemed calm, and I noticed the Antsy Part of me calmed also as I observed the trees' patience - not a familiar feeling, but very pleasant to me.

The rest of the day I would purposely glance out the window and breathe in the patience of the trees. Deep inside, in a place of peace within, I knew there was a time for everything and I did not need to hurry without thought to get where I was going. I could finish what I had started. I could wait for the time when something new would present itself to me.

I encourage you to emulate the patience of the trees. There are some things we need to wait for - and waiting calmly knwoing that it will come in it's own time can help our Parts feel calm too.

Namaste,

Amy

Amy Grabowski, MA, LCPC will be hosting a workshop "Freedom from Anxiety" on Sunday May 1st. For more information contact Amy at (773) 929-6262 x11 or awakeningcenter@aol.com