Ease is radical counter-culture that requires personal trickery and magic because our popular culture pushes us towards the opposite; dis-ease and not good enough.  With the popular mindset we cover up our true natures with workaholism, entertainment, politics, crisis and constant striving for more and more and more.  But wait, just breath a moment, because right now is fantastically perfect. All those worries just don’t exist except in your mind. We are on an incredible journey through space and time and with each clock-hand shift unfolds another incredible new mystery with beautiful worry-less ease.  The universe aids us, yet we resist.

In the keynote address Elizabeth Gilbert shared at Wanderlust Oahu, she talked about this conundrum from a woman’s vantage point. A “Relaxed Woman” is a cultural oddity. She wondered what it takes for a woman to relax and find ease and shared her noodling about what she reckoned was required for a woman to simply let go, relax and accept the universe’s wisdom.  There were three ingredients to her magic potion that I love so much.

• Priorities. Know what you value and what is important to you.  Keep your focus there.
• Boundaries. Know what is sacred in your life and relationships, draw a circle around these sacred principles and stand firm. Spend time understanding your needs.  Spend time gently standing firm and comfortable in your sacred.  People won’t always respect your boundaries, but ease isn’t found with people who trample on boundaries either.  Find people in your life that respect and love you for your boundaries.
• The Divine. Develop an intentional relationship with Divinity or Mysticism. There is more than the physical on this planet and you don’t need religion to explore it. Convene with your soul, celebrate your spirit and hunt out connections in nature and the universe. Meditate. Reflect. Get curious about the unknown.

Real wisdom and food for the soul, so simple and yet always a practice.

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C) Marika Reinke – Adventures in Art with Heart, Humor and Spirit.