Devotion and Renewal

You, too, can be carved anew by the details of your devotion.
—Mary Oliver

What are you devoted to?

How does that offer you renewal?

Those are two significant questions to ponder. Devotion isn’t confined to a religious practice, though it can certainly be part of devotion. To me, devotion is connected to my heart. What speaks to my heart? What do I love enough to commit time and energy towards? What inspires me to lead from my heart center? What activity or person inspires me to live with greater love?

Pretty significant, wouldn’t you agree?

The answer to every one of those questions leads to the renewal of my heart and soul.

I am affected by every activity I do each day. How willing am I to allow that to renew me or ‘carve me anew’? Am I going through the motions to get through my day or do I devote myself openly and vulnerably?

I am renewed daily by my work. I experience fulfillment in hands on healing as well as writing and creating daily nuggets and mantras inspired by quotes. I align with my work, allowing it to resonate within me and share the outcome.

But it’s not always easy.

Some days are more of a challenge, not because I’ve suddenly fallen out of alignment with my work but because something has fallen out of alignment within. These are the days that I need to shift my attention—my devotion—inward. What limiting belief got uncovered? What fear is seeking to be explored? What rattled the foundation of connection to my heart? Am I allowing for Divine connection to exist and be received?

Sometimes I step into the discovery process and journal.

And sometimes, I willingly choose to ignore the disconnect and attempt to move onto something else. Which, in all reality, is rather futile. I get nowhere in a hurry. There is no aspect of my work that doesn’t require inner connection…playing piano…writing…creating…hands on healing.

When the disconnect occurs, if I resist putting pen to paper and journal, I do the best I can to be gentle with myself. I avoid the shame/blame/judgment game as much as I am able and offer myself gentleness for what feels too big in the moment. It always comes full circle and I eventually get around to processing it, even if it’s a few days later. This, too, is renewal.

Renewal is like a mental reset button, regardless of the ease or challenge of the moment. It’s easy to think of renewal in connection to a vacation or a spa day, which do assist in renewing body-mind-spirit. But what if you could offer yourself renewal each day? Watch less upsetting TV. Unplug from the smartphone. Take a bath. Read a novel. Journal. Get together with the girls/guys and chill. Be inspired by the work you do. Celebrate what you accomplished during the day. Find one thing in which to offer gratitude.

Tomorrow is a new day. Allow sleep to offer renewal, too.