Photo Challenge: AWAKENING

“The ghostly winter silence had given way to the great spring murmur of awakening life.” Jack London

Photo Challenge: AWAKENING

Photo Challenge: AWAKENING

We live between the act of awakening and the act of surrender. Each morning, we awaken to the light and the invitation to a new day in the world of time; each night, we surrender to the dark to be taken to play in the world of dreams where time is no more. John O’Donohue

Like all other life forms in nature, we experience our version of an awakening… an unfurling of our fears and limitations… we are reborn anew. What I love about nature is that we get to see this unfold before our eyes every season. There is no hiding in shame or blaming anyone for the changes; all plant and animal life stay open and surrendered to the cycle of life. Humans battle this change with all sorts of machinations. We fight it because we are afraid of what might happen to us and our beliefs, rigidities and denials. Yet, if we could just stop and trust in the infinite wisdom of the universe, we would thrive.

The Awakening by Sonny Carroll
There comes a time in your life when you finally get it … When in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out “ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on.” And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes you begin to look at the world from a new perspective.
……….This is your awakening The Awakening

“Inspiration is an awakening, a quickening of all man’s faculties, and it is manifested in all high artistic achievements.” Giacomo Puccini

Photo Challenge: AWAKENING

Photo Challenge: AWAKENING

You can have a spiritual awakening and discover a new side of you at any age. And best of all, love can happen at any age. Life can just start to get exciting when you’re in your 40s and 50s. You have to believe that. Salma Hayek

Some of us put our lives on hold because of pressing responsibilities, indecision or prior commitments. We table our dreams with our fears and, soon, we get consumed by life. I’ve always loved music and dance and enjoyed a ton of it in my teen and college years. When I got married and had my twins, I still loved to listen, dance and go to concerts but over time, something else kicked in and those favorite pastimes diminished as a focal point in my life. Recently, I experienced a reawakening of sorts and have picked up where I left off. The great, good thing about awakening is that it can occur at any age and that it is an invitation to seize life with both hands and live it. What are you waiting for?

The Awakening via poets.org
James Weldon Johnson, 1871 – 1938
I dreamed that I was a rose
That grew beside a lonely way,
Close by a path none ever chose,
And there I lingered day by day.
Beneath the sunshine and the show’r
I grew and waited there apart,
Gathering perfume hour by hour,
And storing it within my heart,
Yet, never knew,
Just why I waited there and grew.

I dreamed that you were a bee
That one day gaily flew along,
You came across the hedge to me,
And sang a soft, love-burdened song.
You brushed my petals with a kiss,
I woke to gladness with a start,
And yielded up to you in bliss
The treasured fragrance of my heart;
And then I knew
That I had waited there for you.

MORE BELOW!
“If every day is an awakening, you will never grow old. You will just keep growing.” Gail Sheehy

Photo Challenge: AWAKENING

Photo Challenge: AWAKENING

That is the real spiritual awakening, when something emerges from within you that is deeper than who you thought you were. So, the person is still there, but one could almost say that something more powerful shines through the person. Eckhart Tolle

If you had but 1 day left on this planet, what would you do? How would you spend that time? Then, go do it.. I took a walk with my Canon dslr and captured the awakening of plant life in nature. Some shots were taken in my yard and others on the aqueduct. All of life is about awakening to our own beauty and gifts. It is in each of us. Some tap into theirs with passion and great things happen. Some choose the path of quietude  and yet, some others stay asleep … waiting for Godot. AWAKE!
This post was inspired by a prompt from WP Daily Post:  – AWAKENING  –  This week, show us an image of an awakening. I’ve chosen a photo of a fiddlehead, the structure that rises from the ground, eventually to unfurl into the leaves of a fern. Those of you in the Southern Hemisphere are headed into autumn, and your environment is preparing for a winter rest. Your interpretation doesn’t have to be botanical in nature. I’m eager to see what you all share.

This post below is the same piece attributed to Sonny Carroll above. This is shown as author unknown. The message is the same. Awaken to your

The Awakening (Author unknown)

A time comes in your life when you finally get…when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out…ENOUGH1 Enough fighting and crying and blaming and struggling to hold on. Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes.

This is your awakening.

You realize it’s time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to magically appear over the next horizon.

You realize that in the real world there aren’t always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of “happily ever after” must begin with you…and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are…and that’s OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions.

You learn the importance of loving and championing yourself…and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval.

Your stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you – or didn’t do for you – and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.

You learn that people don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and everything isn’t always about you.

So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself…and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties…and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.

You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with.

You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a “consumer” looking for you next fix.

You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don’t know everything, it’s not you job to save the world and that you can’t teach a pig to sing. You learn the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

Then you learn about love. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You learn that alone does not mean lonely.

You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO.

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.

You learn that your body really is your temple. You begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drinking more water, and take more time to exercise.

You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen.

More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You learn that no one can do it all alone, and that it’s OK to risk asking for help.

You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms.

You learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.

You learn that life isn’t always fair, you don’t always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people…and you lean not to always take it personally.

You learn that nobody’s punishing you and everything isn’t always somebody’s fault. It’s just life happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.

You lean that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you.

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.

Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than you heart’s desire.

You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind.

Finally, with courage in you heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can. Via elise.com

Positive Motivation Tip: Awaken refreshed and renewed and spread your joy.

PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos from my personal collection.

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet