Characters Chattering

Beauty catches the attention while character catches the heart.  (And characters tickle the funny bone-LS)

—Unknown

Feng shui invites us to look and listen with our open eyes and ears. What are your belongings showing or telling you about your life?  What are those voices, maybe entire characters, inside of you saying and feeling? Do those thoughts and feelings support your life purpose, your joy in living? How old or young are those “voices”?

With much joy, I’ve lately been naming the “thoughts/feelings” inside of me to see who has grabbed a hold of the talking stick, that conch shell, or the microphone in my lively internal sixth grade or kindergarten classroom-depending on the day. Is Pity Party Patty whining because she’s been comparing her life to the stunningly smart, productive, and beautiful other girls? Has Annoyed Andrea managed to get her underwear in a bunch because the soap dispenser clogged again? Did a torrent of dad memories wash over Grieving Greta? Then her cell phone pings and Concerned Caring Cora quickly texts back a supportive, loving reply to a friend having a rough day. Still in the back of the room Unworthy Ursula persists in throwing wet, hot, shame towels which flop onto the floor failing to stifle every single sparkling idea that bursts out of Inspired Ivy. Then Analytical Slightly Anxious Anna timidly steps up to a flip chart with several colorful Sharpies to create a ridiculous looking spreadsheet, flow chart, or spider web map attempting to reign in these middle school kindergartners into a sane explanation of a totally obvious not obvious recent triggering incident that stirred everyone up into a frenzy.

You are probably wondering how the heck I ever get anything accomplished. I often wonder about this too. I believe that my Disciplined Doreen regularly takes charge of all these other parts of me by walking into the room and saying firmly with utter clarity, “Guys, we have to get some sh&* done today. I hear you and feel you, but life is NOW. I promise to listen to you with rapt attention tomorrow morning when we are running around the lake (that’s our playground!). You can tell me all your ideas, cry tears of sadness, and bitch about what has you experiencing that wedgie! We’ll also get a chance to hear the geese and ducks, feel the cold air, and breathe rhythmically. I love you all so much, but seriously, I get to compose a newsletter blog thing.”

Our physical belongings are blathering their joys and laments, too, like all the toys from the Toy Story movies. If you haven’t seen the Toy Story movies, I highly recommend them for the heartwarming feng shui wisdom offered.

Gosh, just when you thought your life couldn’t get any noisier. And by now I’m certain you’ve noticed that I haven’t even layered in the sound of the furnace blowing, the pings of technology, the paper airplanes wafting through the air, the bubble gum-snapping and popping.

Meditation, mindfulness, and yoga practice have taught me the benefits of returning many times to a centered place of deep quiet inside of me, taking deep, slow breaths, feeling my body sensations, the fuzzy socks on my feet, observing where my tongue is inside of my mouth, looking around at beautiful objects in the room and out the windows at the gorgeous sky and trees. If there’s not a fire in the kitchen or my dog placing her nose on my leg cueing me to take her out for that bio break, I ask myself, “What would Loving Laura do now?” or Worthy Wendy? These are two of my all-time favorite characters who regularly hold hands with Hilarious Heloise, Compassionate Caroline, Kind Karen, and Courageous Catalina.

At the end of a day, Present Precious brings them all together in the room to sit down on a rug. She beams a silent light of enduring, unshakeable love and gratitude and gives them all warm hugs. Aren’t you relieved that you aren’t my Sweet Love? Ah, the ear full he receives while on a date with all of us. LOL. Wow. Ah, what an exceptional man.

May you listen and embrace all the parts of your Self with enduring love and gratitude.

May you discover the joy of intermittent quiet in a noisy world.

May you laugh at all your inner characters unless you don’t have any —in that case, you can laugh at mine because maybe I’m the only one —oh gosh I hope not —who richly entertains herself with no one in the room!