Every day, Amber Kuileimailani Bonnici leads the retreat in a meditation. It unravels the theme, and gives participants an inner assignment for the next 24 hours. Each day, we look again at the focus.
I am focusing on Emergence and Grace. Or, maybe, I am walking around those words, pondering, wondering what they actually mean. What they mean today. What they mean in my life adventure. How they affect my inner being.
A time comes when we have to face what stands in the way. It is time to clear, clean, and make room. This could be a year long situation, but we are looking to address it in one day, a start, a baby step.
You can’t just straighten out the bedroom. This is depth. The easy part is looking at what is not clean, organized, and flowing. I did sort some things, clean some things. The physical overwhelm stands in the way for many people, quietly drowning them. Relief comes from making life manageable.
I think of Jan’s friend with two storage units and a house full to the brim with antiques, so much quantity that she cannot have friends visit (no problem, Covid times). Heavy, burdensome. Sometimes people need help, and small daily goals that lead to the eventual solution. Don’t drown. One stroke at a time. It is important to look at what is taking up space in the environment.
Making room goes beyond the obvious. It leaps into money struggles, politics, holidays, comparison living, worry, perfectionism and other themes in the thought process. The thoughts are what hold me underwater. I have to clear, clean, and prioritize the thoughts.
Amber also listed people, what people do we need to clear or limit? I am blessed in this area. The people I talk to, email, live with, and visit with are definitely the ones I choose. I only need to watch for the interactions I am not choosing in those categories and decide to walk away. That is not easy.
Lastly, time. My time usage can use a spit polish. Time can get away from anyone. Is there time in my day for what is truly important? I love to get outdoors, to do arty things, to be of assistance to others, to write. I can assess that, ensure that I make space for what is important.
Of all of the retreat themes, this may be the most complex and require the most inner efficiency. I have an inkling that there could be blind spots. I may have some clearing and cleaning that is hiding from my awareness.
I am making space, in obvious ways, and in hidden ways. I am making space for grace and emergence.
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