Returning to Simplicity
In January of 2020 when I was in my visioning time the mantra that Inner Wisdom gave me was "keep it simple, make it mythic". I had no idea at the time of course that by March, as a global collective community we would be forced to keep it simple whether we wanted to or not. For me, this was one of the biggest gifts that emerged out of 2020. Here is a piece I wrote in May 2020 by the same title Keep it Simple, Make it Mythic that chronicled the lessons I was learning at the time and some inquiries for you that are still soul questions to be with at this time.
I had no idea that keeping it simple would continue to be needed as I moved into 2021 and currently. I am being called more and more deeply into simplicity. As it turns out it was not a "phrase of the year" for 2020. Simplicity has become a spiritual practice and a way of life. It is a continual way of reminding myself not to over-complicate things. Which for some reason humans have this deep need to over-complicate everything and I am no different.
What in your life do you over-complicate and over-think?
For many of us as we eased our way out of lockdowns and stay at home orders we attempted to go back to the same busyness and overwhelm we had before, for some of us we never got to slow down, and for others of us we decided we enjoyed the slower pace, the simplicity, the time with family. The time to be with ourselves and our souls. For a hot minute I attempted to "go back" to doing things the way I did them before.
Soul and the Divine had another plan for me. And I knew something was coming, because I really at the deepest levels did not want to go back to my old ways, even though my head told me I had a studio to run, rent to pay, and an impact to make.My heart, soul and body had other desires. In July I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Breast Cancer (DCIS), and it may have been one of the biggest blessings of my life. I caught it early, very early. I had a lumpectomy in August and the cancer was removed. I call my surgeon "rock star" because there is barely a scar. I do not need chemo, and I began my radiation treatments this week. They are to prevent recurrence. Not to shrink anything because the tumor is gone. My team and the center where I receive treatment is phenomenal and deeply soulful, not to mention that they weave in holistic health for mind, body, and soul. I could not have found a better place for me. The Divine has been by my side through this whole journey. As has my family and several of you in my soul community.
The blessing out of all of this, and some more recent epiphanies I have had is that:
Simplicity is the new spirituality.
I have said it for years that there is magic in the mundane, that every act of life from washing the dishes to your meditation practice, to creating art, to feeding your kids is a prayer when done with intention. This journey has shown me the proof of that. That we don't need to create a separate spiritual practice from the rest of our lives or carve out hours to sit on a cushion (although if we can that is just icing on the cake). Our lives are the spiritual practice. Our lives are the soul speaking through us when we allow it to. There is no "out there" and we don't have to go anywhere to seek it. We just have to remember it.
We just have to come home to ourselves and tend the hearth.
We have to quiet down long enough to let the soul speak, or invite to soul in during each mundane and magical act. That is how you access your own soul curriculum and know without a shadow of a doubt what you are meant to do and what brings you joy. And yes to even making an impact...big or small through simply being who you are and living your life as a model of empowerment and inspiration for others. Also a deep knowing that we can be extraordinary in our ordinariness. We don't have too prove ourselves, we don't have to go through heroic efforts that burn us out in order to make impact, we don't have to constantly be "on" and be seen.
“The Divine is in the flower budding in your yard, she is in the rocks, the birds, he is in the laundry, and the dishes. And when we can be with the ordinary and find it extraordinary, that is when we find grace. I believe we create our mythic stories out of the weaving of the fabric of being the heroines of our own ordinariness.” -Dina
Regardless of where you find yourself in this present moment, now as we slow down in nature's cycles in Autumn and into winter this is the time for simplicity and "returning home." This is the ideal time to begin to bring things to completion, to celebrate what you have harvested no matter how big or small, and to slow down and dream as we enter into winter.
I know I can't wait for Hallmark Christmas movies (my guilty pleasure) and working with fiber. I am starting to do Slow Stitching a meditative practice with zero outcome. And soup.
As for my work in the world, my business, and my desire to make impact. As my inner work goes deeper and more simplistic so does my outer work. I am still seeing 1:1 clients as a soul companion and spiritual mentor; the work is deep and I am happy to talk about it if you have questions, just reply here. I am doing women's circle and classes as I feel inspired and when I feel inspired and because of the depth of them they are by invitation only going forward. (So when invites come out you will see them here). I continue to engage with my FB group. But no more marketing machine and crazy efforts to fill big classes. Social media presence will be dwindling as I work behind the scenes into next year to create my own platform where my teachings and community will live. And I am taking that slowly. I am complete with the illusionary marketing and consumerism constructs. Those who are meant to work with me and be in my community will hear the siren's call.
I am writing, creating for my self, reading the mystics from all wisdom traditions, dancing and in a complete self-nourishment mode. I am hearth-tending. I am dreaming into what wants to emerge and how I can be of service in new, different and most importantly simple and sacred ways, but I am in no hurry for anything to come into form. I am saying yes to what inspires me, what is in service to the few rather than the many so it can be deep and potent. I am asking soul and Divine to show me how I may benefit those going through a cancer journey and finding the gifts in it as I have.
I would love to hear how you are doing, and what you are being called to simplify and in what ways you desire deeply to tend your own heart(h).
Love and Light,
Dina