Blog by Alan Seale, May 31, 2021, Intentional Living
It’s lilac blossom time on the North Shore of Massachusetts. A sweet fragrance permeates the air, especially in the early morning and early evening – perfect for my daily walks. And that’s when the late spring light is at its softest and most beautiful. My morning and evening walks take a bit longer than usual these days because I keep pausing to savor the sweetness and the light.
For many weeks now, an inner voice keeps saying, “Take in the Light.” Every day, I practice. I take in the Light and I breathe in Love. I seek out sweetness in everyday life. While some might call that overly simplistic or starry-eyed, for me it has become a powerful reminder that no matter what is happening – no matter how dark the moment may be – I can choose to “take in the Light.” I can choose Love. I can choose to be Love. It’s a conscious choice. That simple reminder has the power to change my relationship to everything.
Taking in the Light and choosing Love has brought thoughts about legacy. It started with memories of my parents and the legacy they left with me – their unique gifts and attributes that I feel alive within me. There is such a tender sweetness in my gratitude as I experience their Light continuing to shine in the world through me. I am reminded once again that legacy is about more than material things. Perhaps the most important legacy we leave behind comes from who we are and how we live.
More and more, I’m conscious about my own legacy – what I, personally, will leave behind, and what we as a culture and society will leave behind for the generations that follow. The sweetness and the light in this lilac season reminds me of what is important to me about my own legacy – living my life in a way that lifts people up, that inspires them to live into their greatest potential, and to share their gifts with the world.
Transformational Presence calls us to be “generous of spirit.” Through our work, a mantra has emerged to help us live into that generosity:
Stand tall.
Be Love.
Shine your Light.
Listen and respond.
Stand tall in who you are in your authentic goodness, strength, and power. Stand tall in the gifts that are yours to share and in the life you feel called to live.
Be Love. Recognize Love as the source of your authentic goodness, strength, and power. Embrace the full spectrum of how Love can show up in our lives. At times, Love may feel like the soothing waters of a gently flowing stream, while at other times it might feel like a transformative wave of power that knocks down walls, breaks open hearts, shatters limiting beliefs, and inspires new ways of living. Love may show up as a healing embrace, yet it can also blow through you like a tempest. Let Love be your guide for how you show up, regardless of the situation.
Shine your Light. You are here for a reason. Your soul has a purpose. Live it. Be humble, yet strong. Be sensitive to what the moment asks for and respond in the fullness of who you are. Just as the lilac bush in full bloom stands quietly in its magnificent splendor, it has no inhibition about filling the air with its intoxicating sweet perfume. It makes no apology for doing exactly what it is here to do. You, too, can stand in your magnificent splendor – humble yet strong, sharing your gifts without apology. You, too, can be an authentic and dynamic presence calling forth the best in all. You, too, can be generous of spirit.
Listen and respond. Listen to life before you talk to life. Be aware of what the moment is asking for, before you jump in with your ideas and what you think should happen. Sense what wants to happen through you – what is yours to say or to do. How is the situation asking you to show up for the good of all? Recognize your knowledge and experience, yet also tune into the wisdom and guidance hidden within what is happening. Intuit the messages that are trying to get through. Be open and receptive to new information, awareness, and understanding. Step beyond your personal desires and opinions and live in service of a greater good.
We continue to live in uncertain times. We face daunting challenges, many exacerbated by power struggles and political polarization. Some people react by fighting to hold on to carefully crafted societal structures that serve only a chosen few. Yet there are many more people who are standing up for a greater good. Choosing for the whole. Choosing to create a world worth savoring – a world infused with Light and Love – a world that works for all. People who recognize how important it is to be there for one another – who understand something about being generous of spirit. People who stand tall and shine their light. Perhaps you are among them.
In the coming months, I’ll take some time away from my work to rest and to listen. I’m longing for unstructured time with as few plans as possible. More time to pause and savor the beauty of the moment. Quieter time to take in the Light. Intentional time to touch even deeper places within and to listen for what Life is asking for next through me.
In these upcoming months, may you also look for and savor sweetness and beauty. May you take in the Light. May you create intentional time and space for whatever it is that you long for. In that hope, I wish you a June, July, and August that is just right for you. And I’ll be back to you in September.