Hello, friends. Welcome back to Picture Love. I've used the word peace a lot, but I know that words have different meanings to e- for every one of us. They stir different emotions and different sensitivities in each of us. And, I want to, with great care and compassion, choose my words lovingly and not cause anybody to spiral in something they're trying to escape. So you will never hear me discussing politics here. You will never hear me airing the sordid details of crimes against humanity. Instead, what you'll hear me do is respond with love. Love is my choice. That's the name of this podcast, that's the name of the community, that's the name of the work. Because I believe we have a choice, and we can choose to Picture Love into our hearts and our lives. I love Mondays. I love Mondays. I, I didn't always have that, but I woke up with the intention of being present with every little thing I could appreciate about my day, And it started with being grateful that I get to talk to you, that it starts with gathering in my community, and it starts with a practice that I have adopted that's made my body physically heal from ailments, and my mind and my heart clearer. And It's caused me to question beliefs that were really limiting me, and there's always more. You know, it's like, it's like gardening. There's always more to do, and you can't do it all at once, and there's, there's an order to things. There's a process. But where I'm going with this is after waking up and connecting with my gratitude and my appreciation, then I tucked into the routine, the morning routine with the pets and walking the dogs and, and I thought to myself, "Oh, it looks like it's really gonna pour, but the dogs need walking, and quite honestly, so do I." So we went out, and we got rained on, and you know what? It was fine. It was fine. I didn't worry about, is my hair gonna be frizzy for the video? I was grateful for the image that came to my mind, which was a waterfall. Waterfalls are not something that I have near me. Well, I'm sure there are. I just haven't discovered any now that we moved closer to the beach. But I love waters of all kinds. But the image of a waterfall came to mind today by feeling the mist and the light rain on my skin, you know, showering me and the dogs. And I decided that with every breath, I was just letting more out that no longer needed to be in my mind, thoughts that were looping that need to be cleared out, you know, dusted. And the image of the waterfall represented a shower for me, things that I want to wash off, things I'm ready to wash off, things that I held onto with dear life because they were familiar, things that made me... my knuckles turn white because I was holding on so tightly, and every day, I find something more to question and say, you know, "Is, is this helping me be of service? Is this helping me be my best? Is this helping me Picture Love anymore?" And the more I clean up, the more other things around me clean themselves up. So one of the things that you may have heard me mention in the past is the over-giving, the over-performing, the overdoing. The overdoer in me is in a learning process of honoring rest when there's an ever-growing list of things that are demanding my attention, or I'm interpreting it that way. And I had I gave into my body that said, "No, I'm exhausted." That was a few days ago. So I laid down on the sofa, I looked at the clock, and I'm like, "Okay, if I lose the next hour, I'm okay with that as long as I can get my energy back." And I shut my eyes. And I, I promise you, I woke up thinking I was out for two hours. I did not know what day of the week it was. Have you ever had that? You wake up and you felt so deeply rested you had, had to remind yourself where we are on the calendar? I did. And then I looked at the clock, and it was 12 minutes later, and I smiled. I was like, "What an amazing rest I got out of 12 minutes? That, th- th- how is that possible?" And instead of saying, "That's not possible," I found myself launched into appreciation for time and saying, "Time, thanks for being my friend." That was such a, it was such a gift to not lose my whole afternoon. I still had time left, but it was like I was being rewarded for giving into what my body was telling me, demanding I do, which was to rest. And It-- I came out of that rest promising not to let my list be my boss, but to be present. And I, I really feel like time personified as my friend rewarded me for being responsive to the demands my body placed on me. It was... I don't know if I am articulating this in a way that makes sense to you, but some people might say it was like bending time. Well, I feel like time bent over backwards to accommodate me like a friend, like a really loyal friend. I felt held. I felt grateful. And you know what? The longer I sat in that gratitude and that appreciation, the better the day got. And I feel like that's what meditation does for me also. So that was one idea that came from an experience of just, you know, deconstructing. You know- when you make time for important things, even when there's a thousand other loud things, somehow that creates spaciousness. Somehow that creates spaciousness. And the more I practice these little... You might not even call them meditations. I just call them guided experiences or visualizations. The more you find a way to let your mind unplug from headlines, from news, from stressors, from obligations, from chores, from duties, the more we allow our minds to quiet, and we honor our heart, and we let them not compete for our energy, but cooperate, find coherence The more I think our physical bodies heal, and therefore our brains heal, and therefore we feel at peace. And that's the gift I wanna inspire people to keep giving themselves. This podcast is where we practice Picturing Love. And if you want to engage more in person, there's a place to do that. And if you wanna read things that are related but separate thoughts in the same neighborhood, you can read. The Substack is there. But I wanna just offer you some positive ideas and, and see what you need to take with you in your pocket today, and I kinda have an experiment to share with you. This might sound a little strange, but the image of the waterfall. We... In the Picture Love Community today, we did a drop-in guided visualization visiting a waterfall, and if that's all you need, that idea for you to run with and, and find something to, to fill your own cup, then great. But what came from that afterwards was the idea of a cascade of not just water droplets, but, words, and all the words that open us up. And so I have a word bank I wanna share with you. This might sound strange. It's... You could treat it as a meditation if you like. I will add a little bit of music to this before publishing so that if you want to experience this as a meditation, a guided experience, you can. Otherwise, if you're reading this, maybe you'll get the benefits from just seeing the words in print and what they trigger in your body. I challenge you to choose three words that just feel really, really good in your body. Maybe write them down, and let those be the words that you carry in your mental pocket for today and maybe all week. And maybe if you wanna come back and listen to it again and find three new words tomorrow, and come back and find three new words the next day. And if you're a journaler like me, you might fill pages with words that just really feel really good. And notice what happens in your body when, with presence and intention and attention We connect with our meaning that comes from each of these words. And if there's something that just feels like a, you know, the sour grape in the bunch, just let them go. Don't attach to them. But just, just marinate in the good feelings that come up from hearing these words. Are you ready? I'm gonna call this my word waterfall, and I'm sure that you would come up with some that I've missed, but this is a pretty long one. If you're participating as a meditation, go ahead and, lay down or sit back, but make sure your back and your feet are supported. All right, here we go: Expansive. Nourishing Restorative Soothing Replenishing Grounding Centering Calming Steadying harmonizing radiant Vibrant life-giving strengthening renewing Refreshing Spacious Abundant Open Free Flowing Rooted Anchored Supported Sustained Resilient Clear Peaceful Serene Gentle tender Warm Loving Compassionate Appreciative Grateful Joyful Playful Hopeful Trusting Secure Present Mindful Intentional Aligned Attuned Authentic Connected Whole Unified Integrated Balanced Regulated Settled Soften Enriched inspired Creative Fertile Flourishing Thriving Prosperous Generous Receptive Courageous Assured Steadfast Luminous Magnetic Welcoming Resonant Rhythmic Regenerative Healing Restoring Including Cooperating Reciprocating Connecting relating Harmonizing Kind Compassionate Benevolent Heart lead Embodied Awake aware conscious Intentional Sacred Meaningful Purposeful potent Powerful Spacious Infinite Evolving Growing blooming unfolding Emerging Becoming Returning Receiving Allowing Creating Cultivating Nurturing Savoring Breathing Listening Witnessing Choosing Flowing Radiating Emanating Amplifying Infusing Softening Settling Replenishing Ease Grace Wonder Possibility Curiosity Delight Potential momentum Strength Vitality Devotion Care Comfort Belonging Kinship Friendship Unity Togetherness Reciprocity Tenderness Sweetness Appreciation Celebration Encouragement Confidence Conviction Stillness Quiet Peacefulness Resonating Harmonizing Flow Sovereignty Agency Authorship Choice Trusting Patience steadiness Integrity Breath Heartbeat Tides Currents Ripples Waves Seed Bloom Light Love Well, if you're still listening to me, to this recording, then I'm guessing you participated in some sense. Whether you're still listening to the words or not, it's not all about the words. It's about the self-care, the self-love that you deserve to have. So whether you heard a single word I said today, I hope you're receiving the energy of love intended for you today. And if you did stay with me, and you found some words that supported you, or maybe the words occurred to you, I'd love to know if I echoed them or if you came up with some other ones. But I think there's something divinely powerful about choosing a word or three words to help create space, the kind of space you wanna move into and through in your day and in your week. And if that word waterfall brought you any beauty or peace or connection with self, then my work here is done Yay. And if you have suggestions, constructive criticism, I hope you will comment or contact me. And let me know if there is another way that comes to mind that would help you and the community picture love more fully. Because my perspective is just one, and I think that when we have the exchange, that creative exchange of ideas, then this becomes more our podcast and less mine I want Picture Love to be the space holder for everybody who needs that. I want this to be the little time out you gave yourself so that you can show up fully as a whole version of yourself, where your head and your heart don't compete, but they cooperate. They're connected, and your joy is much easier to locate in, inside all that peace. I would love to know how your words supported you this week. Whatever helps anchor you into your peace. I love you, friends. I'll see you next time. Bye-bye.