Here in Southern Ontario, spring has been slow in coming this year. On our first day of Spring, we actually had cold and drifting snow! A perfect example of the ‘betwixt and between’ I wrote about in an earlier blog that we often experience in months and situations where the new has not yet fully arrived nor has the old entirely left or dissolved.

Throughout this past month, I have been reminded of the discipline it takes to persevere through this ‘betwixt and between’, especially when schedules suddenly changed, my computer got a ‘virus’ and extra resources were needed to launched a new project.

Last week, Carlie and I participated in our first show. We were part of a demo team that provided the half time entertainment at the College Royal. It was lots of fun and we certainly hope to do it again. Still, as the show approached, we had to commit extra practice time, extra training, extra driving and extra focus in part because Carlie and I were the lead team in our heeling drills.

Simultaneously, new work projects and conversations also needed my attention amidst the daily routines of work and personal life commitments. I was feeling that more energy was being expended than was coming back. The new was ‘in process’ but not yet materialized. It was a time of potential overwhelm.

During this challenging time, I relied on a few key things to support me. I chose to  discipline myself with daily habits intended to promote well-being, concentration and inner calm. I built in some simple steps which I’d like to share with you:

1. Daily meditation with Reiki.
2. Daily cleansing of my aura and energy fields with Reiki. I centred and grounded.
3. I offered myself healing as my inner being and energy needed it.
4. I ate healthy and stayed away from processed foods.
5. I walked at least once a day with Carlie. We also played together every day.
6. I asked other people for help.
7. I prayed for focus to do what I must do today. I didn’t allow myself to think about the whole big picture. Here is what I must do this day, this week. (Each week I would write out what I need to do and when and who needs to help and with what and by when).
8. I had affirmations I repeated to myself whenever I needed them. They were simple, easy to remember and effective.
9. I gave thanks daily for the weather. The climate is changing, a phenomena that has gone on for millennia. Perhaps it’s a renewal activity and so an exciting gift to the Earth. In giving gratitude for the weather, it became a daily ally for energy renewal.
10. I offered gratitude daily for every good thing I was able to accomplish, whether it was a significant challenge or simply enjoying the delights of the day.

As the spiritual practice of Lent – or self-purification, a giving up of something – draws to a close, we can celebrate again the mystery and ceremony of the ‘great renewal’ to deepen our self love. The gifts of these ‘great renewals’ are already embedded within our souls and can sustain us through transition. To celebrate this time of self-purification and a deepening of loving myself, I’m going to take off and visit family. What about you? What are you doing to celebrate the challenges met within the ‘betwixt and between’ that delight your heart?

If you haven’t yet envisioned and planned your own ‘great renewal’, my working guide Wisdom’s Way to Living JOY-Fully is a great tool to help you discover and design how you will move through transitions, out of the old and into the new.