Irene, Coming and Going - SoFlorida

With yet another TS/Hurricane contender out there in the far Atlantic, all of us up and down the eastern seaboard are now veterans of Irene.  While still a Cat 3, she majestically skirted all the territory below Orlando, dropping hints of what what in store for the rest of the folks further north.  Not without her manners, she apparently lost her will right at the last minute and packed a less powerful punch;  very fortunate for all those who expected an even worse event, and yet enough to remind us all that Mother Nature isn't fooling around;  disrespect Her at your own peril!

Meanwhile, back on the Adaptation project, coming off the natural disruptions of illness and weather events,  I am back to running and once again the quest to build a base.  On the other side of big weather are slight changes in the presentation of late summer;  extreme heat and humidity and new just now, a slight breeze in the early morning hours giving hint to a fall change to come.   Moving the air is often enough to give big relief under these conditions.   Focusing on getting back my usual 6 mile loops,  it is enough to give me big challenges, but reachable ones.  There is residual strength to carry me into this, and build from - to meet my usual goal:  stable health, strength, endurance.

The inner changes roll along their own response to input, whether from the external sources of people, places and events or to the ever-changing conditions of internal mind and experience.  Always attuned to atmospherics, and often too much so,  it's been a breach of my otherwise formidable defenses to find myself struggling with health and growth aspects of personality and profession.   No one likes to admit their short-comings.  And for someone who feels perpetually reaching for a kind of creative high which validates my Soul experience,  I am often unaware of the nuts and bolts of issues right in front of my nose. 

Our Best Teachers point out to us where we have drifted off from the integrity of the Team, whether that team be our partners, family, friends or coworkers and clients.   Too much focus on little s self, and the ego will take the inch and hang us with miles of pride, self-service and selfishness.  Too little focus on Big S Self and we forget the spiritual muscles which yearn for as much of a workout as our bodies;  time to reflect, meditate and Center our purpose on the mission of our lives, the bigger reasons for time and effort to achieve anything we define as our Work.

The body needs to be 'pushed', persuaded, to reach beyond our mental limits to discover what we are capable of... any runner knows we constantly reach beyond our current abilities in order to increase what we can do.   Same with the Spirit:  the Benevolent Ones see a larger slice of the whole pie,  a bigger view of the skies,  the Pattern of Soul and being in this world to gently influence and guide the shape of our intent, to conform, ultimately to something ever Greater than us.  We go kicking and screaming like small children, afraid of the changes, unaware of the opportunity just beyond that door- or we accompany the Forces of Growth like lucky lovers, enamored of a sweet surrender which can take us to new places, and widen our own Arc of Love and acceptance to who we really are.