AE Heart & Soul | Katrina Kenison

This week I want to introduce you to some wonderful, meaningful words from author Katrina Kenison.

As most of you know, I strongly believe in the beauty of ordinary everyday life. Documenting simple everyday stories is my passion and it's what I come back to again and again in times of struggle and awesomeness.

Recently I received an email from a reader named Deirdre who suggested I read an interview with Katrina that was published on a site called rebuildlifenow.com.

Here's a link to that interview: Our Journey Inward - From What Was To What Is: An Interview With Katrina Kenison

CHOOSE LOVE

The entire article was inspiring to me but I was specifically drawn to these words:

"It was definitely an “ah-ha” moment, because it made me see that life didn’t have to be as complicated as I made it out to be; that in any given moment, or whenever I felt confused or unsure, I could just choose the loving gesture, the loving word, the loving path.

This is hard to explain in just a few words, but I will say, learning to pause and ask myself the question, “What is the loving thing to do here?” has given me a new assurance. It helps me to see when I’m reacting out of fear, and to choose love instead. It has made me at once more courageous and softer,  more confident and less attached to being right. I don’t have to be right; it is enough to be loving."

That simple concept of pausing and having a question to ask oneself is wonderful. Framing it in love is another level entirely. I can't tell you how many times I thought about this and worked to get myself to asking this question this past week.

The other part that really spoke to me in the interview was her answer to a question about suggestions for people going through transitions:

"Assess everything. Take a look at your old dreams; if they don’t still make your heart soar, let them go and clear space for new dreams. Let go of old, out-worn ideas about the way things “ought” to be, and take a good hard look at things as they are. Change what you can change, and learn to accept and work with what can’t be changed. There is a relief in surrender, a beauty in acknowledging that our white-knuckled grip on life isn’t serving us or anyone else. Opening to change, welcoming it rather than resisting it, is part of the dance of life. Whenever the choice is between dancing or sitting it out, dance. When the choice is between love and fear, choose love. The rest will take care of itself."

Printing that one out and taping it to my mirror so I can read and re-read it again.

Check out Katrina's books:

• Magical Journey: An Apprenticeship In Contentment




• The Gift Of An Ordinary Day: A Mother's Memoir




• Mitten Strings For God: Reflections For Mother's In A Hurry

Thank you Deirdre - this was exactly what I needed to encounter this week.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.