Alexis Rose's Blog, page 21

Thank You to the Never Give Up Institute

A Huge Thank You to NEVERGIVEUPINSTITUTE.ORG for including both Untangled, and If I Could Tell You How It Feels on their resources page.

Never Give Up Institute is a fabulous organization, founded by Alexis Acker-Halbur that helps people understand how unresolved stress and trauma can cause illness, increase financial difficulty, and keep you from living a meaningful life.

Alexis Acker-Halbur’s book titled Never Give Up is incredibly powerful and validating for anyone who has faced devastating physical illness, trauma, and loss. More than a self-help book, Alexis brings her own experiences and vulnerability into each chapter. Never Give Up is both relatable and validating for people who have been through trauma and/or serious illness. Part spiritual, part self-help, part memoir, Never Give Up is very inspiring.

Check out and give a follow to the nevergiveupinstitute.org blog at http://nevergiveupinstitute.org/my-blog/

http://nevergiveupinstitute.org/2018/03/resources-trauma-healing/#comment-2613

She Becomes A Lotus

Rising from the mud

Shaken by the moon that shines behind the shadow trees

She tenses and listens.

Hearing the leaves rustle in the wind

the cicadas hum, and the birds

flapping their goodnight wings

her mind feels tricked by the sounds of the night.

The humidity in the air creates

a slow-motion dance of fog

circling the dark shapes on the ground.

A chill, a shudder, and it’s over.

The night is over.

Now the sun hits her face, drying the mud.

Slowly, she turns around and walks away

knowing that without the mud

a lotus would never rise.

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©Alexis Rose, Photo by Christopher Campbell on Unsplash

Thank you for reading my new book, If I Could Tell You How It Feels, available in both ebook and paperback from Amazon.

A Painted Journey

The painted journey of life

twists and turns with our inner and outer landscape

We travel alongside the footfall of critters,

birdsong, the buzz of insects, human hubbub,

and things laid to waste.

The aliveness of the water, rocks

and sky remind us that our collective journey

is painted with the colors of tranquility,

the vibrant sounds of life, these present moments.

The painted journey of life attends to us.

It strokes our curious minds, our wild hearts

and our tender souls.

A painted journey is in all of us, it’s our life.

It’s both shared and it is solo.

It’s the sacred connection to us all.

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©Alexis Rose, image source: Pexels

Thank you for reading my new book, If I Could Tell You How It Feels, available in both ebook and paperback from Amazon.

 

Friend

When we make plans, meet, and our first thought

is to give each other big-smushy hugs

filled with the gratitude of friendship

it feels like the down of a favorite comforter.

Both present, talking authentically

about the stuff that matters

while the server quietly takes our plates

that’s the time when our shoulders are relaxed

and we exhale fully. breathe…because

it’s safe

we get each other without judgement and with total acceptance.

When the tears well up in our eyes

and sometimes spill over because of life’s pain

or life’s happiness, it’s always met with

open heartedness and sweet empathy.

When the fear or suffering of illness

for ourselves or a loved ones

comes sneaking into our lives, rest assured dear friend

that we are walking together, holding hands

on our our sometimes dusty paths.

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©Alexis Rose, image source: Pixabay

Thank you for reading my new book, If I Could Tell You How It Feels, available in both ebook and paperback from Amazon.

Mother Nature Smiles

As Mother Nature smiles upon the Earth

the frogs sing their songs of love

the woodpecker sounds his drum

and the flowers rise up with explosions

of color to join the chorus. 

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©Alexis Rose, Photo by Mohammad Amiri on Unsplash

Thank you for reading my new book, If I Could Tell You How It Feels, available in both ebook and paperback from Amazon.

Reflections From My Inner Spirit Mirror

I stand in front of a mirror. It is not the kind of mirror that reflects your outside self, but the kind of mirror that reflects your psyche. It’s the kind of mirror that reflects how you think, emote, or not emote, and feel. It is the kind of mirror that reflects back the years of psychological and emotional damage. I call it my inner spirit mirror.

It took a lot of courage to approach this mirror the first time.  I was terrified because I knew that if I had tried to stand in front of this mirror before, I wouldn’t have seen any reflection. I felt like a nobody with no-body. but something compelled me to look at the effects of the trauma and how it damaged my mind and spirit and left my soul in tattered ruin.

Countless times, I could only stand looking into that mirror for mere seconds before running away in shame, but I was determined to keep going back. Each time I went back, I began to have the courage to view my reflection and started to name what I saw. Even though it was difficult to see myself, I’m glad I was brave enough to stand in front of that mirror and look deeper into my spirit.

At first, all I could name was the lies that were told to my soul. The lies that perpetrators tell their victims to legitimize what they are doing or have done. At that time, all I could see was the hurt, pain, fear, and wretchedness of the first twenty years of my life.

Then to my amazement, as I stood steadfast in front of my spirit mirror, I began to see a light emerge from my core. My reflection of who I am, who I want to be, and what they couldn’t take from me, started emitting a stronger and stronger beacon of hope. At first, it was hard to trust the truth of the mirror. I could have turned away and continued to believe the lies, or I could believe my truth and trust my reflection.

Today when I stand in front of my inner spirit mirror, I see my reflection. I acknowledge the courage it took to stand there, to refuse to look away in shame. Now my inner light shines through, giving me hope that I can face each day, to stay the course, to continue to heal and grow. To trust, to believe that although at times, I’m still experiencing symptoms, what I see is the true reflection of me.

Excerpt from the book, If I Could Tell You How It Feels

[image error]photo: Janet Rosauer

Thank you for reading my new book, If I Could Tell You How It Feels, available in both ebook and paperback from Amazon.

 

 

 

Adventures of Yesterday

Adventures of yesterday

are the shadows that promise

that there is light

just beyond the curve.

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©From the collaboration, Of Earth and Sky by Alexis Rose and photographer Shelley Bauer.

Thank you for reading my new book, If I Could Tell You How It Feels, available in both ebook and paperback from Amazon.

 

What did you find in the shadow-lands?

What did you find in your shadow-lands?

Did you find comfort from your pain and suffering?

Did you feel guilty as you slowly destroyed

the foundation of your life?

Or do the shadow-lands protect you like an armadillos armor

luring you into thinking that you could lumber unscathed

navigating both your inner and outer landscapes?

What happens now that the veil of deceit has been torn away?

Do you come out of the shadow-lands into the sunlight?

Or do you emerge long enough to appear repentant and ready to change

but then slip back into the arms of a chemical romance?

I have never been to the shadow-lands.

I can’t relate to the tangled web of addiction.

I can try to understand, to learn the nuances of a slip and fall.

I can set boundaries, feel the pain, hurt, and betrayal.

I can forgive!

But I don’t think I’ll ever understand why you found

it was worth risking everything you hold sacred

to live in the cold, damp, spider infested shadow-lands.

What exactly did you find?

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Photo by Elijah Hail on Unsplash

Thank you for reading my new book, If I Could Tell You How It Feels, available in both ebook and paperback from Amazon.

Pondering at 3 a.m.

At 3 a.m. this morning I was pondering the following…

Sitting at a crossroads. Your world has just crashed down around you. When the dust settles there has emerged two big shards that resemble paths. Each one reveals a choice.

One shard shines brightly in the middle to far distance. It offers a promise of a life well lived. Growth, change, showing up as your true authentic self. Vulnerable but with solid boundaries.

Although bright, those shards are extremely sharp, full of splinters and require conscious navigation. To pick that one requires hard work. Knowing with that commitment to do the work you will feel suffering. It’s painful as you look at things head-on and then do what is required to live the life you want to live. To be the person you want to be.

The other shard is smoother. Worn down to a pleasant sheen, some rough splinters, but they are easy to spot. That path entices you with the status quo. The worn out cushion and pillow that provides the comfort of sameness. The only work it requires if you choose it is that you’ll experience life as you know it. That can also be painful because you have chosen to commit to the way things are in your life. Sometimes causing yourself and other’s great pain that causes them to move on. You choose this because your habits, even if destructive at times can be comforting, even if the comfort is only for a moment.

Change can be scary. For some its that fear that keeps them comfortable in staying the course. Not easy, but comfortable. The habits of the mind, body, and soul are hard to break.

But, maybe behind you in the distance, a third shard has fallen and the crossroads has now offered another choice. Maybe there is a grayer, hazier choice. It has both the sharp shards of change to navigate and the rounder smoother call of status quo. Perhaps a middle way.

Could that be a possibility?  Maybe that’s the path that is more realistic and recognizes the personness in all of us? Maybe in all reality that is the path most of us are on. Weaving in and out of the need to change and the pull of status quo.

Maybe we don’t need to pick one or the other. Maybe we pick all three of them. Take the time to rest on each one, to recognize our growth and reassess what and if we need to change.

I don’t know the answers…after all, it’s 3 a.m. and I probably should be sleeping.

Sitting at a crossroads, your world has crashed down. Which path would you choose?

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Thank you for reading my new book, If I Could Tell You How It Feels, available in both ebook and paperback from Amazon.

Monday Mantra

Your inner beauty, your strengths

and your talent

Far outweigh any deficits

you may have.

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©words/photo: Alexis Rose

[image error]Thank you for reading my new book, If I Could Tell You How It Feels, available in both ebook and paperback from Amazon.