I was in a funk this morning. Nothing felt right.
I am still experiencing jet lag and my sleep was restless, or was it because of the Super Moon and its pull? I had a family issue to handle that was making my heart ache. My own health issues were as present as ever. I also longed for a loved one with every cell in my body.
After a workout that I thought would fix it all, I only felt like my body was made out of lead. The list of my so-called burdens started to get longer in my head, but I cut myself off to continue to add more to my "pity list".
What do I really have to complain about? Absolutely nothing was my conclusion. My misery was pale compared to a lot of other people and their more serious problems. With that answer I knew I needed to do something different from the day before. Something that would make my heart sing.
I felt that my world was upside down, so I turned myself upside down into a handstand. For many years that was something that I did on most days. Gymnastic was a big part of my childhood, and it also brought me the most joy for many years.
I admit that I was a little rusty today after some thirty years since my last handstand. My form could have been better, but my body had at least some muscle memory. I could still do it. I wasn't searching for perfection, I was after something more important.
Like my muscles remembered how to do a handstand, my heart remembered how it felt to be upside down. My heart was beating with pure joy, and that was the important part.
Sometimes the smallest shift in behavior can have the biggest impact. For the rest of the day my world turned around for the better just by being upside down for a while. Why? Because I did something that used to bring me joy, and I found out that it still does. That joy spilled over to all other areas in my life.
So take five minutes and do something that used to bring you joy but that you have not done for a long time. It can be singing, dancing, painting, meditating, or simply anything. It doesn't matter what you do as long as your heart starts to soar.
You are worth those five minutes, and the after-effect will last a lot longer than those minutes.
By turning my body upside down today, my life fell in to place. At least for now. I might have to do another handstand tomorrow, who knows. But I won't mind.
On my last day in Sweden this time around, I had one last thing to do. I had to visit "my" church. Not to listen to a sermon, and not to pray. I went there to light a candle. Like I used to do with My Angel Mormor, Grandmother, I lit a candle and put it in the "Globe of Light".
Picking my breakfast right outside my door. Every little berry is picked with care. Later when I eat my bowl of yogurt, the blueberries taste sweet as love. Country life is love.
