Be With What Is
Our focus this week — Oct 8-14: “Weathering the Storms”
Today’s MotD: Be With What Is. Well that seems rather obvious and yet do we really do it…be with what is ? Especially when we’re in the midst of a “storm”. Are we resisting what is ? Are we worried about what’s going to happen tomorrow ? Do we wish it was like it used to be ? These kinds of thoughts are far from present moment thoughts as well as being far from “being with what is”…which is what we’re encouraged to do today.
This concept, when it comes to weathering storms, can look like that by being with what is means we are somehow condoning what is. No, my dear friends, that’s not it at all. Being with what is means we’re looking at everything from a factual POV, through observer eyes, just the facts, Jack.
It’s from this place of “what is” that we can actually do something about it. For instance if we were to lose our job. Yes, it’s awful. Yes, it’s humiliating. Yes, it’s scary. We can fight it. We can beg for it back. We can lash out. We can wish it didn’t happen. We can feel all the feels that come up. And yet until we get to that place of being with what is—we were let go from our job—we’ll just be spinning our wheels—and hopefully releasing the feels that aren’t serving us in the process.
From the place of “what is” we now have our starting point, ground zero if you will: we are currently without a job. Now, we can objectively look at and determine what our options are: is this something that requires legal action ? are there any other businesses where our skills will be a good fit ? is this a time to consider going in an entirely new direction ? maybe go back to school ? move out of the area ? start a new business ? is there something from this experience that we can view as a benefit and therefore make use of in some future endeavor ? Essentially we have a wide open field, a 360º view—if we’re open to seeing it.
Being with “what is” is like the beginning of Dorothy’s trip on the yellow brick road. Yes, her house killed the East Witch. Yes, she’s in a new land with new-to-her people. Yes, she wants to go home. Yes, Glenda gave her the ruby red slippers. Yes, there’s a wizard in Oz who can help her. These are all facts. With these facts in hand, she assesses the situation and knows what she needs to do. So she takes the first yellow brick step, then the next yellow brick step, then the next, then the next, and then so on until she’s on her merry way to the Emerald City.
Basically, “being with what is” means that whatever storm we’re in, we’re encouraged to objectively assess the facts of the situation as soon as we can, then objectively look in every corner for all of our options, and from there determine (and take) our next step(s) forward.
How about you ? Do you have a “storm” that you’re currently trying to weather ? Are you resisting it, wishing it would go away, or be different ? Or are you open to just being with what it is, so as to objectively gain clarity about what your next yellow-brick step will or can be ?
BTW…Here’s the before…the front and back view of today’s puzzle piece and the pretty ceramic box that holds all my numbers from which I randomly choose each day’s puzzle piece number:
Peace & Blessings,
Maureen
The Mandala Lady
Creating Mandalas 🔆 Awakening Inner Harmony
ABOUT THE 2025 Mandalas of the Day
Throughout the year, I’ll be building one large (48”x48”) Tibetan-styled Mandala one piece at a time…one puzzle piece at a time, that is. The mandala design and the reversed puzzle side were printed on artist-quality watercolor paper. The forward facing puzzle side was printed on a 48”x48” wood panel.
Each day, at random, I’ll be painting in watercolors one of the 365 watercolor puzzle pieces, that by the end of the year will become Archangel Mandala #4. Read more about the Archangel Series. The word/message for each piece will be inspired by Melody Beattie’s book “52 Weeks of Conscious Contact”.
Ultimately, the message of this mandala is about how we are all uniquely part of the one.
Mandala of the Day 