Monday, June 14, 2010

Slowing Down to Honor ME, My Family & NOW

Nature often holds up a mirror so we can see more clearly the ongoing processes of growth, renewal, and transformation in our lives. -unknown

This little boy is discovering the world around him,

becoming an explorer all his own.

Touching nature with his hands,

he sees great beauty in the simple things.

He goes with the flow

and helps me see the world with fresh, new eyes.

He reminds me that being silly...

is a great joy.

With a new baby boy on the way, 

I am full of complete gratitude for the gift of motherhood.

I know I'm going down a new path

and I don't know where it will lead.

Inviting a new angel into our family

is reminding me what's most important in life.

We live.

We grow.

We die.

Our spirits live on...forever.

Reconnecting to nature reminds me to listen to my heart, to return to a simpler way of being, and to let go of more, so that I can fully embrace the present moment.  

As I listen more deeply to my natural rhythm and energy, I've decided that rather than launching my Summer Camp e-course in August, I'm turning my attention to slowing down.  I know that this stage of my life,

being a mother to young children, is so fleeting.  I'm choosing to enjoy a lazy, breezy, relaxed kind of summer, enjoying time with my son, and I want to be restored and ready for this next little soul to enter the world.  

 
So I'm choosing to work a little less and play a little more - to slow down and let go.  

As we continue to discover the world together, let us all embrace our unique brilliance and live from a place that vibrates love, complete wonder and authenticity!  Will you choose to LIVE NOW, too?

Inside Out: A Creative Adventure of Self-Discovery is the last e-course I'll be offering before I'm on maternity leave this fall.  It starts in one week!  In honor of my path and in honor of your path, I'd like to share one last give-away.  Leave a comment by Wednesday morning, June 16th, to the following question:  

Your Personal Reflection: What is one step you are taking TODAY to live a more authentic life?

(*All the photos in this blog post are courtesy of my lovely husband, Chris Duh.)

26 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing your spirit...I am blessed in this moment to have landed upon this post! I completely respect and honor your choice and it causes me to pause and reflect on this for myself - thank you.

    One step I am taking today to live a more authentic life is creating more distinction in my responsibilities so they don't all run together allowing me to be in the moment wherever I am. And right this moment I am unplugging to go be with my boys and play...

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  2. Beautiful pictures and sentiments!! My favorite is that last picture!! I couldn't imagine going full throttle with a newborn and a 2 yr old at home!! Enjoy them :D

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  3. I honor your decision to be where you need to be now in your life and being present with all the boys in your life. I will miss your summer camp, but as a mom I understand. We need to slow down to really live life and be fully present. Right now I am going to take up writing in a journal and do some self therapy. I keep running into anger and frustration and trying to figure out what in my childhood is causing bumps in my road right now. I want to smooth them out and continue forward on my own path and honor my little girl and the little girl in me who maybe wasn't honored as much as needed.

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  4. My step is making time for ME and MY ART. By leaving my past as a (more than full time) art teacher and now working far fewer hours, I have time to do just that - AND I'M LOVIN' IT!

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  5. How lovely that you are taking this time for you and your family. I am deciding to do the same. I have pushed myself and now am slowing down quite a bit. That is a good thing. :) Maybe it won't be just for the summer...

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  6. Dear Shannon,

    such a moving post! It is so very true - it is hard enough work with just 'being' and living a life especially with kids rather than going too manic with work, work too!

    Love the images and the look of your life over there - maybe one day I can come visit :)

    You look after yourself and I look forward to seeing your new class when the time is right . . .

    I am entering an intense period of creating art now and it is fab!

    Amelia.x

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  7. I forgot to say that I have re-opened up gift grants again (the 2nd one!) so if you want to mention it anywhere or know people who may be interested, please do or send them over!!

    Amelia.x :)

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  8. Shannon - this is a beautiful post, filled with thoughts and emotions straight from your heart. Blessings on your wonderful, enjoyable, relaxing and refreshing summer.

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  9. honoring you and your family is always the best decision!! so I couldn't be happier for you. You have such a lovely family, and those family shots are so full of love that they melt my heart...and your belly?!...oh my...you shine!

    slowing down...was one of the top 5 things from my list of 25...and I've been slowing down since I wrote that (some days more successfully than others)...TODAY, honoring myself (and you Shannon) I'm gonna do an extra effort to REALLY SLOW DOWN and JUST BE :)

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  10. Hi Shannon i´m new here to your blog and tweeting...
    i´m enjoying it!!
    for me is listening to my inner voice!!! she is really wise....

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  11. Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful photographs and for connecting them up to some truly heartfelt philosophies.
    How I am choosing to live a more authentic life today is by taking along hard look at some concepts that I have unquestioningly put to one side. Specifically, today, I've been mulling over the word 'faith' and what it means to me, and whether one can reclaim it from traditional religions.
    Anyway, sending you much love and thank you again for sharing your words and your photos
    Amy
    xx

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  12. I am making a point each day to 1) breathe and 2) stretch. Strangely, I find wearing a skirt helps both of those things and my posture.

    I'm so glad you have decided to take it easier this summer. This is what you should be doing!

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  13. This is a lovely and uplifting post! Lately I've been feeling extremely overwhelmed but if you can take time to breathe while raising a child (and carrying another!) then I'm inspired to do the same. I intend to stop expending so much energy on futile things and stop being so demanding of myself. So glad I found your blog :)

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  14. What a fabulous post! You are amazing and such an authentic being: I love you! These pictures are so terrific! You look gorgeous with your bump...euh..your belly! Wow!

    I took one major step today: I've sent a press release about the creative workshop I have started to give. A big step for me. But I'm so excited! I must say that your ecourse has a lot to do with all of this happening in my life...Taking you very much!

    Manon xx

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  15. What absolutely gorgeous photos. They were so lovely that they nearly brought tears to my eyes. Beautiful.

    Take it easy and like you said - enjoy being a mum. Their younger years go so fast.

    The step I've made today is to truly write from my heart, banishing my worries over the quality of my writing and instead write primarily because writing feeds my soul.

    Also, I've a fun award for you over at my blog.

    Kat X

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  16. Lovely post Shannon, my kids are on school holidays and so I too have chosen to just spend my time being. With them. I wish you well with this last e-course and hope that you have a fab maternity leavexxx

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  17. Thanks for the reminder to take care of ourselves!

    I've been struggling a lot lately with not working 24/7. Setting boundariers and sticking to them when you work out of the house can be really difficult. Technology is a wonderful thing, but getting "fire alarm" e-mails at all hours is not. I'm setting time limits on when I check e-mail (including on my phone) and I'm trying very hard to take at least an hour two each day to enjoy whatever I'm doing without multitasking. Instead if we watch a movie, I am trying to sit down and watch the movie and if I get together with friends I really share time with them rather than splitting between my current design in progress and them. Now, if DH pickes the movie I may multitask for my own sanity, but... :-)

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  18. what a beautiful inspirational post. I love it Shannon. there is so much beauty so many places and being at a slow pace to honor them is magical and to do with you children really is priceless.

    The steps i made/make are to be so present in my moments even when i am at my wits end somedays. to listen to the upset of my child and make sure i am present with them at that moment NO MATTER where it is. We have so many magical moments in nature i want to make sure they have me when they really need me.
    hugs, angela

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  19. What a moving and beautiful post Shannon!!! I want to share this post with everyone I know!!

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  20. to be gentle with myself,beautiful post.

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  21. i love all these pictures - especially the one of you in the hat! and this is a fantastic reflection that i can fully relate to.

    today, i took a nap. (i didn't mean to i just fell asleep before the boy did). i think that counts. <3

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  22. Dear Shannon,

    I enjoyed reading your thoughts, thanks for sharing. I've made the same choice to slow down and cherish the few years the children are small. Precious moments - and oh so frustrating times as well. The whole family growing together, in body, mind and spirit!

    My step today to live a more authentic life is to take more time just for myself. That way there will be more to share with others again...

    x Maria

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  23. I love this post! I've been away from the computer for weeks and its been so wonderful to catch up with you a little here.
    Slowing down is so important, being able to be present in the moment. I'm glad you are taking time for you and your family right now.

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  24. Shannon--so glad for you to be able to make this choice at this time for yourself. I'm sad there won't be a summer camp, but who knows what adventures & thoughts this time will bring to you & your family, and you to all of us?

    Namaste.

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  25. Shannon, congratulations. I wish you a beautiful road to the birth of your new little one, and a lifetime of fulfillment in your journey as a mama and a very creative soul.

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  26. A BOY! A BOY! Ohhhh, Shannon, that's WONDERFUL! All the photos are so incredibly heartwarming and invigorating. Taking this time to slow down and savor all the moments is a fantastic decision. So very, very happy for you!

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Thanks for sharing!