by Tara Joyce | Feb 6, 2017 | Cultural Creativity
No matter what you do or don’t do, I always have a choice in how I communicate with you. You can’t make me do or feel anything.
If I choose to not consciously communicate, I am choosing to give away my power. Whether I am attempting to feel small or big in front of you, my unconscious words are reducing me to less than I am.
If you can stay steady in you, I can’t claim your power. Despite my anger-filled desire, my words can’t possibly do this. Nothing external can.
Only you can allow something external to reduce or deflate you. Even my careless words.
If I am not being anything but respectful and loving towards you, know it’s not about you, it’s about me. It just happens to appear to be directed at you.
It’s an optical illusion I like to perform. It helps the weight of my responsibility to magically disappear for a moment and appear on you.
photo credit: Chris Devers
by Tara Joyce | Jan 31, 2017 | Cultural Creativity
It seems we are being challenged at this very moment to stand for what we know is true and right. Whether we are being called to empower ourselves as we face political bullies, companies that abuse their power, and/or other entities that prey on our natural weaknesses, this is a time of great transformation and opportunity. It is a time for us to stand and to use our voices.
In my own world, I’ve been challenged over and over in the past weeks by broken systems that attempt to dehumanize our experience in an attempt to streamline their own operations. I’ve been asked by bigger businesses than myself to not be an individual, and to instead accept a one-size-fits-all solution, policy, and/or way of doing things. None of these approaches work for me. I am not willing to fit in, to go along, nor to be quiet, so as to make another more comfortable, more at ease, and more lax in their work and way of being. I am an individual and I demand to be treated that way. When I see that I am not, I understand I have a choice to continue investing my time, energy, and money in that system/business/entity or to not to. I never have to stay quiet and take it.
A paradigm is rising across our planet, made up of people like you and me who stand for love, inclusion, and integrity, and who believe we have a responsibility to stand for our rights and for the rights of others. We are awakening and coming together in unexpected ways and in unprecedented numbers to use our voices and to wield our personal power to break down old, corrupt structures. There is still much work to be done, and as we continue to integrate and heal the deep pangs of division we all feel, I find solace in how we are united in our quest. It is a moment when the enormous bully or perpetrator says, “Yeah, I did it. So what are YOU going to do about it?”
This is our moment. This is our opportunity. I believe in your personal power and in mine. I believe this is the moment where our ability to stand tall for who and what we are, and represent it as best we know how is most crucial. Please take good care of yourself so you can stay strong and bring your best self. We will make the difference.
photo credit: Scott Lum
by Tara Joyce | Jan 26, 2017 | My Journey | What's On My Mind
Dear Reader,
As you may or may not have noticed, I’ve been quiet for all of January.
While I certainly feel like hibernating (since there is little to no sun in Toronto right now), the real reason I’ve been quiet is because my site has been down due to a hacked website on the server I share through my web host. It was a lovely practice in patience as I waited for it to be restored. I very much appreciate your patience too as I’ve worked to resolve the issue.
Now that things are back, we can get back to our regularly scheduled programming, namely some new articles from me!
xoxo,
photo credit: SparkFun
by Tara Joyce | Dec 16, 2016 | My Journey | What's On My Mind
Hello dear reader,
I realize I don’t often address you directly, do I? That feels funny since you are such a gift to me. <3
Most of the time, I write these words because I am experiencing something in my own life and I need my words, and playing with them, to feel into the experience. I find the whole process of writing, editing, and publishing what I need to express supportive and therapeutic. When I learn these words I need so much to enjoy and explore myself, are touching you too, it feels like the most beautiful gift. The generosity you show by reading and supporting them, and in turn me, I am so grateful for. Your care is an invaluable gift and I am so very grateful for you.
May you have a joy-filled Holiday season and may 2017 be filled with abundance for all.
Sending you lots of love and festive cheer,
by Tara Joyce | Dec 16, 2016 | Self/Business Growth
It’s a risk. I’m afraid. What will you think of me? What will I think of me? If I tell my hidden truth?
I feel so ashamed. How could I show you that? I can not take the chance of showing my true face to you.
The idea of bearing it is terrifying. In fact, it is more than that, it is life threatening. My neediness threatens my life. It terrifies me. I don’t want to feel it.
I must protect from it. I can not need love. I can not show how I need you. I must protect who I truly am behind my performance of independence.
Why do I feel the truth in my heart is so ugly? So shameful? Why do I feel I must cover it up?
If you knew what was in me, if I showed it to you, I’d be under threat. From me. From you. From the weight of my unbearably inconvenient truth.
Yet if I can break through my fear and allow myself to be vulnerable, what lies on the other side? Could the very thing I fear so much be the very thing to set me free?
But of course. My life is not threatened by my vulnerability. Not anymore, at least. I’m now an adult, in charge of my life. I have the ability to unlearn the faux-protection granted by aloofness and lack-of-care, and allow myself to re-access the wholeness within me. With courage, I have what it takes to face the truth in my heart. I can be me. Vulnerable. Truthful. Completely me.
photo credit: emily mucha
