‘This moment is a breath in the timeline of your entire life. Don’t become lost in your individual experience.’
Yesterday my husband and I did a dot mandala workshop. Neither of us had done this before and so it took some time to get into the rhythm of painting in dots and following the outlined pathway.
It was interesting to watch myself and others in the workshop, the way we critiqued and compared our work at first, or how at times we doubted our ability and wondered if it was right, or good enough.
But as we moved with each circle of the mandala and encouraged each other along the way, a calm moved over our individual work and we began to paint with more confidence and ease.
This workshop really opened my mind to see my life as a mandala.
To understand when we start a new chapter in our life how important it is to note the doubts or the beliefs that arise in us when we don’t have the right answers or know the way.
To understand that when we get stuck in these thoughts and beliefs how this prevents us from moving forward, learning and growing from it.
We all made mistakes in the workshop yesterday and as we accepted them and learned from them, we were able to move on and paint the next circle with more confidence.
But what surprised us all the most was the perspective we had when the teacher held up our completed mandala from a distance.
We were all amazed at how good it looked and couldn’t believe how often we doubted ourselves through this process or how often we wanted to go back and start again!
This mandala, is a reflection of our life and although we may still see the wrong turns we made, or wished we could have done it better, when we get to the end of our life and we see it from a whole perspective, I’m sure we will all look back and say ‘Wow!’ this life with all its mistakes, challenges, wrong turns, and suffering, was such a small part of the whole perspective and going through each and every stage is what makes your life so very unique, beautiful and perfectly you! 🌿
LIVING IN THIS MOMENT 
so important
It is. Thank you Beth 🌸🌿
Perfection created from those stumbles and falls. All those opposites in our hearts, minds and bodies, all teach us one from the other and allow us to become that balance within. Take a bow kind lady, you dared and won, like each and every step that we take. And a lovely mandala it is. Thank you for sharing that opening of understanding, of your love found 🤗❤️🙏
Absolutely! Thank you Mark. We are all on a unique journey to see this deeply and to encourage each other along the way. 🌸🌿🌸
Indeed we are Karen. Thank you for the share 🤗❤️🙏
What a wonderful takeaway, Karen. I love the analogy, it is a relief to look at our lives that way. 🙏🏼💜
And it’s a lovely mandala/lovely life!
It is a relief! Thank you Eliza and this beautiful life 🌸💞🌸
The examination of our intentions as we go through the movements of daily life, steadying and accepting our lessons through the passage of time and movement. I think sometimes my own ungracefulness leads the way to more gracefulness. The life mandala and your beautiful mandala here, shows us so much in the balance. As you say, even at the end, we inhabit only a small perspective. Lovely post. Thank you ☺️💕💕💕
So true Ka. Beautifully said. May we continue to accept and nurture every part of our journey. Thank you 💞🌸💞
Heart hugs, Karen!
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Thank you for sharing your experience and the perspective you gained from it. I appreciate this reminder of the importance of perspective, of widening the lens through which we view our experiences. This is timely and is especially helpful now. 🙏🏻💜
I agree Carrie and the older I get the more I want to see and understand many perspectives. It definitely opens my heart to be more and give more. Thank you so much 🌸💞🌸
Karen,
What a perfect way to explore how our thinking can impact us. I love the quote. ‘This moment is a breath in the timeline of your entire life. Don’t become lost in your individual experience.’ Do you know who said/wrote this?
When I write with people it is a similar experience to that which you described. The noticing along the way of judgement is fascinating a powerful.
Thanks for sharing.
Ali
I wrote the quote Ali but I’m sure some words have been learned or borrowed from the wisdom of those who have come before me! And I agree, it’s the observation of our journey that we learn from the most. Thank you Ali. 🌸💞🌸
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A good way to live our lives. Thank you, Karen.
Lovely reflections, Karen, and wise insights for living. 💜
Thank you Carol. 💞 Life is always teaching me to love more fully. I appreciate your comment.
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Your dot mandela is beautiful, Karen. ❤
Thank you Carol. 💞 I enjoyed learning how to do it. 🤗
Beautiful truths, and a very beautiful mandala, Karen!! I love it.
Thank you so much Lorrie. Blessings to you 🌸💞🌸
Insightful, and looking at life in this manner is eye-opening ~ I’ve heard of mandalas but didn’t understand the concept behind it so loved the way you expressed this. All those small mistakes in life are an integral part of the beauty of a finished mandala 😊! (And that really is a beautiful mandala of yours!).
Thank you so much Randall. This experience was such a good reminder to practice ‘stepping back’ when life is challenging or I feel stuck, and to see it from a new perspective. I appreciate your thoughtful comments and for being here. 🙏🏻🌈💞🙏🏻