I had been going back and forth since I wrote that last post as to whether to tackle the topic of boundaries. But, as is often the case, once a concept is set to simmer in the back of my mind, it starts to have relevance everywhere.

So, consider this. What do boundaries, routines, commitment and niche marketing all have in common?  For me, anyway. And why (oh, why?) have I been balking at all of them?

For some (ok, me again) they imply a level of exclusion. One could make the mistake of looking at them, not as a means of saying 'yes', but more as giving a big 'no' to everything else. After all, All is the Reality, right? Why impose structure, and rules, and delineation on things... aren't we suffering enough under the illusion of separation? Doesn't love know no bounds? Can't we just it all flow organically and cyclically like nature and her seasons, tides and time, yada yada yada? Isn't Spirit limitless?

Well, yes. Yes, it is. 

And while I believe we are of Spirit, we are, by our very nature, confined within a physical limit. We are limits personified! (Bear with me here..) I think that we all long for and aspire to break free of those physical limitations, to once again experience being as expansive as the Universe, but like so many of the paradoxes of this spiritual path I'm on, the only way out is through. The rhetoric of the Law of Attraction camp points out that, only by existing in this physical form can we focus and direct our energy to create worlds. Only through being very clear about what one says yes to can any momentum and power be generated toward moving us along our individual paths. Without the focus, the boundaries, the limitations, the energy is just dispersed and rendered ineffectual. Like a garden hose when you use your thumb to create a smaller opening for the outrush of water, the spray becomes much stronger, and you could really knock some s** over if you wanted to with that kind of force.

And so, what have I been afraid of excluding? Because I think that's what the common denominator is in those situations mentioned above: some deep-rooted fear of depriving myself of an experience or opportunity or god knows what else, or a fear of my life continuing along some predictable, mind-numbing path to it's foreseeable end, as if life could ever be  predictable, mediocre, and less than surprising and shocking, even if I planned every detail out to the final second. As if I even had an inkling of wisdom enough to be able to make those choices as to what the best scenarios are for me and my path.

I believe in miracles as everyday occurrences. And I believe in a supportive universe. But I forget sometimes that I am the physical manifestation of this ever-expansive energy, and I have to make the decisions as to where I want the miracles to happen, where I want that energy that is love to be directed...and only as far as my own individual perspective will allow. That's my part to play. I can no more be open to every physical potentiality any more than I can be anyone other than myself. The details don't really matter. The point is to find who or what makes my heart sing, and dedicate myself to that. Stop flipping around the channels, afraid that I'll miss something. And another paradox is how many more possibilities suddenly open up in response to a choice being made -- a resounding "Yes! This is what I want, this is what I'm doing!"

More on this as is develops. But first, the update:

onlyhuman's Happiness Commandments

1. There is only love.

2. Boundaries can be a good thing.