the journey of being strong & soft
Developing the ability to be soft and strong is truly an art-form. This mystical dance within our souls - once we cultivate the balance - is a gift, a talent, and our superpower.
For many, it is difficult to believe that we can be two seemingly opposite things at the same time. As humans, we have been taught to place people in one category or another - right or wrong, soft or hard, etc. With this mentality we leave no room for evolvement or duality. We have also been taught that being soft are signs of weakness, inability to create healthy boundaries, while being strong means physical, closed off to emotions and others. Both of which are not the case - we have choice in how we allow these energies to define how we show up.
When I think of softness I think of empathy, compassion, supportive and considerate energy. Having a big heart, loving loud and upholding healthy boundaries. It means listening more, to my heart, intuition and others. When I think of strength, it’s not the visible-to-the-eye kind, its found in attitude, perspective and outlook. It’s the energy that keeps you going when everything around you may be falling apart, it’s when you display perseverance even when you think you have reached the limits of your mental and physical capacities.
Being soft and strong allows you to be loving, compassionate, fierce, committed, and successful all at the same time.
Doesn’t that sound magical?!
This dance, although beautiful is very hard. Some days we will fumble, step on our own toes and our dance partners feet too. But we need to give ourselves total permission to keep dancing - every day. Remembering that you don’t have to choose one or the other - you can be both soft & strong. It boils down to balance. It takes the combination of these energies to allow us to dust ourselves off when we fall and march forward, it’s the same energy that will allow us to admit we are wrong without having to justify blame. Life will always bring it’s set of challenges. We must look to our inner strength to face the unknown with optimism & resilience, but we must also choose not to let the things harden us. I had a teacher remind me so simply, that when our hands our closed tight, we are unable to grab, hold or receive. So choose to open your heart and mind just as you would your hands - so that you can feel & receive as you dance through this wild ride called life.
“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” - Iain Thomas