By: Denell Nawrocki, MA
For most of my life I felt like I needed to DO THINGS in order to make things happen in my life. I always seemed to force my way through situations and circumstances, MAKING them happen the way I wanted them to. This always left me feeling depleted and unwell. Even if I was getting what I wanted, it never seemed like enough. My heart was never full, and my mind always wandered to the next thing. 

When I began down the path of self awareness, meditation, and nature connection, I slowly began to realize that I had been doing it all wrong. The Earth creates and produces some of the most INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL and INSPIRATIONAL things known to us, yet she never FORCES it to happen. It simply happens. There is no force in creation. 

I began to think about this understanding in relation to 'getting what I wanted'. If nothing in this world is forced (naturally), then what did that mean for me forcing an outcome? What was I doing in relation to the possibilities of what could be? Was my constricted notion of the intended outcome blocking me from the incredible potentials of WHAT COULD BE? 

I began to change the way I was relating to what I was doing. Where there was once fear and pressure, I replaced with faith, trust and ease. This new way of Being was difficult at first, but as I loosened my grip on the intended outcome of even THIS 'action', I noticed something:

This may seem like a catch 22 but what I have learned is that in order to RECEIVE that which you ASK FOR AND TRULY DESIRE, you must LET IT GO and OPEN YOURSELF UP TO THE POSSIBILITY. There is a non-action associated with the action. It is one of the most difficult things we as modern humans can do (what! NOT be in control?!), but the rewards of LETTING IT ALL GO are tremendous.

I invite you to give this a go, even if just for one day.
In the morning, set some intentions for your day, and then allow the soft voices of your heart and body to guide to through Time to where you need to go.
​You may find that synchronicity and miracles begin to happen. 
​Let go into the flow of life. Forcing it only leads to unnecessary discomfort.

Denell Nawrocki, MA is an Integrative Wellness Coach, Health Educator, Ethnohistorian, and Women's Health Advocate. You can find out more about her and her work at www.generativehealth.org.

​​My capacity to care is loosely based around my capacity to cease judgment.
Although it is nearly impossible to “not judge at all”, I have noticed in me an ability to not listen to the judgmental voices playing in my head and what comes of that when I do.
 
For example, my partner pulled a muscle in his back causing him to partially debilitated and in great pain. He hobbled around the house attempting to help me with the daily chores and cooking. Finally, the physical pain became so great that he needed to stop altogether and take care of himself.
 
All the while my mind went a little something like this:
“Gosh, look at him. If he only worked out a little more and strengthened himself, this would not have happened.”
“Ugh, now I have to do everything around the house because he is hurt!”
“I think he just wants to get out of helping me.”
“He must not be in THAT much pain because he was able to work all day.”
And on, and on, and on….

In today's hyper-connected world, it is easy to get lost in the craziness that is media.
We have access to constant updates of the world's affairs, and in an instant, can learn about what is happening half-way across the globe. 

I understand the desire to remain informed and up to date on the current affairs of the global community. But what I have noticed is that we are concerning ourselves more of what is happening OUT THERE, in OTHER STATES OR NATIONS than what is happening in our own towns.

Yes, the plight of children in Africa is a terrible thing, and yes, the bombing in Syria or the on-going killing of endangered animals in Borneo are also equally as terrible. 

Our brains are not wired to taken in the plight of the ENTIRE WORLD.
In fact, we are genetically wired to live in bands of communities no more than 150 people- think back to our neolithic brethren- and to have concerns that reflect that amount of people.
We are meant to be aware and concerned about the locations of our home. 

And that is why people are stressed. And overwhelmed. And full of fear.
Because they are trying to help the ENTIRE PLANET... no just our band of 150 community members.
​Next time you feel the urge to gluttonize on the slow decline of our global community environment as portrayed in the news media, I invite you to notice where your focus is.

The way we can begin the process of actually ACTING on our CARING CAPACITY, is by focusing on what is right in front of us; by focusing on our local communities. 
It is within our local communities that we have a real chance of making that change we wish to see across the entire globe,
It MUST start locally. It MUST start with what is happening in your backyard.
It MUST start with what you are actually capable of.

​Are you passionate about environmental rights?
Volunteer for a local land management agency, and influence how the land around your town is being protected or used.
Are you passionate about sociological injustices?
Take time out of your day to purchase some food for a homeless person, help them find a job, or some other aspect of basic human needs.
Are you passionate about racial/gender/sexual rights?
Give talks or lectures at local community spaces about what you know to be true in order to influence those around you.

There are so many ways to help the world, and it becomes easier to see this when we change our focus.
Global focus is good every once in a while- in very small doses. But it can be paralyzing.
Focus on what you can do now, in your community, near where you live. 
I am 100% positive there is a cause that needs to be supported.
That needs YOU to support it.

So I invite you to focus your energy on what is actually possible. 
And once we all are focusing on our local communities, the change we wish to see will manifest. 
​And it will be beautiful.

By: Denell Nawrocki, MA

For me, the answers to those questions vary- and the answer to the last one rather high.

There have been more times in my life than I can count on my fingers and toes where I found myself in a situation where I could have done good or right by someone or something, yet chose not to.

The initial heart-impulse that told me, "Give that woman some money", or "Pick up that litter", or "Smile back at that person", or "Stand up for them", or "Give that person a compliment", became shut down and sequestered by a mind-impulse of fear and self-consciousness.

"Someone else will", or "I'm too busy", or "This is MY money", or "They will think I'm weird" take over, and like a dog with its tail between it's legs, I retreat and change course. 
​
Depending on how deep the heart-impulse went determines how long afterwards I will think about my choice and usually internally lament. ​

Why did I do that?
What didn't I do that?
I could have.
​I should have. 
Why did I stop myself?
What would have happened if I made the other choice?

Were they someone/ was it something that would have caused me harm?
No
Was it taking time away from something crucial?
​Something more important?
No.
​Then why did I stop myself?

It seems to me that in our Western culture, we have become conditioned to fear and violence. It is far more normal and 'safe' for us to live in a perpetual state of fear and disconnection. We have been conditioned to think that open-heart connection and Love for Life and the World is not normal and should be something to fear. 
​This is backwards- and we can change it.

As humans, we have IMMENSE capacity to give Love and to receive Love.
In fact, our heart has a mind of its own!
The heart contains some 40,000 neurons ('brain cells') that can sense. It is a transmitter and receiver of literal heart intelligence. 

When we feel those heart-impulses, it is actually our heart-brain sensing how it can be of service in the situation, essentially filling a vacuum created by negative, low-vibration energy of someone or something in caring need. Nature abhors vacuums, and those heart-impulses are clues as to how to fill it with Love- ultimately  raising the vibration of the situation or experience.

The truth is that we DO all have the capacity to care ALL THE TIME.
We CAN care without it being detrimental to our own lives, and in fact would most likely improve it.

We do have the ability to listen to the heart in every moment, be aware of the low-energy vacuums surrounding us, and do small actions to fill them.

Caring doesn't have to be some grandiose thing, it can be as simple as giving the person who needs $0.50 more for the bus fare, or picking up that paper cup on the ground, or putting a hand on someone's shoulder when they are upset.

​So the next time you feel that soft heart-impulse, I invite you to take a risk and follow it.