{"id":271,"date":"2014-02-06T02:03:09","date_gmt":"2014-02-06T02:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/heartofthesoul\/?p=271"},"modified":"2014-02-06T02:03:09","modified_gmt":"2014-02-06T02:03:09","slug":"here-comes-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/heartofthesoul\/2014\/02\/here-comes-the-sun.html","title":{"rendered":"Here Comes the Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

When I woke up this morning, I looked out my window and saw nothing but blue sky. Where I live in the Pacific Northwest, this is definitely a special occasion for this time of year. I told myself that it was a perfect day to go outside and soak up the warmth \u2013 to feel the sun on my face. To sit, relax, and listen to the birds sing on this spring-like morning.<\/p>\n

And then I got busy. I checked my email. And started answering them. And then I got onto Facebook. And started responding to messages. And before I knew it, hours had gone by.<\/p>\n

While I did get distracted, I hadn\u2019t completely lost sight of my plan to spend time in the sun. So I grabbed my sunglasses, opened the patio door, stepped outside and sadly realized that the sun was no longer out. In the short time that I was on the computer, the weather had completely changed. The clouds had rolled in, and it was too cold to sit outside now.<\/p>\n

I came inside to check the weather report thinking that the clouds would soon pass, and I could still enjoy the sun. But the 10-day forecast calls for clouds every day mixed with rain and snow. Winter-like conditions. My heart sank when I realized that I had missed my chance to soak up the sun for at least 10 days.<\/p>\n

And while I realize that this isn\u2019t a huge deal in the grand scheme of life, I couldn\u2019t help but wonder in what other ways was I getting distracted and missing out on the metaphorical sun?<\/strong> By that I mean, in what other areas of my life was I pushing back doing what I really wanted to do simply because I got caught up in something else \u2013 something that perhaps seemed necessary at the time but didn\u2019t actually feed my soul?<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t help but think that this incident was a metaphor for my entire life somehow. I started to think about what being in the sun meant to me \u2013 what it represented for me.<\/strong> I realized that it is a form of self care, of stillness, of slowing down, and of listening to my soul. Being in the sun makes me feel light and joyful.<\/p>\n

Being in the sun \u2013 literally or figuratively \u2013 helps me feel connected with the divine and with my inner self.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And it\u2019s become a habit to push this connection aside \u2013 to almost treat it as though it\u2019s frivolous and not nearly as important as my connection to the emails and the to-do list.<\/p>\n

While it’s true that I missed my chance to be in the sun today, I realized that I could take what the sun represented to me and welcome those aspects of it into my heart \u2013 regardless of what the sky looked like. <\/strong>I could still take time to connect with my inner voice and with my spiritual connection. I could still make space for stillness, reflection, and joyfulness.<\/p>\n

Knowing this made me feel so much better. It meant that I hadn’t necessarily missed out. Yes, it’s true that I most likely won’t be spending much time outside for the next week or so, but I now know that it’s not too late to invite the figurative sun into my heart and honor my connection with the universe. And that feels pretty wonderful.<\/p>\n

I definitely invite you to welcome the sun into your life as well, regardless of what the weather is like for you.<\/p>\n

Hugs,<\/p>\n

Jodi<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"about<\/a><\/p>\n

Jodi Chapman is a bestselling author, an award-winning blogger, and a soulful community builder.\u00a0She lives her life with love and faith in the driver\u2019s seat, and she hopes to leave a trail of inspiration wherever she goes. She believes that we each have the ability to hear our soul\u2019s whisper and create our best lives. She would love to connect with you!<\/p>\n

Website<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2665 \u00a0\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2665 \u00a0\u00a0Pay-What-You-Want Ecourse<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u2665 \u00a0\u00a0Free Ebook
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