Light rising in her mind,
Peace flowing as she finds
Her way through hazy days
And sleepless nights,
Each bold, new step,
Each dream held tight
Open doors to so much more
©Ashley Castle Barnes
Tag: dream
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Daily Bliss – April 19
Who decides what deserves her focus —
Or not?
Who decides what gets her blessed attention
And what is simply a daydream?
And who decided daydreams
Weren’t worth the time of day
Noticing everything
Controlling nothing
Finding clarity and insight
In the spaces between?
©Ashley Castle Barnes
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Daily Bliss – April 11
She tries to imagine
Her way out
Her mind heavy with visions
Of peace, love, radical acceptance
But she knows
As she treads along the path
That one sacred foot in front of the other
Is the only way through
©Ashley Castle Barnes
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Daily Bliss – January 4
The days are brighter,
Her mind calmer,
Still, she can’t help but wonder
And dream of what may be,
What good may come
Of her silent screaming
Once it falls on naked ears
©Ashley Castle Barnes
When my oldest daughter was in kindergarten, I went to her first conference with the teacher, excited to hear how things were going.
My excitement was quickly dashed, however, when she started to give me examples of how my daughter couldn’t stand in line without wiggling or talking or complete assignments without getting off track.
I listened to her and so many of the examples she presented sounded a lot like a child that was bored. And so I asked about that.
Her answer was that my daughter would be given more challenging academic work when she learned to stand in line quietly.
I didn’t know then that later in her life, my daughter would be diagnosed with both ADHD and autism. But I did know that she wasn’t going to succeed on this path.
How often do we see this with adults as well?
Where someone is evaluated more by their ability to conform to a generic standard rather than by their own unique strengths?
Where it’s automatically assumed that they have a personal shortcoming, weakness, or character flaw rather than considering the impact of their environment?
And where they end up prevented from further opportunities because they can’t adequately conform to an arbitrary norm or acclimate to rigid surroundings?
I know I’ve experienced this. So many spaces where I never really did fit in. And the feedback I received reflected that.
But the ones where I felt like I did fit in, where I felt safe and valued – I thrived in those environments. And the feedback I received was very different.
This shapes us as people. It makes us wonder if something is wrong with us. If we should speak up, move on, or just stay quiet and fit in.
Over and over again.
But the world is looking different these days. More voices are being raised.
Professionalism, growth, leadership, authenticity, empathy, and more – it’s all breaking open to reveal and demand better ways of treating humans.
At work, at school, and every aspect of life.
How are you looking beyond the status quo for yourself and others today?
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Daily Bliss – December 27
Her hope,
Carried on wings
Delicately fluttering
Through winds of purpose
And determination,
Taking flight
To rise and soar,
Dip and dream
©Ashley Castle Barnes
What is it about hope that it often feels so fleeting?
When in reality, it’s more like a butterfly – delicate yet strong and fluttering, but with purpose and intent.
If we can’t seem to catch it, it’s because hope isn’t meant to be caught, but rather to enjoy the journey it takes.
Following its whimsical path keeps us inspired and dreaming- and never bored.
And oh – when we finally touch it – its glowing light in the darkness allows us to soar!
And then we begin again.
How are you engaging with hope today?
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Daily Bliss – December 19
Rumbling, stirring
Deep inside
Shifting, swirling
Deep inside
Trembling, shaking
Deep inside
Her dream awakens
Deep inside
©Ashley Castle Barnes
What if the dream inside you makes you tremble because it’s so big or so different that it’s hard to imagine it coming to life, let alone you being the one to birth it?
What if you’re not scared but excited, even if you don’t know what it all means?
What if it’s not falling apart, but coming together, just as it should?
What would you do if all this was true?
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Daily Bliss – June 23
She plants the seeds
But can’t ever know
What will come
Or what will grow
So she propagates
She cultivates
She waits
And in between
She loves, she plays
She dreams, she creates
©Ashley Castle Barnes
I never what’s going to come from my daily writing.
Sometimes it’s angst and offloading.
Sometimes it’s creative insight.
Sometimes it’s rhymes.
Whatever comes, it’s almost always what I need.
In that day. In that moment.
How do you tap in and receive?
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Daily Bliss – February 14
What is peace
If not of the mind
The flower of her soul
Blooming, ever-present
Winding into the cracks
Its fragrance and light
What will become of her
If not for every other word
Ringing in her ears
©Ashley Castle Barnes
So often a goal we seek is to quiet the mind. Meditate. Be still. Send those thoughts off on a cloud.
Which for so many of us is nearly impossible to do. Busy, productive minds. Always thinking, dreaming, visioning.
What happens if this quiets?
For those who are constantly on, stillness can feel like stagnancy. Without the constant noise of imagination, we feel empty.
And yet, we need stillness. Our bodies, minds, and souls need to relax from a constant state of stimulation.
And so we re-imagine stillness as possibility, as a clean slate for an even deeper level of creation, growth, and knowing.
We lean into the fear of stagnancy and emptiness, for the opportunity to know a moment of peace.
We embrace stillness as a playground for feeling all the feels — joy, fun, and even sadness, if that comes up.
And we still think, dream, and vision.
How are leaning into stillness today?
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Daily Bliss – January 20
What if she isn’t lost
But simply dreaming
Visioning her future
As the rigid world spins
Around her
Pushing her out
Into the space
Where all things are possible
©Ashley Barnes
“Not all those who wander are lost.”
-J.R.R.Tolkien
For some of us, wandering is the only answer to consistent sanity.
Wandering away from the rigid expectations of others.
Wandering away from the narrow thinking that defines what we do and how we do it.
Wandering away from the boxes of appropriateness that exist literally everywhere.
But wandering doesn’t mean we’re lost.
For some of us, though we may seem lost, floating up in the clouds somewhere, off in our worlds, we’re actually dreaming up whole new worlds in our busy minds.
Visioning new ways of being, relating, growing, leading.
And sometimes, we’re just escaping. Taking a break from the grind.
And then back to wandering.
Where are you wandering today?
Cat Lady Poet 