Archive for scary place
But it is Scary in There! (The challenges of going within)
Posted by: | CommentsI am curious, do you ever create space in your day to just sit quietly and connect to your inner self?
Yesterday we were discussing the importance of going within on Defy the Box radio with Dr. Jennifer Howard, and it reminded me just how difficult this used to be for me.
Back in the day, I was scared to death of listening to what my inner–self had to say. I always kept myself busy. I avoided any situations where I would have nothing to do and be stuck sitting there alone with my thoughts.
If I was home alone, I would have the TV on or music playing while I was using my computer, or talking on the phone. I would watch TV until I would fall asleep. I hated lying awake in bed with my thoughts swirling around.
My inner-self had all kinds of things to say that I did not want to hear!
In my head I would be looking back at the day and analyzing every interaction that I had, and all the things I did. I thought about all the things I did not like and wanted to be different. I had a long list of things that were not working for me.
I felt trapped in my life, and did not think that I had many options. Thinking about it made me uncomfortable and anxious. I did not know exactly what I wanted or how to make the change.
I just knew that I wanted more.
This desire to do more with my life was not something that would sit quietly! It showed up in all my frustration, anxiety and disappointment. Nothing satisfied me, and my life suffered as a result.
And then a funny thing happened.
The Universe forced me to sit still for a while. I broke my foot and severely sprained my ankle. I had six weeks of doing nothing. I could only watch so much TV, and finally I was prompted to read a book that had been on my shelf for a long time. It was the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. This book got me to slow down and take a look inside of my own head.
I let go of all my bus-i-ness for a while and began to create some places for stillness in my life.
At first it was scary. There was so much anger and frustration inside of me; it was hard to get past it.
Eventually I did.
I was able to connect with the part of me that wanted more meaning in my life. The more I created the quiet space to sit down and listen to that voice, the clearer my path became.
Sometimes I find myself still avoiding the quiet places, and I ask myself what are you avoiding hearing right now?
There is always an answer for me if I sit down and listen.
Facing The Unknown
Posted by: | CommentsWhat an interesting place we are standing in right now. Everything seems a bit uncertain. The economy is out of whack, people are nervous about their future, and the upcoming election leaves many things up in the air. It is obvious that change is coming, hell, it is already here, but there is still a big sense of standing before the unknown.
I know that for many of you, this is a scary place. You have done everything you are supposed to do to avoid this place! This is not part of the plan! You feel powerless and unsure of what to do next.
From my perspective, this is part of the trap of living a pre-packaged life. When you buy into a story about how things are supposed to work, you are taken by surprise when it does not turn out as you expect. Many people are following “the plan” in order to avoid something just like this. They do not want to face an unknown future.
I will let you in on a secret: The future is always unknown and there will always be change. The trick is to learn how to roll with whatever is happening.
The first step to doing this is to release the idea that things are “supposed to” work a certain way and learn to be present with what is without judging it good or bad. When you are judging a situation, you are not really accepting it for what it is, especially if you are judging something as being bad. It creates resistance to what is. What you resist persists.
Take action in the moment if something does not feel good to you. Something only becomes a problem if you do not respond to it in the moment that you feel the initial discomfort. Ask yourself: “What would feel better to me in this moment”. Take the action that brings you closer to that better feeling place. It is all about being tuned into your preferences
The finale step to rolling with the unknown is to know that the Universe is a benevolent place, and that it is conspiring with you to bring you the experiences that you desire. Why not try this belief on for size for a while and see what happens?
As always, if you find it difficult to intergrate these ideas into your life, give me a call and we can talk about how I might help you
