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| My photo of a wild place I had never been before. Life feels wild and new in many respects lately, but not always this pretty! |
At this time of the summer solstice, there is so much light and beauty. For me, and for many others, it has also been a time of difficult challenges.
The photo above was part of this recent Facebook post:
After a flurry of recent activity, I finally had a day to do some serious reevaluation. I made a humbling, heartbreaking and difficult decision to end something that was not working. It is a complete mystery to me what is next. I felt drained and miserable afterwards and so I headed for a big hill with the determination to go farther on that trail that I've ever been. By the time I reached the point where I decided to turn around, I was filled with indescribable joy. Given that it was a completely deserted wild trail, I danced and sang my way all the way down to the bottom. Nothing changed in my life circumstances, and I am still scared, but I feel more ready for whatever is around the corner.
I am not sharing this story with you (or re-sharing it if you saw on Facebook), with the intent of advising you to head for the nearest steep hill in your colorful twirly skirt and funny shoes to dance and sing (although I truly do think it could be life-changing for you -- especially if you're a conservative businessman! 😉).
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| This was from another day last week when I chose to follow my intuition rather than my original plan -a story filled with synchronicities and and insights that may bear interesting fruit. |
But I would like to encourage you to be creative and willing to try something unusual and perhaps even non-sense-ical, instead of (or perhaps in addition to) employing "sensible" strategies.
If whatever you do makes use of your five (or preferably six!) senses, this will help take you out of your busy mind, so you can hear your intuition better. Although eating a large quantity of chocolate or using any other kind of sensory experience to numb your discomfort will muffle that intuitive voice.
Spending time in nature and/or moving your body, especially if you can get your breath deepening, heart pumping and endorphins flowing is much more effective than sitting around miserably ruminating if you are looking for a way to shift your experience.
A willingness to go where you've never been before (metaphorically and/or literally) with a spirit of adventure, a lively curiosity and a sense of humor and humility will also help.
If whatever you do makes use of your five (or preferably six!) senses, this will help take you out of your busy mind, so you can hear your intuition better. Although eating a large quantity of chocolate or using any other kind of sensory experience to numb your discomfort will muffle that intuitive voice.
Spending time in nature and/or moving your body, especially if you can get your breath deepening, heart pumping and endorphins flowing is much more effective than sitting around miserably ruminating if you are looking for a way to shift your experience.
A willingness to go where you've never been before (metaphorically and/or literally) with a spirit of adventure, a lively curiosity and a sense of humor and humility will also help.
I can't guarantee that this approach will "fix" your "problems" --and I would also invite you to consider that whatever it is you're facing might not be problems in need of fixing.
But I can promise you that if you explore an alternative to worrying and working harder to figure out the perfect answer when nothing seems forthcoming, it will help you to relax and be more receptive to internal guidance.
And I can also promise you that from that more relaxed and guided state, you will be more able to discover next steps. And you will feel better!
And I can also promise you that from that more relaxed and guided state, you will be more able to discover next steps. And you will feel better!
Whatever you choose to do, to tap into your inner wisdom has to be authentic to you. Don't do anything just because it works for somebody else.
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| I truly can't even begin to convey the delight I felt in this moment --even in the midst of fear and uncertainty. |
This is totally a work in progress for me. I am still dancing with my shadow metaphorically as well as literally. I do not claim to be the guru of tuning into my senses and relaxing in the midst of difficult times.
My go-to strategy is still to tense up, resist, worry and try harder to figure out The Answers and control the situation --and when that fails, to overeat or find some other escape route.
My go-to strategy is still to tense up, resist, worry and try harder to figure out The Answers and control the situation --and when that fails, to overeat or find some other escape route.
However, more and more, every time I recognize that I am caught up in my old and highly ineffective survival strategy and choose to do something different; magic happens. If you don't like the word magic, I can substitute "really cool astonishing occurrences" --including the alchemy of despair turning to joy.
I wish you a beautiful Super New Moon and a belated Happy Summer Solstice. I hope wherever you are and whatever your current life circumstances, (including extreme heat--literal or metaphorical) you are finding some of the joy of summer.
HERE IS THE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS BLOG
I wish you a beautiful Super New Moon and a belated Happy Summer Solstice. I hope wherever you are and whatever your current life circumstances, (including extreme heat--literal or metaphorical) you are finding some of the joy of summer.
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| On the Solstice -- a quick stop at Stinson beach. |
HERE IS THE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS BLOG
