Contemplate what's next

10-10-14

Sometimes in our lives it is good to seat down and just contemplate our life journey so far.

We live in a moment in time where everything just happens too fast. Were we are fully booked with interesting, exciting and lovable commitments and responsibilities. We have many interests, we have many books to explore, cities to discover, friends to share, nature to savor…If you are like me, then you have kids to love, to be with them, to participate of their growing up, to educate, to take them to places to see, and join them in experiences to have.

Yesterday I talked with skype with my best friend. He lives abroad, has done so for the last 10 years of his live. When we meet we always say we should do that more often, there have been times where we had regular meetings, but those times mostly have been an exception. I would say it is because we have demanding agendas both.

That’s why sometimes I am in need of a time to simply seat and contemplate my life. Not to get up and continue with the show, but to be able to take some perspective and redirect my life, if needed, towards where my heart feels it most. Not because I just want to do what I love, but because, for me, that is what’s most likely been taken out as the pace and intensity of my daily lives increases.

So if you happen to feel that way sometimes, your might consider the following practice. It is build on different steps, here they go.

Own: Probably what is more easy to do at those moments is to know what is at that moment making you feel of balance, what is it? How does it  show up in your current live? What behaviors do you find are drawing you the most? Where and how do you feel this? Where do you feel you need to place extra energy? Where do you feel your energy to drawn more?

Sometimes with our busyness we just want to go on with what works and what we like. But I believe it is fundamentally important to stop and honor this moments that can speak to us in many ways. There’s rich information we need. So take time listen to it,  to honor it, and to feel it. Read this blog post for how the body can help in this phase.

Recognize: Now as a second step, honor what you like of this moment, What have you recently done that you are proud of? What has make you laugh and be happy in the latest days or weeks? What are you proud of? What are you leading? What are you stepping forward for?

Often, again we skip this step. I have found that this might happen for multiple reasons, but a big one is because we think we have never done enough, or that we are never good enough. either to others, or to ourselves.

(I am reading an amazing book by Rene Brown on Shame and Vulnerability I do highly recommend it to every one, and I will expand on both in next blog entries of my blog).

So we have covered step one and two: acknowledge what it is currently unpleasant, but also embracing what we have done good so far -with ourselves and or for others.

What’s missing: Please take a notebook with you, something were you can write down. It will be necessary, you want to capture what comes next :)

Now for one minute simply be in silence, attune to your breath, let go of any tension in you body and focus on be here feeling this moment.

Now ask yourself, what is not here yet?  What is not present in my life? What is wanting to be born through me? What feels unheard? What do I keep postponing? What would I like to see happening in my life that is not here yet?

Write down what comes up. Simply the main idea and the nuances that might ring up. Don’t stay too long on it, there might be more things that want to come up. Keep writing them down as they do.

After a few minutes look at your notes. Feel into them. Let your imagination, let your mind dream about those… what journey do you have ahead? How does your life look from this notes and how do you feel about it?

Breath: Often at this point we feel overwhelmed. Some of those things are simple details that will greatly impact our lives, and we can see and already feel into that. Some other things that might have come up might be more challenging to implement or might be visions on a more long terms perspective. This is where we might feel both lost and overwhelmed by the amount of things needed to be done.

So before we resume anything, please take a moment to savor your notes, as they are. They are already part of  who you are, of you, in here right now. They are even things that go with you even though you do not pay attention to it. They are here in your awareness right now because of your journey so far.

If you have many, please consider just keeping one or two for your next step and save your notes in a place where you will always know where they are and that you always have them available to consult.

Actionable steps: Now, ask yourself. Can I break down in a small steps my new intention or proposal? If so, what is the first one I could already do today or tomorrow?

Small is beautiful. Begin your journey with a small step, and when you have done the first one, inquire or follow what is the second small step, and then the third. And so on.

You have taken time to embrace your current present situation, and you have tap into what’s missing that you like to see happening. When I say small is beautiful is because I know in myself, and I have seen in others, that intending big and wanting a radical change is more easy in words than in action. We have a full live that, like we have seen, fills us in many ways. Wanting a big step will naturally bring up the resistance of what is already working in our lives. By beginning small, but continually building on small steps this new passion of our heart will find its way through our daily lives and soon will grow to what you want it to be.