Posted on

How … can I be here now?

ItsTimeBreakFree4By6

In our busy, active, full lives, often we find ourselves not only going non-stop but juggling multiple responsibilities at the same time. Picture yourself talking on the phone while emptying the dishwasher and gesturing to your child that you want him to get busy with his homework. Or maybe your attempt at getting it all done resembles eating while standing up and between each bite you are folding laundry and watching TV. Sound familiar? Moreover, the idea that you could do “just this” seems both wasteful and impossible!

If any of this sounds like you, and if just maybe you’d like to try something different, read on. I cannot begin to explain the value you will receive by practicing the art of “be here now”, fully present to “just this”, energetically focused on one thing. That is for you to discover! Here are a few ways to begin your journey toward that discovery. With any of them, especially if you find yourself resistant, experiment in short segments – one meal, 10 minutes, 5 breaths.

  • Single-task. If you are eating, eat, taste each bite. Folding laundry, fold. Notice the colors and texture of the fabric.
  • Breathe. Just stop what you are doing, close your eyes, and take in five deep breaths.
  • Gift your attention. With your next conversation, stop thinking. Give your full attention to the person who is speaking to you. Give the gift of deep listening and rapt attention. Hear what they are saying and sense the deeper meaning underneath. Give without judgment and without planning what you’ll say in response. Be curious and maybe ask questions. Most importantly, give the gift of your 100% presence.
  • Channel your thoughts. If your mind is the busy body that multi-tasks, try focusing on just one thought, one idea, one affirmation or encouraging message and repeat it over and over:  I am here now. I am fully invested in making this project a success. I am grateful.

What do you discover with “just this”?
What is the impact of your practice?
What is possible if you expand “just this”?

Posted on

Decisions

“Making a decision is only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.” Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

I read that quote today and it reminded me of my recent decision about space. Actually, it gets me excited! When I think about space in my schedule, I vision ease, flow, presence. Yet I have made this decision before and found myself on the shoreline rather than in the current.

What does it really mean to make a decision?
What commitment does decision require?
What is mine to do once I’ve made the dive?

And perhaps it would be good to ask:

Is this really what I want?

Here’s what I know … and questions to open to more knowing! I know that *decision* is a message to the Universe to show us limitless possibility and invite us to receive its support. I know that the current is strong and mighty. I know that some of what will appear in that current will challenge my decision! I will be required over and over to recommit.

And I know, that if my decision is only half-hearted, then this current, Universal flow, will knock me off my feet and take me out of the game.

What happened to me recently? Well, I made a decision for space in my life and I made another decision to expand my connections with people. Hmm…. Two decisions which conflict in any given moment, yes? The Universe responded to both with limitless possibility. I, however, acted with a HUGE YES to connections and practiced only a half-hearted YES to space. Did I have another choice?

Yes. Both decisions were important to me. And I know that I can’t have connections without space. Balance is VITAL and it comes with practicing “No, not now … later” and scheduling space.

Intentional decisions require intentional follow-through. And intentional decisions require deep intention in the making. Is this really what I want? Am I prepared to follow-through with deep, committed action?

What about you?

What decisions have you made half-heartedly?
Which will you commit to 100%?
What does that look like?
The current is ready – are you? 

 

Posted on

Space

As I write, life has again been full – all self-induced full. And truly, it was all good! However, I arrived at today knowing that I need space, breathing space, unstructured time, ease, day-dreaming time, slow time and time to be aware – simply aware of “this” and “this”.

How did this happen – again?

I have been here before so many times – knowing that my spirit desires time and space, letting be and rest. Lessons I am aware of today include:

  • while I planned space between activities, I forgot to plan follow-up time from those activities which ended up consuming my space
  • I neglected to honor the fact that my spirit desires full-out,energetic presence with others which means that fewer meetings, lunches, connections are what honors both me and my relationships
  • my ego, the human that feels good that you want to be with me needs to be tempered with Thank you … then a spirit-inspired choice that might be “No, not now” or “No, this isn’t for me” or “Absolutely and I’ll make real space for you”

Today I commit to you that I will:

  • pause and breathe
  • block out time in the week ahead for space
  • practice the kind of choosing that includes “No, not now” and “No, this isn’t for me” in addition to “Of Course!”

What about you?

What does your schedule look like?
What would space feel like?
What bold action (or non-action) will honor YOU?

Posted on

I reached a limit …

Well actually, I went beyond it and the impact is physical injury. What is new for me is that the voice of “I did it! I tried! I went beyond fear! I allowed my inner child to play!” is stronger than the voice that says, “See. I told you to be careful.” and the voice that says, “How embarrassing. I should never have tried that in the first place. How will I face my friends?”

What really happened? I went to the trampoline park with two younger friends. While jumping, I heard several voices – my playful inner child, my ego watching what others were doing, my fear of trying the tricks I’ve seen others do, and the adult voice urging me to listen to my body. Needless to say, I didn’t listen enough to that last one and with but five minutes left in our jumping time, my tired body got strained. As I write, I cannot move without pain.

So I sit with the lesson. No, I am not hearing, “Stop risking, playing or trying new things. Stop listening to your inner child.” And to that I say, “HOORAY!!! Big victory!” Rather, there is a balance, or movement toward balance that asks to be honored. Deep listening, to wisdom rather than ego,  and honoring the message received, would have led me to stopping sooner. Had I listened to my body, the source of wisdom for this activity, I would have stopped when I knew my body was done. The result would have been:

I moved through fear.
I played.
I tried something new.
I took a risk.

And:

I am moving freely, injury free, on the morning after.

What about you?

Where is your listening out of balance?
What voices control your choices?
Which deserve more attention?
What would the impact be?

Posted on

Multi-Dimensional Living Part II

Still with me? If you didn’t read the first tidbit on this topic, here you go!

Multi-Dimensional Living

This tidbit seeks to add just one idea.

How could belief in your multi-dimensional awareness impact your relationships?

I am working with this answer:

If I want to live in a way that lets me explore life from infinite perspectives, that has me acting like a child in one moment and receiving messages from spiritual beings the next …

If I want to deepen and expand my spiritual beliefs one day and the next day finds me fighting for time to exercise and clean my house …

Then I need to believe this for you also! You are navigating in a multi-dimensional reality. You and I might be on the same plane … and we might be in worlds far apart where any attempt at connection and communication is challenging at best, impossible at worst.

What is possible from here?

For me, what is possible is that I can easily choose compassion and understanding for you, acceptance and tolerance of our human disconnect, when I imagine us to be fellow travelers in a multi-dimensional Universal existence.

Again I ask, what about you?

What relationships in your life could benefit from multi-dimensional awareness?
What would acceptance, tolerance, compassion and understanding bring?
What idea works for you?