from the archives
There’s something I’ve been practicing for awhile now. Its origins in my life are kind of two-fold. One part is an impetuous insistence that I can indeed both have my cake & eat it too.. (What a nonsensical supposed dichotomy, that one! I just never understood why those are posed as mutually exclusive..) One part is an easy resignation that things just don’t work for me in the way things seem to work for other people; meaning to my mind that things for me must just work another way, and i’d learn how eventually; or, at least i’d learn how to navigate.
So here’s my best guess. This is the working theory. It’s adjacent to various spiritual & spiritual materialistic philosophies i’ve explored to different degrees. But i think this belongs to none of those, because it’s one of the few things in my life that i’m actually just practicing because it’s working for me; no complicated theory necessary. I’m just riding this wave like a tightrope with simultaneously very high stakes and a very reliable cushion. We’ll call it faith. 🙂
For those of you who have asked for this, please take it with a grain of salt, adjust it as you see fit, and make it your own. And if you want to make a cake that you will get to both eat & have (& share!)… I will recommend the winning combination of avocado & cacao. <3
An email from almost two weeks ago has prompted me into reflection… asking about the process i’ve used in the past for visioning into my next job or work situation… and i’m recognizing that the same visioning approach could be applied to whatever might be coming along in our lives, not just jobs. So what is it really, this mysterious process?
I think it’s about articulating what you already know
… about your next step… whatever it may be…
… A way of honoring the knowingness, and inherent in that honoring, showing to your mind what the heart has already been preparing to leap into!..
The current process:
- Relax in whatever way works for you — maybe walking, swimming, meditating, stretching & rolling your body, yoga asana…
- Sit quietly & call to mind what you are grateful for (probably not things; maybe circumstances, or people..)
- Once you feel soaked in well-being, ask yourself, “What do I know about my next step? There are many things you won’t know yet; don’t worry about these. You know some of it. What are those aspects? … Maybe they are feelings of openness & flexibility, or almost intangibles, like you see a sunny office & sense a cool ocean breeze. Maybe you know you’ll be working with colleagues in a super collaborative way, and communication is mature & professional yet humanly warm… Maybe you know what impact your work will have. Maybe you know what your commute will feel like (biking? walking? train?), what kind of work hours you’ll keep, how & when you’ll eat lunch, and with whom.
Whatever it is you know, invite it into your conscious awareness. Note it down (use paper!), being mindful not to let the noting down distract from your flow. Just capture enough for each aspect that you’ll remember the feeling later & can detail it out then. Think bullet points. - Once you think you’ve gotten to everything, ask the question again. Do this a few times. Be kind & gentle, yet persistent enough to show yourself that you’re serious about articulating this vision.
- When you really feel done for now, draw a line at the end of your list so far. Celebrate! Draw hearts or flowers or do a little cheer. Go outside & walk around, cuz you deserve it after this focused exertion.
- Put your list aside for awhile, then when the inspiration comes & you feel fresh (maybe that afternoon, or the next day, or the next week), then come back to the list & add any relevant details, if needed. You’ll remember what you meant, because the knowingness is still inside of you.
- Notice if there’s anything new you can add & do so. Maybe there will be a lot!
- Revisit the list every morning & every evening before bed. Incorporate images if that’s helpful to you, or anything else that might inspire & support this vision.
- Affirm that the knowingness you are becoming aware of is beyond you, so there’s no need to get attached to any particular manifestation of it. Know what you know & be open to life bringing you & that known set of circumstances together in perfect timing.
Future topics:
While typing this out I’m also seeing that a follow up will be about compromise… and what happens when we compromise on that knowingness and settle for something different… It’s not good nor bad; i’ve just noticed some patterns around this & will explore more in further writing.
Also while typing, a new word came out, and i like it enough to mark it also for future explorations… Outself.
So have fun with your knowingness!
Let me know how it goes!
Posted on March 7, 2016