Archive for October, 2008
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
“The Sky Is Falling”
Posted by: | CommentsRecently, I was talking with a few folks about the current fiasco that is playing out on Wall Street and the proposed Bail Out package. People are worried about the economy crashing and another depression occurring. This situation is provoking a lot of fear and anxiety.
This all reminds me of the story of Chicken Little. Something disruptive occurs and people panic and begin frantically enrolling other people up into their fearful story. Suddenly you have a bunch of people running around thinking “the Sky is falling” without really exploring what is going on. This leads to rash actions and choices made from a place of fear and desperation. It also leads to a place where one is easily manipulated. In this place, there is not much room for productive solutions to the problems at hand. People over react and make poor choices.
So what do you do when it looks like the “Sky is falling” and people are getting nervous all around you? How do you keep yourself out of the fearful swirl and open to all the possible solutions?
I will share with you what I do:
The first step is to take some deep breaths and do your best to become present with what is happening for you right now in the present moment. Staying present is key because most of the fear that is building is because of speculation around what might happen in the future. When you are present in the moment you can deal with everything that is right in front of you. Things only become problems when you do not deal with an issue right when it arises.
The next step: Take a news media break. Don’t watch the news, or read the paper, or look at it online. The hype feeds the fear. In my opinion the news is like Chicken Little reacting to an event and running around getting everyone all stirred up before they know what is going on. If you must have some news, make sure it is a unbiased source and then only look at it once a day.
Spend some time noticing the abundance that is in your life right now. Practice feeling it!
Spend some time focusing on what is working in your life. Amplify that energy by focusing your attention and your thoughts on it and really basking in the good feelings.
Spend some time imagining the economy booming and everyone having everything they need to live a peaceful, happy life.
Embrace the fact that things change and it the Universe is conspiring to give us exactly what need and want.
Picture this as being a time for some well needed change to occur. Open to the possibility that this is exactly what we need in order for the shifts we desire to occur.
Get creative and begin think out side the box for innovative solutions! Focus on what you want rather than what you do not want.
Become comfortable not knowing the outcome! Trust that you can handle anything that comes your way!
Focus your energy on the future you want.
Do the things that you enjoy.
