Month: July 2021 (Page 2 of 4)

Do you have to know where you are before you know where you’re going? Maybe. Sounds logical. But, in life it can be a challenge knowing exactly where you are. This is why I believe having a great support group of friends and family in your immediate circle is vital. People who have your best interests in mind.

This close knit group can help you gauge where you are – but more importantly support you as you move forward in the direction you intend to go. Sometimes knowing the where you are headed can be more crucial than exactly where you are in the moment. Because life is fluid. Because you are always evolving, you will soon pass through the current phase onto bigger and better things. Where is that?

A crude metaphor: When exercising on a run or swimming laps or whatever it may be, we may get lost in the miles. How far have I gone? How many more laps? What seems to me to be more important is the fact that you are out there doing it. Putting in the work. You will get back to your finish line all in due time. Just keep running. Continue swimming. Push through.

It reminds me of a story about a kid who was around 16-17 years old. I believe he had down syndrome and he was going to run a race with his family. There were two races that started at the same time: one was a 5k (3 miles) and the other was a marathon. Somehow he got split up with his family and onto the wrong course -running in the marathon. He ended up running the entire race without any prior training and crossed the finish line. After he got reunited with his family, they asked him why didn’t you stop? His response was, “I knew if I just kept running, I would eventually end up at the finish line.”

We all know how the only constant in life is change – which is true, however I’m also as much – or more interested in my immutable evolvement within that change.

When we accept our fate of transformation, we are facile and more nimble. We are welcoming into our lives possibility. Limitless possibilities. Becoming comfortable with the unknown can certainly be a challenge for us, however, living in the mystery of what could be energizes and excites me.

One of the ways to get there is by letting go of your expectations and getting comfortable in the unknown. This can be a challenge – even for the best of us – to remain calm without panicking as we take that leap of faith into the darkness. However, I’m convinced this can bring great changes into your world.

Let’s all get comfortable being in the dark.

There was a study done some time ago that asked Americans what their favorite day of the week was. The majority of people responded that Friday was their choice even though most people work that day. The conclusion of the study was that American’s (in comparison to Japanese people who chose Sunday) look forward to events in the future rather than remaining in the moment and choosing a day where you don’t have to get up and go to the office.

It tells you much about how our minds work and what we focus on. I can most certainly get myself into a lather just thinking about what the afternoon, next day or even next week may bring. Why do I go there? Why must we always place our focus on an event that hasn’t even happened?

I’m more interested in remaining here. Now. Physically and Mentally. It’s not always easy to do in today’s hectic world, but it’s worth putting in the effort for me.

Where are you right now? Look around. Breathe. Slow down. Listen. Take inventory of how you feel. Resist the urge to ask yourself, “What’s next?” This moment isn’t so bad, is it?

For whatever reason, I use a lot of metaphors in order to help articulate my points. And here we go again: There isn’t a way (I have seen) to keep your garden clean of weeds by sitting in the house and wishing them away. You must get outside pull the weeds and cultivate the soil yourself. Just as there is no shortcut to spiritual, mental, physical and emotion health.

In order to bear the fruits of our bounty we must tend to ourselves on a daily basis. Sweeping it under the rug for another day is a recipe for a whole lot of dysfunction and therapy.

Forming habits to deal with your “intruders” immediately serve you in the short and long term.

Forming good habits takes time and focus. It can be less than exciting and certainly isn’t the rush of social media and drama, but it’s a tool to take you to where you intend to go if you have your health and wits about you.

When we take on a daily task – which I consider a small picture item – let’s make sure it ties into what our intentions are for the big picture.

Often times we can get caught up in putting out fires in the moment and lose focus of our grand plans. I’ve found planning ahead seems to alleviate much of this wasted time. Don’t get me wrong, we must attend to problems that come up and need our immediate attention, but don’t let them get you off track of where you’re heading after the flames are out.

Sometimes it can be a challenge to keep your attention fixed on your intentions. Especially over a long period of time. But keep at it. Write them down as this may help solidify your goal.

You can always go back and re-visit them, adjust them and be reminded of why it’s important to you as well as assessing your progress.