Dear Friends,
Some of you may have noticed that I took a sabbatical from writing this newsletter. (Others of you are saying, "Huh? She did?") I did so because I was betwixt and between. My life was evolving a little faster than my ability to assimilate it. I found it hard to communicate from this nether zone. I was (am) not yet who I am to become—yet certainly not who I was.
Can you relate?
When we stay comfy-cozy in the "noun" of who we are, we are very clear about what story to tell. We are glib about our goals and aspirations. We can rate our accomplishments. We understand how our relationships fit into the scheme of it all.
But when we are in the "verb" of evolving, it's not so clear. We feel the itch of new beginnings and the tug of past roles and desires. In my own case, I felt myself moving from author/clinician to speaker/trainer. "But what happens to my clients?! How can I continue my research? I don't know how to speak to huge audiences! What if. . .? What about. . .? How can. . .? Can it possibly. . .?"
Do you remember that old Indiana Jones movie where our hero had to trust and step onto an invisible surface over a bottomless chasm? He intuitively knew that the invisible surface would support him. But all of his other senses screamed for survival. "Stay back!" they hollered. "You don't know what will happen if you take that next step!"
Whether that next step for you is a life or death moment or merely a stretch in your comfort zone, how to cope? I offer you the process I am using during my own "not-terrifying-but-certainly-unnerving" evolution:
1. Acknowledge the unknowing—the feelings of fear, panic, disorientation, uncertainty
2. Focus on your heart center. Shift your focus to your heart center. Place your hand over this area of your body to facilitate your ability to fully attend to your heart center. As you do this, you are connecting with yourself and centering yourself in the moment.
3. Breathe with your heart. Imagine that, as you inhale and exhale, your breath is going in and out through your heart center.
4. Activate a positive feeling. Recall a positive experience that stimulates a feeling of caring, appreciation, joy, or gratitude, and breathe with attention to this feeling.
5. Listen – and trust the message. When you attune to your heart center, your broader wisdom comes to the fore. Trust it. Relax in it. Allow it to guide you.
(Some of you may recognize a few of these steps; one of the things I have done on my sabbatical is to spend some time in
Wishing you focus, fitness, & flexibility in body and mind,
Adrianne Ahern, Ph.D.
P.S. If you find value in this newsletter and wish to share it with others, please do so! I only request that you forward it in its entirety.
P.P.S. For further tools, information, and upcoming appearances, please visit my "evolving" website! www.SnapOutofitNow.com