When you connect to You, you learn things you never knew.
You uncover secrets and treasures buried deep inside
and you are asked to let go of being willing to let them hide.
You step forth into the light so that you can be new
and become the someone that you’ve always known is true.
Our last blog on connection had you playing with the idea that there are many ways to connect to yourself and we asked you to try on a few. If you missed it or want a refresher, here’s the link to check it out. https://movestrongmethod.com/2019/05/02/can-i-get-a-connection/
What I introduced last time by asking you to play with “how to” connect is what most people call an awareness practice. Awareness is a big word, used in many ways, and at its root awareness simply means; the ability to know. Awareness comes from connecting to something combined with reflection on what happens while we connect. Connection + reflection = new information aka. awareness.
Last week we talked about connection inward and this week we’re taking that concept one step deeper.
So What?
One of the best side effects of any awareness practice is that it invites you to be honest with yourself. Consequently, if there’s things in this life that you avoid dealing with for now or don’t want to be aware of yet, this simple fact can keep you from gaining awareness.
I invite you today to be ok with this truth. With the truth that building awareness may take you out of your comfort zone. It many stretch you and put new information at the forefront for you to address. Even though this is true, it’s not the whole truth. The whole truth is that what we resist persists and resisting takes as much energy (or more!) as inviting knowing and expanding your awareness.
Everything comes into the light eventually. Whether we like it or not, the body really isn’t good at keeping secrets and eventually it will implore you to face what you need to in order to grow.
Because you weren’t put on this earth to stay the same. You weren’t born into this world to settle. And most importantly you aren’t reading this blog because you have nothing else to do. You have SO many things to do and you’re reading this blog right now because this is the message you are meant to receive in this moment.
Now What?
This is the part where connection = growth. We often think of growth as an external experience. Humans reach for growth. We tend to drive ourselves forward with external rewards. Aka. If I do this, then I’ll have that, and when have that, I will be happy. This makes growth dependent upon something outside of us and sometimes outside of our control. It requires a standard or expectation outside of ourselves to be met for growth to be allowed.
For clarity, I always like to connect to the way other things grow and see what I notice. For example, is this what growth looks like in nature?
Sure, to a certain degree, it’s the plant reaching towards the light that makes it grow. Without that drive to find the sun and maximize its light exposure, a plant might not become all that it’s meant to be. However, there is an innate process at work that motivates the plant to reach. It involves energy systems, nutrients and a hole host of internal processes for a plant to be able to use the sun’s energy to its benefit.
Let’s imagine we are the plant! Our objective is to reach the light and we reach as high as we can, in the directions and at the times that the light seems most abundant.
Now imagine 2 scenarios:
1) Be a plant that doesn’t know the connection between the light and the inner processes that light facilitates. You see everyone else reaching for the sun, so you reach too. You use your resources to reach, thinking the higher you get, the better off you’ll be. What happens when you focus on the act of reaching without attention to what makes you able to reach?
Think you might get tired, run out of gas or maybe even push so high that your roots aren’t grounded as much as they could be?
Take a big breath or a few small ones and begin again.
2) Now be the plant that knows HOW to reach. Know that you have a wealth of fuel full of potential and the light is what unlocks everything you need. While the fuel helps you get to the light, the light helps you generate more fuel. There is a natural desire to balance reaching up with staying connected within. What happens when you reach up knowing what’s at the heart of your ability to reach?
What do you see between the action and the outcome in #2? Can they dance together in support of each other?
You can choose either of these scenarios and the multitude in between them. My point is, the way you choose to connect, changes both the experience and the outcomes of your efforts.
Let’s Get Cooking!
This week notice when your actions are driven by something within and feel more like scenario #2 versus when your actions are motivated by something you are without and reaching is external like scenario #1. You are NOT judging if one is better than the other. You are simply noticing which you default to most often and if you want, noticing how you feel or what happens as a result of doing this practice in general.
For many of my clients they want more work than just noticing. Noticing is the first step of reflecting on your connection. Trust me; seeing how often, how many times and how much you fall into #1 vs. #2 is plenty to keep track of while you move through what I’m sure is your already busy life.
Good Luck and as always sending you all the love and support that you need on this day and the reminder that you are never alone.
With Love,
Coach Jen
