As one door closes, another door opens – revelling in the unknow
I was in conversation with my own coach the other day, the rather wonderful Ann Ross, and she invited me to reflect upon the last 12 months in terms of what I have achieved and what I have been through. What Ann reminded me was that we rarely spend time celebrating where we are and where we’ve come from, taking even the briefest moment to reflect.
Instead, we find ourselves bouncing from one achievement to the next, one project to another, with yet another new ‘thing’ for us to work one, whether it is at work, a business venture, a new hobby, our relationships or our health, wellbeing and fitness. And from a mind that is always busying away, there will always be something more to be done in the quest for further improvement, achievement or reward. The problem with this is that we can end up on a psychological treadmill, where we forget that at any moment we can press the ‘STOP’ button.
We forget that our entire experience of ‘busying’ is being 100% created within our own minds. And whether you see this as busy in the outside world, running around getting stuff done, or busy engaging with your inner dialogue, dealing with the constant chatter, in essence, the creative power from which busyness comes forth is the same and only works one way: if you’re thinking busy, you’ll be feeling busy.
And so, in giving myself permission to take a ‘time out’, I had a wonderful exploration with my coach Ann about my experience of life over the last 12 months – the ups, the downs, the twists and turns and the wonderful surprises. What emerged for me was a deep sense of gratitude, and a bit of a mental self-hug. And from quietening down, I experienced that deep sense of peace that I have increasingly noticed is always present within (our) mind. That’s why my favourite phrase of the year has been ‘presence of mind’ – in that when I am feeling connected, at peace and in an open state, I am in the presence of something far greater than my own intellect, and ‘I’ don’t need to do anything to:
Feel better
Solve a problem
Deal with a difficult situation
See a situation differently
Sort out my mental ‘to do’ list
Work out what direction to go next in life
Take a moment to reflect on the list above and preceding statement. In what way does it ring true for you? If it does resonate, what could the implications be for you? If it in some way jars or does not resonate, what questions does it provoke for you?
With this all in mind, I have given myself permission to have a 6-week period to take stock, slow up and be curious about what emerges. That does not mean going to ground or not doing anything – I have long term projects and clients I will be engaged with in January – but it does mean not working on anything specific, not actively working on creating new clients, content or programmes. Of course I may do some creating, but I have zero obligation or commitment to doing so.
Taking stock, I am blessed to be in new relationship with a wonderful person, I have a great new personal trainer who has refocused me and I’m looking forward to starting 2018 with 45 days of sobriety (one day for each year of my life).
So, beyond living life and seeing each day as a new opportunity, my partial sabbatical is about letting go of the old, being present, and opening up to something new. This, for me, is how we evolve psychologically and spiritually.
And if I was to be specific, and to set intentions:
To be more present to my experience
To be in my body, aware of my posture and how I am breathing
To gently notice what is passing through my mind, a witness to the passing clouds
To notice when I am getting sucked into the detail of my mind and to take the opportunity to ‘zoom out’ or simply forget what I am thinking about
To really listen to the people I’m with personally and professionally
To really soak in what is in my environment and surroundings, noticing what I might not normally notice
To try something new every day, and to run with it, with no judgement or expectation
I remember a conversation years ago with a fellow coach about seeing life as one big ‘thought experiment’. I still like the idea and for the next 6 weeks I’ll be mindful that the unfolding of life is far more interesting when we are present to it.
Revelling in the unknown…
I am excited about what 2018 will bring and the infinite possibilities that exist. Thank you taking the time to read this. My invitation to you is to take a mental time out over the festive period, to take a moment to reflect. And from this quiet space perhaps something new is there, waiting to be welcomed in.
And if you would like one statement to reflect upon that in my opinion captures the very essence of the work I do, write it down, pin it up and take it inside:
“All we are is peace love and wisdom and the power to create the illusion that we’re not.”
Jack Pransky
Thank you Jack. And so, until 2018, go well.
Laurence