This comes to you infused with appreciation for all you bring, carry and influence in this circle and beyond. It may feel unseen or even misunderstood at times; but every act of love no matter how small deeply matters to the web of Life we are each part of. Thank you for choosing to keep showing up!
Our topic to contemplate for this Saturday’s discussion group is Navigating New Waters. In light of the reality that “everything is connected” each of us are undoubtedly feeling some variation of change and the elements that change influences in our awareness and our physical world. It may be in the area of health, career, relationship, economic, spiritual, or all of the above. Whatever the case, know that you are not alone in this experience! These are new energetic waters on planet Earth and we are navigating them together. Let’s lean into that experience and explore.
It can be a surreal experience to be aware of deep change, loss, even injustice – and yet at the same time; go about our day “business as usual”. We each, at varying degrees; know the feeling of being aware of significant details in our lives that do not get disclosed to others due perhaps to lack of healthy opportunity or the inappropriateness of that disclosure or maybe due to our lack of clarity about how to disclose it. It sometimes is disorienting for me to tend to the details of running a retail store filled with beautiful gifts and books for sale; when my heart is heavy with concern related to loss of life and liberty in our greater community. I feel like I am straddling the chasm of what I “know and feel” to be true and what is socially acceptable to speak about or act on. There are so many layers to this awareness. Sometimes there can be a feeling of being an “imposter” that washes over me.
Let’s debunk the imposter aspect of this, now. Generally speaking, an imposter is someone pretending to be something they are not. Sometimes, this may be accompanied by the intent of selfish gain. In a situation of awkwardness or being sensitive to others, this surely is not the case. There is value in recognizing the balance of our “rights” and “responsibilities” in a relationship. Everyone in our sphere of influence is not obligated to know our every thought and feeling or to offer us approval for them. Likewise, we are not obligated to disclose every thought and feeling to those we are in a relationship with! We have certain agreements in relationships that help define the purpose and function of that relationship. So for me at work, it is not that I am pretending to not have concerns outside of work, it’s that my agreed role at work does not include full disclosure of my personal life. I see these like walls or partitions that support the functional space of the agreed role in order to create focus and organization. Feeling the uncertainty of whether I am an imposter or not, may have more to do with an old pattern of looking outside myself for approval or rejection. It may be a sign to let me know I have a need to sift and sort though my own Self, and get clear on my intentions, values, and what I stand for in this life. When we maintain our integrity of intention, we benefit from the clarity and calm that it accompanies.
“To thine own self be true.” Act1, scene 3 of Shakespeare’s Hamlet
I guess the question is; when we think of “our own self”, is it limited to what we have known and experienced in the past? Or does it include aspects unknown to us yet? Are we open to the future not equaling the past? Do we believe something is “wrong” if it’s different from what we are used to? If so, how can we choose growth into our highest potential or the work we came here to do?
Despite habits or patterns I have that keep me feeling safe with the familiar, I choose to say yes to my higher self and that paradigm. Could there be a benefit in upgrading our “self-care” practices to help us better align with this option? Consider adding one or more of the following to your list of “Self Care” practices:
* ways to decompress when feeling close to overwhelm
* energy clearing practices that are flexible to accommodate time and location
* meditation practices that are flexible to accommodate time and location
* physical movement to balance body and mind (and energy body)
* grief clearing practices; how to recognize grief and move it responsibly
* belief system “boundaries”; what thoughts and beliefs are we willing to and NOT to host/entertain
* your choice of methods for “mid-course corrections” or reset techniques for yourself (have them written down before you need them)
* your choice of how to “reset” at will (have them written down before you need them)
I invite each of us to review the list above. You are welcome to harvest any or all that resonate as useful for your needs.