Awakening Along the Way ...

Hi fabulous friends ...

I really do admire a good awakening (otherwise known as an “Ah Ha” moment). It’s like someone turned the light on in a dark room and we get to see and feel new things, new ideas. And if it’s a big awakening, we might feel immobilized for a while – like we’re in a state of shock. The thought we’re now awake to feels so true and yet so profoundly life altering and new that we might feel like we’re in a daze, a state of awe. Each awakening is perfectly designed to move us along on our own unique life path of learning and growing up. And I don’t know about you, but I sure feel like I’m continually growing up, and growing in to my best life.

For example, I’m re-discovering that one very good way to pump up the action on awakenings (in other words, increase the number and/or magnitude of them) is to take a big leap of faith. Take a risk, seize the opportunity to do something that makes you feel nervous. Stretch yourself. Get out of your comfort zone for a change.

Naturally this leave from college teaching has presented plenty of stretching for me. Oh yes. Lots of comfort and joy, and yet lots of challenging and life altering awakenings in the few short months of this journey thus far ... one of which means the world to me. I want to share it with you here.

During the past year, my mom has been experiencing some pretty significant health challenges, and they’ve become gradually more pressing ironically since I’ve taken this leave. I’ve chosen to really be there for her – to do research, to go with her to appointments, to spend a little more time than usual with her just to socialize. She and I are very close and my decision to do this just felt natural.

However, about a month ago I noticed that I was starting to resent all the time this was taking. It felt like, once again, I was pushing my business projects and passions to the side. They would get what was left of me after mom and my clients got the best of me. And just when I started to really get into the “why me” question, the Universe popped the answer into my head. It occurred to me, in that one beautiful moment, that the statement was not “why me” but “lucky me”. Lucky me to have this timing so perfectly aligned – to have more free time to be there for her this year. I can’t imagine the stress I would have felt trying to work at the college, maintain my business AND be there for mom! What was starting to feel like an unwanted diversion and weight turned into a jewel of an opportunity in the blink of an eye. Just one key shift in perception and I felt greatly relieved, and oh so grateful. How blessed I am to have these moments to get to know her better than ever – to spend precious time with her, to learn and love. Priceless.

And you know, that awakening would have been enough for me for a long time, but I was to be given one more biggy, just seconds after that one. The Universe said “Hey Lee ... another thing. You’ve really got to commit to your own optimal health like never before if you want to thrive this year like never before. Yes, you have a lot to balance and if you truly want to balance well, serve well, shine well and enjoy the ride, you must sock in extra time to YOU”.

Wow. I thought, really? Yes. The answer is yes Lee, really. This was one of those “I know it in my bones” awakenings. No questions. No fudging. My burning desire to be the best I can be would, once again, catapult me forward to new and valuable levels of self-care, energy and opportunity. As a mentor and friend once said, “This life we have is very dear and not come by easily. We must cherish each day as if it were our last and do what we can to keep our health shored up that we may fulfill our destiny and purpose properly.” (C.S.)

Well said! What we put in to ourselves is all that we can put out. No more, no less. So, I committed in that moment to what I call “The Art of Extreme Self-Care”. I set some healthy boundaries, called in help where I could and boosted the three additional self-care areas I knew I’d let get slack. One, my food. My body knows what it wants and doesn’t want and I am now listening like never before. That’s big – eating, shopping and cooking in new ways. Big. Two, exercise. I doubled what I was doing. Three, FUN. The leisurologist had put fun at the bottom of her list again and was/am in need of serious injections (I’ve always been one of those “you teach what you most need to learn” folks). The good thing is that once I made the decision to seize the fun, it’s been pretty easy to find ideas and partners for the ride.

So that’s it. Yes indeed. What a ride life is, right? What precious opportunities we all get. We get off balance, we wake up, and we get to choose “what’s next?” It’s a dynamic thing and that sure makes it interesting, doesn’t it?

What I thought was solely a grand opportunity to dig into my business projects and passions has turned into that and so much more. Even more important are the extra moments with mom and shoring up my health. After all, what is anything I create in my business other than a reflection of what I have to offer in that moment? It’s all connected and it’s all good. Do you know what I mean?

Life is good, all is well.
Love and light,
Lee

PS: This doesn’t mean that the thought “I don’t have enough time for my business projects” doesn’t pop up here and there. It does. But I’ve learned to breath, remind myself of the truth, notice my return to health, and smile.