One Change At A Time

                                    EMBRACING YOUR INNER SNAIL
        LOVING "HERE" AND MOVING FORWARD ONE STEP AT A TIME

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." - Lao Tzu

I love this photo.  Doesn't it capture those moments where you feel like the path to self realization is sooooooo long and you'll never get "there"?  So many people are dying to get "there".  They ask me: "how'd you get there?", what do I need to do to get there?", etc.

Where is "there"?  There is where we wish we were; a fantasy we create of how life will be better later, once we're thinner, stronger, wiser, clearer, more grounded, more aware, more in touch, more easy going.  There is where we'll be once we've healed, we've learned, we've integrated and become.  Most of us want to get "there" so badly that we fall into over-doing mode, trying to do everything we can to get us closer to "there".  We spin our wheels doing everything we can to improve our current situation only to later hit burn out or worse, get bored.  Our efforts self combust and that's when we back pedal and end up self-sabotaging ourselves and our dreams.  

I admit to falling victim to the get-there-quickly mentality from time to time.  For example, as I dedicate time towards planning my upcoming wedding, other areas of my life, such as my business, naturally receive less of my focus.  While this is a conscious choice on my part, my Saboteur can't help but speak up occasionally, feeding me the propaganda that I'm loosing valuable business opportunities by dedicating one day a week to the wedding.  Along those same lines, I remember when I was in the midst of my physical healing process.  I was so nervous that I was wasting precious time by resting and recuperating instead of going on dates and trying to find my husband.  Ironically, it was my process of healing (physical on one level but ultimately emotional, mental and spiritual healing) that lead me to my fiancé.  Similarly, the fact that I am consciously taking time away from work to design my wedding and this wonderfully sacred right of passage is actually igniting my creative juices and feeding my entrepreneurial spirit.  We have time for it all.  And actually, right now in this very moment, you're happen to be on your way "there".  

WHAT IF "HERE" WAS AS GOOD AS "THERE"?
So what if here was as good as there?  What is slow was better than fast?  What if the lessons, gifts and opportunities for growth existed by being instead of doing?  What if now brought us to later?

When we can accept where we are in this very moment then it actually creates the growth we desire.  Appreciate your current life, learn from it, relish in the gifts that exist here for you.  These challenges are the opportunities that have shown up for you because you're ready for them.  The very act of embracing "here" will ironically open you up to the next step and inherently move you forward.  Who would have thought?!  The very thing we're fighting is the very thing we need to embrace.  The opportunity for healing and evolving only exist right now.  That's because this is where you are whether you like it or not.  It's time to acknowledge where you are in this moment.  It's time to name your experience, name your current emotion and let it be so you can grow past it.  

I'm not promoting settling.  I'm not saying take no action nor am I saying to wallow in where you are now without dreaming of where you wish to be.  I am a HUGE believer of taking big, bold leaps in life so as to reap the big rewards.  Without those risks and decisions we simply do not move forward effectively.  See my article on Dreaming BIG for more on that.  Rather, what I am pointing to is that often we're in such a hurry to get "there" that we miss the opportunity for evolution that is here now, right in front of us.  When we seize that opportunity, then the growth actually happens.  It can be small growth in the form of one step or it can inspire you to leap further than you ever have before. 

TIPS TO EMBRACE YOUR INNER SNAIL
The inner snail-ness that I'm referring to touches on two ways of being.  The first is getting present to what's here now.  The second is about appreciating the next tiny step you can take instead of needing to win the whole race.  This is important because most often, when we're itching to get "there" it means we're in a process of learning and that we're new at something.  Imagine that you were learning to play baseball.  Your first step in mastering the sport might be to simply get comfortable holding the bat.  Then you'd practice swinging over and over before moving onto throwing and catching.  You wouldn't expect to go out and win the World Series upon your first attempt at playing the game.  Keep this in mind and your inner snail will gracefully and easily guide you through your process of growth.  

Questions to ask to help you become present to this moment:
1.  What am I noticing about myself right now?
2.  What do I need in this moment?
3.  How can I lovingly honor my feelings and needs in this moment?
4.  Where am I rushing to?

Questions to ask to identify your next step:
1.  What do I know about this in my gut?
2.  What do I need to practice so that I can be more of the person I want to be?
3.  What is one way to BE today that aligns with my higher purpose and path?
4.  What one step can I take that will inch me closer to _________?  (i.e. to being vulnerable, authentic, brave, truthful, embodied, etc. - This is the goal you have of how to be or how you want your life to be.  You could also say closer to being in a loving, committed relationship, etc.).

The next step is going out to "swing the bat" if you will.  Simply practice that little step.  You may hate it and long to be the World Series pitcher, but for now you simply need to practice swinging the bat.  See what it opens up for you.  You never know!

DISCLAIMER
Get ready because your ego and Saboteurs will not like this new way of being.  They reside in a place of limited beliefs and they like quick results, quick fixes and impulsivity.  They'll feed you all kinds of stories and illusions about why slowing down is dangerous.  That's because they're threatened when we do slow down to pause and tune into our deeper inner wisdom that empowers us to make the right choices.  Instead of resisting it, acknowledge your Saboteur as well.  By doing so, it will actually shrink in size and will gently move out of the way.  

DIVINE TIMING
An old coach of mine used to tell me to enjoy my "cozy slippers" phase;  i.e. that period of many months in which I was inwardly focused, in which life wasn't glamorous and I rested my body and quietly fed my soul.  Oh how I frowned at those damn cozy slippers.  Thank goodness for them though because they quieted me down long enough to hear my dreams whisper to me; long enough so I could sense what it would feel to be grounded in love, inspired by my authentic career and empowered by being my truest self.  Ironically, those cozy slippers lead me to my current "here" and oh how grateful I am for that.  

Everything works in divine timing.  In between your obvious, deliciously bold leaps on the path, I invite you to slow down, take a deep breath and allow yourself to grow from where you are right now.  

Happy being!

Shine On,
Rony

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