The Transitions and Chapters in the Book of Life

August 2, 2014 by

 

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” ~Anais Nin

Rows Of Butterfly Cocoons

Before beginning my certification to become a professional and personal coach, I attended an intensive workshop called “Life Launch” at the Hudson Institute.   Here I learned about the continual cycle of life chapters and life transitions and how there are joys and challenges in each and the more dynamic your life is, the more cycles you will experience as you renew, reinvent or reintegrate.

Often coaches meet clients when they are feeling stuck, either disenchanted by the chapter they are in or feeling betwixt and between, uncertain what is next. These are signs that it is time for a change and even if you feel stuck, it is actually a dynamic stage.   There is a knowing that comes after cycling through a few, once you have felt the looming texture of what used to fit and no longer does; the idea that going through the motions isn’t enough to sustain the evolving you.

It can be both scary and exhilarating to leave behind the life you know for a new way of working or being in the world. As Goethe says, “The gods come to the aid of those who are bold.” I remember hearing this quote early on in my life and felt strengthened by it, using Goethe’s words as a muse to help me navigate a brave new world, feeling guided in ways I couldn’t explain. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Life Balance, Life Transitions Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Why Gentleness is a Pillar of Self-Mastery

July 15, 2014 by

 

“We fail to realize that mastery is not about perfection. It’s about a process, a journey.” ~George Leonard

The Closed Cafe

I was in a yoga class this week and the teacher suggested that to be able to personally master your life it is important to learn how to be more gentle with yourself.  That resonated with me, as a self-described achiever.  I equate drive and grit with productivity and high performance.  But there is a pendulum that swings and being too far in one direction or another can create imbalance.

So how does it look for you, as you consider gentleness and choices you make in your everyday life?   Where do you fall on that pendulum?  Do you know people who seem to have the natural ability to know when to push and when to back off?   Are you one of those people?  If not, how do you learn to discern and find this balance and trust?  This, to me, is at the heart of personal mastery as we learn and unlearn what got us to where we are now, knowing instinctively that some of our ways are no longer useful and need to be shed to make room for new (sometimes more gentle and less aggressive) choices that are a better fit. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Self-Care Tagged With: , , , , ,

Embracing the Fallow Times

June 23, 2014 by

 

“This capacity to linger in the unknown and see what happens is the passage to your creative self.” Gail McMeekin, 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women.

Rural

When I am at my most intently aware, I look to nature to find examples that correlate with the human condition to help me to better understand it. The word “fallow” bubbled up for me the last time I was in a life transition. I thought about why this word felt meaningful and tried to understand its message.

Thinking of fallow, words like “empty”, “unproductive” and “vacant” come up. During times of transition when you are stuck somewhere between two somethings, it can feel very muddled and unclear. And, if you are like most, the desire to return to a sense of normalcy is high, where goals seem clear and you are once again aligned with purpose and direction. What I have come to understand about feeling fallow is that it is not what it appears. Often when I have felt this vague sense of unknowing, I later realize that much is going on under the surface. I equate it to sowing seeds (conceiving ideas), that are germinated and waiting to see which ones take root. It takes trust to patiently wait until something grows to the surface, becoming visible and real. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Life Transitions Tagged With: , , , ,