Connect with Your God
Do you at times, feel fearful, depressed, angry, insecure or
immobilized with life work challenges? Firstly, realize you are
not alone. This bubbling brew of emotions is called being human.
Ever-growing numbers of people are being forced into career
change, long for a career change or are facing a myriad of life
challenges ? all exacerbated by our fast-paced world.
However, our journey is about more than work transitions or what
our surface problems appear to be. We are being called upon to
find ?The Way? to navigate through life?s ever-shifting
experiences with more peace, compassion and acceptance. The best
career decisions or goals achieved cannot buy us happiness.
Simple practice, like returning to the calm place within
ourselves, helps us find more peace in life ? despite the
ever-changing fortunes of time. Herein, we grow our beings and
our connection to our God.
Learn to be O.K. with Your Life Now
The place to begin is right where we are. Rather than trying to
avoid, or be rid of difficult, painful feelings, we begin
working with what is ? in this very moment. We begin by letting
wherever we feel be O.K; and hence, begin cultivating acceptance
and compassion for our precious selves. We begin with small,
gentle goals we can meet, that work on all aspects of our life.
Below are some simple practices you can weave into your daily
life ? however busy ? offering lasting positive change. Commit
to this practice for at least three months and notice the subtle
changes that occur as you return, again and again, to yourself
and to your God.
These are so important for our mental, physical, emotional and
spiritual well-being, as well as key to positive change. Begin
with what you can, but begin? Print?. Ponder?. Practice?.
Five Practices for Positive Change
1. Practice Transformative Ten Breath Countdowns. As
frequently as you can, practice breathing in and out, counting
down from ten - on each successive out breath - to one. By
practicing this countdown throughout each day it becomes a
powerful tool for re-grounding ourselves when strong emotions
arise, helping us to prevent over-reacting to circumstances.
2. Meditate Twice Daily. Do not get hung up on this word
or be discouraged by the grocery list, new shoes for the kids,
your work/marriage problems, or whatever incessantly pops up as
you begin sitting with yourself. It is O.K.. Simply, gently,
acknowledge your feelings and let the thoughts go. We are simply
sitting with ourselves ? just as we are. Focus lightly on your
breath coming in and going out. ?Letting go now. Relaxing now.
Trusting now.? Also, try laying flat on your back on the floor,
quietly letting thoughts go, coming back to your breathing for
at least five or ten, or more minutes twice a day. We are
aligning our body, mind and spirit.
3. Observe Your Thoughts. Sitting with ourselves quietly
helps us become aware of what is going on in our mind. Practice
this awareness as much as you can throughout the day. When
feeling distressed, depressed, upset? take note of your
thoughts. A mind where thoughts are allowed to run wild is
likely not a safe place to be alone in! Most of us have a pit
full of negativity and criticism that can make a hell of heaven
if we allow these thoughts to run unobserved. We need to feel
our feelings but let the story-line we tell ourselves go. Simply
come back to your breathing, to your ten breath countdown, to
your God. Be gentle and accepting of yourself, your situation
and feelings ? no matter what!!
4. Exercise Regularly. This means at least a good twenty
minute walk, three times a week. You can build up the pace,
length and number of times per week as you continue. This is not
a fitness march. By walking mindfully ? stopping and smelling
the roses ? we exercise our body, mind and soul.
5. Practice Being O.K. with Uncertainty and Not Knowing.
Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, puts it best saying, "I beg you to
have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try
to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or
books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the
answers, which could not be given you now, because you would not
be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live
the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you
will gradually, without ever noticing it, live your way into the
answer."
About the author:
Teresa Proudlove is the publisher/editor of www.yourlifework.com:
support and inspiration for your work and life. Teresa has been
inspiring, supporting, and mentoring over 3000 people upon their
lifework path for fourteen years, leading workshops and
authoring many internationally published articles.
|
