To speed, or not to speed…that is the question.
In a recent BLOG I touched upon the importance of patience and trusting the process. I discussed how sometimes we have the desire to fast forward to the destination. But really, the beauty is in the exploration and the unknown, in the waiting period…to have patience. To pause or even live in the moment and just BE does not mean to simply stop or be cavalier. Rather, it’s about learning how to Stop – Zoom Out – Refocus –
Change Your Perspective & Trust The Process: I’d like to delve a bit deeper here and provide more clarity and perspective that will help you to change your mindset and simply enjoy the NOW a bit more. It all starts with our awareness, our intentions, our (own) trust level, and our thought process.
Please ask yourself these Questions:
- How many times have I missed out on the moment because I couldn’t just BE in that very moment?
- How often have I found myself not being grateful for that very minute?
- How many times have I completely squashed my chance with an opportunity because I didn’t practice patience or give the person or situation some shade?
- How often have I made a careless error because I rushed through something?
I’m so guilty of all the above!
Let’s just say I have not always been the most patient person in the room. In fact, it seems that my constitutional make up is the polar opposite of patience- buried so deep and thriving in my DNA. I had a tendency to go at warp speed- to want to rush through the process and get instant gratification- albeit premature or uncooked. I didn’t care, I just wanted to ‘know’.
There have been countless times since childhood (too many to even begin to calculate) that I simply missed out on the beauty of the process, the beauty in the NOW and didn’t trust the process. I couldn’t begin to fathom anything beyond what the end goal or task was in that moment. Yes, we must set goals and look forward to our destination but as in all of the quotes scrolling on our media feeds- “it’s more about the journey and not the destination”.
I finally got the memo!
Something inside of me irrevocably clicked a few years ago. I guess I finally realized that sometimes I wasn’t getting (or attracting) what was for my greater good and therefore would end up in similar situations that I would ultimately feel unfulfilled (again). It was a cycle. I realized I needed to change my mindset in order to change my outcome. Easier said than done, right?! I admit, this was extremely hard but the new outcomes I desired began to outweigh the (what seemed to be the easiness) of remaining in the same mindset and continuing in this unfruitful loop.
This major mind-shift ultimately catapulted me forward to trust more… and to begin to TRUST the process as a whole. It was part of my self-development journey and desire to go deep within. I began to realize that Everything is Connected. Our thoughts, emotions, attitudes, and actions are all related and until we dissect each and every aspect individually, we won’t be able to adjust any relationship- with our self or others to fully make a change.
This brings us to trust.
Everything starts within. So, probably safe to say I began to trust myself, love myself more and believe that whatever is meant for my greater good would present itself on my path. Crazy thing is, my path began to change right before my very own eyes. In essence, I was changing so of course this was happening!
Suddenly, I was attracting new people and new opportunities. And through these new experiences I had the opportunity to practice patience…over and over again. I truly began to believe in the process. However, it’s so important to remember that this type of change does not happen overnight. It took a few years and it will actually be a lifelong journey filled with constant self-check-ins. I’ll need to STOP. ZOOM OUT. REFOCUS.and tap into my awareness.
Be Aware.
This is tied back to the beginning of this article when I asked you to step back and ask yourself a few questions. Awareness is a huge part of any process. It goes hand-in-hand with the seeds we plant, the work we put in and our mindset. You may not always be aware of your feelings or actions so it’s important to be honest with yourself and practice being vulnerable.
If you see a situation unfolding before your eyes that’s reminiscent of old patterns or habits it’s important to call yourself out. Sometimes, you may have a difficult time seeing this in yourself. Often times our loved ones will gently (or sometimes not so gently!) point these things out to us.
It’s at this point you have a decision to make…
Do you get defensive and shut the person (and your own feelings) down due to ego?
Or
Do you set your ego aside and tap into your vulnerability and allow the constructive criticism in and then decide how you want to process and move forward?
These moments are often gifts that not only allow us to work on our awareness, but also to work on our reactions to others when our egos may have been temporarily bruised. It’s all a choice and how you decide may help you look deeper within to uncover more of yourself. It’s your process and a part of your own personal journey.
The key takeaway here is to BE AWARE, no matter how you get there. Awareness in any process for any situation is paramount. And, tethered to awareness is expectation.
Expectations: Have faith in the detour.
Sometimes your path’s detour may actually be a blessing steering you in a new direction for your greater good.
Don’t resist. Instead, Embrace!
Embrace the opportunity that has presented itself on your current path. You may already be on the right path for your soul’s greater purpose, but some tweaking or shifts may be necessary.
Sometimes, we are in fact heading in the right direction…filled with amazing experiences, lessons, and growth. But, other times we may have to pause and recalibrate. We must trust that there is a new process or incident happening that may seem unfair, sad, or not what we want to occur for a reason. This may be occurring to allow ourselves to shift something we are doing that will better prepare us and provide longevity for our life goals and in turn set us up for greater success. It’s super important to have standards and plans, goals etc. But, we must be careful with setting too many or too high of expectations on anything or anyone.
Pace Yourself.
Please remember that it’s not always about how fast you take those steps. The imperative is to simply take them! Stay true to yourself and your needs on your path. Please don’t place negative attachments to your process. You set the pace! Use all of life’s obstacles, challenges, and even wonderful moments as gifts to practice awareness, trust, and patience.
After all, it’s your life, your process, and your journey-no one else needs to understand it!
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