Recently I’ve been feeling like some sort of good change is coming. Do you know what I mean? When something seems to be happening on the horizon, even when you’re not sure exactly what it is? I’ve had a sense of something percolating up inside that tells me that a shift in my life is about to happen. So, my organizing, planner, type A self says to me, “Get ready!” But get ready for what, exactly? How do you get ready for something when you’re not clear about what it is?

 

Here’s the thing: something is always about to happen. I’m not talking about tragedies like major illness or death – no one ever is ready for that (though your life works at preparing you). Whether we feel the winds of change or not, something is always ahead. We just don’t know that it’s coming! Now, that can scare you silly waiting for “the other shoe to drop” or you can be anticipating the goodness that is ahead. But what do you do in the meantime?

 

 

So often, we are running top speed through our lives, and we aren’t waiting for anything. It’s so busy! There have been times where I think if I add one more thing to my schedule, I’ll just keel over in exhaustion. Sometimes there’s a space that comes, like when you finish a big project, or graduate from school, or end a chapter in your life. And that question comes, “What’s next?” Or, like for me right now, I’m running like crazy, but I feel like it’s a warm up to a big change in my life. And there’s some preparation to be done so I can take on the next adventure.

 

How do you get ready? Well, I don’t know exactly. This won’t be a 12 step, how-to, I’ve-done-it-now-here’s-how-you-do-it list of what to do. But I can tell you what I’m doing to get ready. See if any of these things resonate with you as you move forward in your life…

 

Set your intention

When’s the last time you asked yourself, “What do you want?” I don’t mean little things like whether you really want a new pair of sandals for the summer or where you want to take your next vacation. I mean, what do you want to see happen in your life? Don’t limit yourself with logic and reason, just open yourself to the question. Do you love your work? Are you living in a way that is in alignment with your dreams for your life? Does your home life comfort and draw you in? If you keep living the way you are currently living, will you be where you hope in 20 years? These are hard questions, and they take time to think about. You also may have other questions that come to mind. But if you ask these questions and the answer is no, then you need to decide what you want. Where do you need to make changes?

You can’t move toward a goal you haven’t defined. Setting an intention is about allowing yourself to look deep and feel your way to what you want. We often won’t ask what we want because we’re afraid of disappointment – if we don’t ask for anything, we can’t be disappointed when we don’t get it. But this is dulling our lives, because we won’t allow ourselves to experience great gifts and joy because of our fear. I’ve done this for years. Now I’ve decided that I don’t want to look back and realize that I did everything I could to avoid disappointment and didn’t really experience my life, the good as well as the challenges that came. Now I’d rather dream big, ask for the great things I want and maybe not get them, than never ask and regret that I didn’t dare to live.  And as long as I’m breathing, I still have time to live this life. So I’m asking myself, what do I want?

 

My commonplace notebook – for my inspirations

Daydream

Sometimes when you ask yourself what you want, you get nothing. Crickets. And that’s ok – we aren’t used to asking the question! One way to get to some answers is to make some space, sit and daydream. You remember daydreaming? Looking out the window and thinking about whatever ran through your head? Or maybe nothing at all? This was natural when we were kids, and then many of us were shamed into believing that we were “wasting time” and taught to worship the god of productivity. Here’s the problem with that thinking: when we work and “produce” nonstop, our brains don’t have time to process and make new connections. This stunts creativity, which is exactly what we need to create new and different things. I know it takes time, and we feel like there’s no time for anything. I want to fidget when I even think about sitting still without something to do! But sometimes, you just have to get your butt in the chair (or in the hammock, or lay in the grass, or on the bench by the lake, or… you get the point). Taking moments to do nothing is worth it. You will be more productive when you make space than when you pack your time so tight that you can’t breathe. Make some space!

 

 

Mediate

Have you started your meditation practice yet? Why not? I know I’ve talked about meditating in these posts before, and you might be tired of hearing about all the benefits of meditation (improves sleep, immunity, brain function, reduces stress, increases interconnectedness… Ok, I’ll stop.) Actually, just one more. Meditation will help you to find the stillness you need to hear what’s happening deep inside yourself. Now, don’t roll your eyes! I know it’s not easy, especially at first. Sometimes, there’s so much noise in my head that I can’t imagine how I’m going to make it quiet in there.That’s why meditation is a practice, not a goal. You’re not going to perform meditation correctly, or “arrive” in a point of perfect stillness.  But you will have moments of clarity and stillness, more as you practice regularly. You will get more out of a daily 5-10 minute consistent practice than 45 minutes once or twice a week. Take the time to sit quietly and focus only on your breathing, knowing that your mind will wander (that’s natural, just come back to your breathing).  As you get more practiced at this focus, the things you are looking for will come up from deep inside. Remember to journal what you’re thinking and learning. Writing helps you to hold on to what you’ve gained!

 

What are you doing to move ahead? Please share in the comments section below!