Why is it that when we most need to stop and take some time out the little voice in our head says, ‘not now, I haven’t got the time!’?
It’s easy to become addicted to ‘doing’, when what we really need is to ‘be’. And, though we might know this stuff, and even teach it, we are not immune as I discovered again recently!
In the past few months I’ve been busy with lots of wonderful workshops and rewarding coaching sessions. I’ve met some fascinating people and exciting opportunities have come my way. I’ve been grateful for my achievements and even have plans for 2018 well under way.
So, you might imagine that stopping and taking time out would be easy ……….
But no, I kept going until finally I was struggling to make some important decisions. At this point I decided to seek the guidance of a psychic to gain some clarity.
When I shared my dilemma, the psychic said, “If you know you need to take time out what’s stopping you?”
As I pondered this question I became aware of a barrage of little voices,
“You can’t afford to take time off”
“The phone will stop ringing and you’ll lose the momentum in your business”
“You have to work hard all the time”
“You can’t have another holiday”
Now that I was aware of my blocks I was keen to hear what information the psychic would give me as the antidote.
Hilarious! – the message that came forward was from a Native American guide who said ‘You need to take your own medicine, walk your talk and take time out with the horses and in nature to connect with your own inner guidance’!
He added “Joy and love is all there, if you could take a step back, take in the view and feel into the appreciation. There’s some savouring to do here – you are not acknowledging what’s occurring. Appreciate what you have achieved, the horses and the powers that be and the nature of what you do. Honour yourself as part of the process. It’s a discipline.”
Andy had suggested that he’d like a break before Christmas and that was the gentle push that I needed and within a couple of days I’d booked us a cottage in Padstow, Cornwall for a 3-night break.
As soon as we set off in the car, I could feel my body begin to relax. For the first 24 hours we both did a lot of resting and sleeping and some reading. The following day Andy went off fishing and I continued to journal and read, until finally I was ready to move. I went to the local shop and bought one of the well-known Cornish pasties and went for a stroll along the coastal path and sat on a bench to eat my pasty whilst enjoying the beautiful views across the estuary. When Andy returned from his fishing trip we strolled around the harbour and went out for a meal in one of the local restaurants.
So, sleep – rest – exercise – delicious food – and a relaxing evening with Andy and I was now beginning to feel refreshed.
The outcome
The following morning, I woke with a joie de vivre and a renewed sense of energy, and I wrote this blog and another one, inspired by the book I was reading. I had a sense of clarity that had eluded me for weeks and life felt good.
I took time to journal about what I appreciate and felt the joy and love which was underneath my busi-ness!
I turned on my phone to find that two people had booked for a workshop, one for a coaching session and I had an enquiry about coaching – I realised that I could let go of “the phone will stop ringing” belief.
The moral of the story
If you have read this far I want to reassure you that however much personal development we do, we can still go “off track”. I know the importance of self-care, taking time out, reflection etc., but recently I got caught in that trap again.
It’s not about being perfect, it’s about honouring your situation and doing what you need to do to get back on track. That might even mean that you need to hear it from someone else.
So the next time that you get overwhelmed remember to:
- Stop
- Rest and connect
- Shift perspective
- Trust your intuition
- Honour yourself as part of the process
It’s a discipline……………….
My most profound learning from this recent event is to honour myself as part of the process and develop a discipline to make time for myself.
If you would like to support to identify what’s blocking you from honouring yourself and taking time out, then do get in touch.
