Day 42/366 days Towards Self-Mastery. Mood: feeling alive!
If life's not working, dig deeper. If there's one thing I've learned during my 20 or so years of practicing self-mastery it is that if life's not working, you need to know yourself better.
You need to understand what drives you. Uncover the stories and beliefs that guide your choices and decisions. Are they still relevant? Do they still make sense? Are they useful today? Do they serve you or are they outdated?
Divine discontent. Sarah has endowed this magnificent label upon these moments of frustration that with all the attention I've given and all that I've done, life is still not working out as I had planned. Divine discontent!
Today's inspiration speaks to those times we find ourselves feeling anything but content
When we've implemented all the "simply living and being with what is", self-mastery, and still things are not going to plan.
It's those times when you really do wonder if you'll ever feel content with your path, if you'll ever find your way to something that resembles an authentic expression of you.
The solution is always to ASK. The answer to this divine discontent is to ASK. You must learn to ASK.
Today, ask for what you need. Just ask.
This doesn't imply you have to ask anyone person in particular. Just ask.
For me that's my inner most self. I ask for guidance to unfold my true purpose here, to find the path forward, to take the next step. For others that might be to ask the universe, or God, or some spirit that you've identified with. It doesn't matter.
The solution is always there. ASK. Today, ask.
Recently I've had another look at my path, which incidentally is not working out as I had planned. This 366 days Towards Self-Mastery challenge has given me the opportunity to go back to square one and revisit my self-mastery practices.
Know yourself first. This is key.
In my reflections I discovered that I was allowing an old, very old belief to continue to drive me in the wrong direction.
In my early twenties, the idea of become a suburban housewife scared me witless. The idea of being stuck behind a picket fence in a suburb felt like prison to me and I wanted nothing of it. What I did want was adventure, travel, excitement, learning, experiencing.
That was some 40 years ago. Those experiences are behind me, and I've loved every minute of them. Now I've discovered I want suburban. Who would have thought!
Yes. Now it's time for stability, settling in one place, community, to know my neighbours, to build a garden and watch it grow. To really live in my home instead of think of it as a temporary accommodation until I move onto the next thing. To grow indoor plants and know I'm going to be here to see them develop, fill their spaces and delight in their liveliness.
To unpack my bags and store them away, knowing that our journeying is done. To leave my shoes at the door and my clothes hanging in the bathroom because, this is home. It's a brand new life ahead and I'm looking forward with excitement.
Letting go of the feeling that the next move will soon be upon me. Perhaps this is why I loved the movie Chocolat so much. So much my story of moving with the next wind that blows in.
When you are experiencing divine discontent, revisit what you truly love and what you truly want for your life right now. Then ask. Ask for inspiration, directions, the next step.
When I discovered that I wasn't content, I asked, and Sarah Ban Breathnach showed up on New Year's Day to guide me back to revisit my self-mastery journey and remind me of what I truly want in my life now.
If you discover your inner most beliefs, the ones that are driving you, your path will open up for you. If you don't, then find someone to help you explore what's there, what's motivating you, what's holding you back, what's blocking your path. It often just takes one realisation and you're away on the new path, the new trajectory that is more aligned with your purpose right now. I can help.
And some added advice
When you discover you're in stasis, immobilised, fearful, feeling like you don't know which way to go, take it from one experienced energy worker, take a step, any step. Take action. First ASK, then any action will get the energy and information in the "field" (of energy and information) that you live in to mobilise, and something will pop right out of there for you to work with. It doesn't have to be the perfect right action. Just any action will begin to get things moving.
It beats curling up in the fetal position on your bed, hiding away feeling like a complete failure. Do something. Take a walk, phone a friend, go out of coffee, plant some veggies, take out your craft, paint a picture, bake a cake. Do something. Life is waiting for you.
And be okay with what is. Be okay with not perfect. Be okay with being a work in progress. It's not a race, it's not a competition. Enjoy the path. Enjoy the unfolding of the uniqueness that is you.
366 days Towards Self-Mastery
When I considered my New Year's intentions for 2020 I had just one: To allow my heart to love what it loved...and let it lead me. (If not now, then when?)
I've spent months working on integrating my life. To live life more fully with my home life, my interests, my work, my responsibilities, all coming together, all connected. I want to give each the attention that they desire and need, and still have time and energy for the others. That means living and working from the heart.
As I was clearing out my bookshelf over the Christmas break I discovered Simple Abundance. I set it aside to explore it on New Year's Day as I lazed through another delicious day of nothingness. Sarah, the author, says this book is about living in grace. Living in grace I realised, is about Self-Mastery.
My thirst for understanding the human condition has driven me all my life, and hand-in-hand with self-mastery it has been a life-long goal. And seeing as I love to write, that living in grace is about self-mastery, and I love a bit of a challenge, then if I am truly going to let my heart lead, I really don't have any other choice. So scary as it feels, I'm starting out on a daily mission of leaning into the suggestions of this daybook and making a daily post to keep me accountable. If not now, then when?
I'm Josie. You can find out a little more about me here.
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy: by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
This book is written for the Australian and NZ market because it refers to seasonal changes. It's available on Amazon here if you'd like to follow along.