Everyone with whom I’ve spoken that considers themselves energetically sensitive, and some who don’t, is feeling like life is so much more right now; harder not to get hooked in emotionally, buttons pushed, overwhelmed… There are many contributing factors, and it’s not like we don’t all have a lot going on, so your feeling of overwhelm may be completely warranted. Time, as scientists have noted, is speeding up, so we all have less breathing room in between events.
It becomes even more important to give energy and attention to your foundation and to your core values.
I recommend starting every morning by getting the garbage out of your head. The format of Artist’s Pages from The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron works well for this – just get everything that’s in your head out on paper, in a flow of consciousness. She recommends 3 pages, I have found that 1 suffices for me. You may find that doing some focused releasing, where you list everything you are ready to release, whether it is on paper or into a vessel of water (which you then dump out into the earth so Mother Nature can recycle the energy into something more useful), works better for you. Some people do both the flow of consciousness writing and then the more focused releasing.
Then you can refocus yourself, replacing what you’ve dumped out with something more useful. A gratitude list is a good tool for this. Other tools can be prayer, reminding yourself of your core values, a mantra, or reading a passage from an inspirational or sacred text.
Before you go out into the world, I strongly recommend that you ground. Simply imagine that you have roots, growing out of the soles of your feet, that go all the way down into the Earth’s core, connecting you firmly to the here and now. This puts you back in the driver’s seat of your body, allowing you to stand in your power, connected to your purpose, and respond rather than react.
As you go through your day, measure your actions and decisions against your primary goals and core values. Prioritize those things that fit into your path and de-prioritize those things which do not. This should free up your time some and help in decision making. Remember, also, that it’s okay to take some time to make decisions. Regardless of the preference of those around you, taking a moment to reflect and choose wisely is never a bad thing.
If you’re not sure what your core values are, try asking yourself the following question every morning and see what answers come up:
- Who am I?
- What am I?
- Where do I come from?
- Where am I going?
- What is my purpose?
The answers will frequently help you identify what your daily focus should be.
If you find that your monkey mind, the committee in your head, tries to distract you by creating drama, focus on one word, like “love” or “god” or “peace.” You can draw it out, see it in your mind’s eye, or even just repeat it over and over again in your head. The point is to focus on something other than the mess your resistance is trying to create.
In your interactions with others, operate from the heart. That is to say, bring your energy and consciousness into your heart, and reach out to people from that space. This puts you in a place of namaste, or “they divine within me recognizes the divine within you.” This simple shift changes every interaction you have, whether it is with an aging parent, a child, your boss, or the person giving you change at the gas station. it automatically starts to create a place of harmony, of connection, rather than reinforcing the illusion of separation. It makes everything easier.
If you are using these tools, and find yourself struggling, you are in your monkey mind. Relax. Ground. Focus on your word. Operate from the heart. And, most of all, breathe. Have some fun. This isn’t supposed to be nearly as serious as your head would have you believe.