Last week we covered the need for you to get rid of tension and stress out of your body as a first step. This week the focus shifts to the mind. Once you have a clear connection body – mind – spirit you will be able to see and hear much more clearly where your true talents, inclinations and purpose lie.
…continued from last week
Once you feel you are starting to drain tension out of your muscles and can think a bit clearer, you can start using the time to meditate. For those of you who’ve never done this before, an excellent way to start is simply by putting your entire attention on your breath. Don’t force it in, or out, or make yourself do “in for the count of 3, hold for 2, out again for 3” – those techniques are a good way to quiet the mind when it won’t shut up but our aim here is different – you want to settle into your NATURAL thought patterns as much as possible, so you can see the thoughts that come up – your “normal” state of being.
These thought patterns will be the key to finding what direction your true interests lie.
When you are a) not stressed, and b) clear enough mentally to notice what’s going on around you, your mind will start working in such a way as to point out the things that YOU think of as important, and/or interesting. This filtering function happens all the time, you just don’t notice it.
There is normally way too much going on at any one time for any of us to be able to cope with the “information overload” – so your mind separates it out according to your own priorities. Have you ever heard your name spoken in a conversation across the room that you weren’t listening to? That’s an example. Your name is one of the most important sounds you can hear, and almost guarantees attention.
Same thing when you decide that you’re going to buy a car of a particular model and colour. Suddenly, you see them everywhere. For women, you probably know that after you find out you’re pregnant, you see more mothers and mothers-to-be than you ever have before. You’ve created a new ‘filter’, and your mind now classifies this as something to notice. Remember, too, that all the while you’ve been doing these exercises, your subconscious mind has been working to engineer the situations that will answer the question you posed to it last week:
“What are my interests?” or “What is my passion?”
It’s amazing how many coincidences come up once you start a train of thought like that – especially if you don’t hold on to it consciously, but let it sink to the level it can work at. By focusing on yourself, relaxing, and calming your mind, you’ve been using one of the most effective formulas out there for achieving anything – so effective it used to be called “magic”, before we learnt a bit more about how our minds worked.
If you’re interested, these ‘coincidences’ are also discussed in the Celestine Prophecy – a book I highly recommend. So, once again, your focus is to meditate, calm your mind, and let your thoughts as much as possible follow their natural inclination. If this is difficult, there are 3 possible reasons. First, you may not have got enough tension out of your body. If you are still feeling stressed, spend a bit more time on that step. Remember, this is the rest of your life we’re talking about. There’s no rush. Take it at your own pace.
Second: your mind may have a lot of unlearning to do. If you’ve been living “on the edge” for quite a while, it might take a similar while to come back down. If you can’t be patient enough for that, get someone else into the process. A coach, a counsellor, a friend – whatever seems to work best for you.
Third: you might be working against a long held belief. If, for example, your passion is for motorbikes, and you were continually taught to avoid danger – including bikes – as you were growing up, you might need to redefine the way you look at risk. Go back to the lesson on self-talk in the free course and read through it, and/or get the help I mentioned under number two.
The added benefit once you get through the exercises this week is that you should have a lot more energy to do those things you discover. By allowing a direct flow spirit to mind to body, you are tapping into an unlimited source. Enjoy it. I certainly do. There is no better “high” than being caught up in something you love and that you feel is right for you to do – is part of your purpose. (It makes decisions easier too, once you see the bigger picture!)
Next week, after a bit more practise on this, we’ll cover the kind of ‘signs’ to watch out for and how to understand the messages you’re getting to guide you to your true purpose and fulfilment.
Until then, relax, still your mind, and don’t forget to enjoy the journey!
