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Not Having Enough…

I hope that this blog entry finds you at the sweet spot of summer. It has been an incredibly challenging couple of months for many people (and for some of you, it still may be.) Many people I know have been making uncomfortable sacrifices, taking on extra jobs and “batten down the hatches” to prepare for the worst that this economic storm has to offer…

The recurring theme here seems to be an underlying sense of not having enough. Not having enough time, not having enough energy and not having enough help.

Underneath everything, there seem to be feelings of fear, concern and helplessness.

One question is what, if anything, can you do?

I believe that crisis presents opportunity. They aren’t always fun to go through, but a crisis really is the time of transformation between an old way of doing things and a new way of approaching our lives. When things are working, we tend to relax and feel safe and life is grand. Sometimes when one area becomes stressed, the reverse becomes true. A challenge in one area (health, wealth, career or love) can tend to spill into other areas and affect the overall quality of our lives.

And yet some of the people I have been working with have shared a different story. I know actors who are still booking work within a national recession and a looming “strike” within our industry. I know a yoga teacher who is traveling around the country teaching workshops and retreats who is experiencing no observable downturn in business. I know of several people in both fitness and the healing arts who are still booked solid. I know people who are in sales who are experiencing incredible record growth months. This is in all parts of the country, big cities and smaller more rural areas.

My question has been what is the common thread amongst those who are succeeding during this time?

the three things that I have come up with are:

1. EACH OF THEM DO A REGULAR PRACTICE WHICH GIVES THEM ACCESS TO MORE LIFE ENERGY (Prana, Chi) This can be feng shui, exercise, mantra meditation, spending time in nature, cooking healthy live foods, sending and receiving love, spending times focusing on positive thoughts and prayer.
2. EACH OF THEM ARE FOCUSED MORE ON WHAT THEY WANT THAN ON WHAT THEY DON’T WANT. It is essential to know what you want and have clear intentions. It is also essential that as things externally don’t look the way you wish them to be that you focus more of your attention on the parts that are working than the areas that aren’t. It doesn’t mean ignore the areas that are not how you wish them to be, but rather take in what isn’t working for you, take action on those things and then begin to shift your focus back onto what is already abundant, healthy and flowing in your life.
3. EACH OF THEM ARE DOING WORK ON THE INVISIBLE PARTS OF THEIR LIFE (prayer, faith) and STILL TAKING ACTION. My dear friend is a writer who loves the phrase “WHEN YOU PRAY, MOVE YOUR FEET” -West African Proverb

It doesn’t really matter what you pray to. You can pray to your family, to your higher self, to God, or to a field of energy. You can pray to your body, to your unborn child or to your soulmate. You can pray to a cup of coffee, your surfboard, your car or to things both known and unknown. Your prayer can be silent, or aloud. In words or emotions. The most important thing is to ask clearly and then be quiet enough to receive your answer.

feng shui tips

See if you can look around your home and address three things:

1. See if you can notice anything that is draining your energy. These can include windows, stairs, drains or garbage cans. It can include neighbors, electronic devices or your home may be on a slope. Address these items immediately. If you don’t know how to do this, buy a book on feng shui, listen to some of the podcasts on my site (they’re free!) or if you are still lost, contact me for a consultation.
2. Remove clutter. Fix the broken items. Clean your space. You will have more access to life energy if you aren’t surrounded by things that are not serving you.
3. Place items that represent your clear intentions around your living environment. These can be images that you hide, a vision board or symbols of the things you are intending to create more of. This will help you focus more on what you do want than focusing on the things you don’t want.

Our home is our foundation. It is the sanctuary which allows us to rest and rejuvenate before we emerge and face the world. If our home is in chaos, disorder or we generally don’t like it, how can that not affect the outside parts of our life?

Rather than making your home the last thing that gets your attention, consider making it the first priority and enact the changes you wish to see in the world.

Have a blessed rest of your summer,
Ariel