With the autumn chill and leaves on the ground, there are some big changes ahead for us. We are making a move outside the city to an acreage. We hope that this will be a space to create and share SPIRIT and PRESENT MOMENT AWARENESS with others, and to offer those interested a firsthand perspective of being in tune with things arising just as they are, perhaps with a herd of horses in the midst.
We recently posted a logo for our new farm, Spirit Farm Gypsy Cobs Inc., and “put ourselves out there” for our friends and family and others in the horse community to be informed. As we mentioned in that brief post, there is a long journey ahead with much hard work and we are taking the first steps. This post today is about the emotional and mental commitments that go into taking that first step.
This beautiful poem by Mary Oliver resonates with our phase of life right now, particularly the last line – Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Taking a first step into the unknown is daunting. You may expect things to turn out a certain way and, when the steps align with your intentions and life purpose, they feel blessed. Still, moving towards something you can cherish can give you the shivers. So how can being more present-focused facilitate this transition, this movement into the next phase?
Noticing your internal landscapes, emotional and mental, is the first part of the process. What are the thoughts and feelings coursing through you? Are there other moments of your life being recalled, perhaps other successes or disappointments? Is your mind playing out how things will unfold and lulling you into thinking that, if it can be planned, it can be controlled? Set the intention to tune in to what shows up inside your mind and stay present to that information without pushing it away.
Certainty is never present, and part of this journey is giving yourself the space and courage to BELIEVE IN YOU! Things happen, paths deviate back and forth, and growth can happen momentously only to shift right back to some part of your learning from the past. “Haven’t I already learned this lesson?” may be a question you ask yourself a hundred times during a transition. Or “why me?” Why not you? Life throws us curve balls every day, and the confluence of things that can go “right” or “wrong” during a major transition, such as a career or home change, makes it more likely that chaos is your new norm for now.
Pain or feelings of shame can overwhelm you when you forge ahead and encounter challenges. Rather than giving in to those intense emotions, when you notice and accept what arises with patience and curiosity, then these times transform into opportunities for you to grow outside your comfort zone. Staying mindfully aware of the emotions, without letting them consume you, isn’t something that just happens overnight. Trusting in your ability to grow through this and sustain through the panic or anxiety is something we only learn the more we live with the intention to stay present to our experiences. Taking a first step towards a sea change shift in your life happens by taking one mindful breath at a time, and intending to be more present more of the time with the doubts, excitement and craziness occurring from one moment to the next. We wish you and ourselves luck as we flow through the next days and weeks with more moments of mindful awareness! Heed the call and recognize that you have the courage and capacity to follow it – Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?