Forced pursuits never turn out as you want. Remember the post from a few weeks ago that quoted the saying on my mantel? “Happiness is the journey, not the destination.” When force is used to obtain something, the destination turns into a struggle. I believe this is because forcing is like damning a river. What is upstream suffers and what is downstream suffers. Water is held captive. This goes against God’s will that things should be free-flowing. Force is a captivating action, not freeing.
When you are pursuing a goal, you want the energy around it to be freeing and flowing. Let that goal be enjoyable, joyous, and exciting to obtain. Accept the things that do not go in the direction you hoped as signs that you weren’t supposed to go in that direction. Then you have the opportunity to try another way. Remember, “I let go of control so I can try another way.”
Let me tell you about a goal of mine and how it has unfolded. Almost ten years ago I opened the doors of the wellness center. I had no idea how to run a business. Truthfully, I still don’t because I have an incredibly passionate, understanding business mind that is focused more on helping than making money. I never have focused on making a lot of money and when I have shifted to trying to up my bank account so I can easily pay the bills, something happens and the money or clients disappear. I spent a lot of time, money, and effort marketing to bring more clients into the wellness center for the classes and the services. I spent hours of time searching and praying for someone to take over the marketing of the wellness center without success. I worked diligently listening to others, watching videos, reading books, etc. to figure out how I can market the wellness center and watch it grow. Then I tried to just have someone else take over the wellness center as I acknowledged that I was not business-oriented. I’m a healer. The business and marketing side of the wellness center does not bring me great joy. Alas, no one wanted to take that task on, but I had this dream of a thriving wellness center with healing services and classes bringing joy to clients, the community, and the world. Why wasn’t all the work I was doing paying off?
In reality, it was according to God’s plan. Let go of deadlines in your personal life and business goals if you can. I truly believe that you have to be at peace and learn the lesson being taught to you at this very moment before you can journey on. Every moment in life is a transformational opportunity to transcend us to a better place. Be ok with things getting done when the time is right and you will find peace in this present moment and along the path of obtaining your goals.
In the last couple of years, I let go of the forced growth of the wellness center. I surrendered to God’s will of when and how the wellness center will help people and when things will get done. I let go and let things unfold. After almost 10 years, I’m finally understanding that there is a time for everything. It’s not my schedule. It’s divine intervention leading me along, directing me in this beautifully orchestrated concert of my life. All those struggles from the previous year that left me feeling not good enough, were my path to realize I am good enough. Now, I’m happier and at more peace with the wellness center than I ever have been. I love the team I am blessed to work with and I love each and every client/friend that walks in the door. I let go and have allowed happiness to be the journey, not the destination.
Now that you have realized what makes you happy during this time of quarantine and have set your goals, let them unfold. Pursue them a little at a time and let them happen in accordance with God’s will. When you feel frustration and force creep up, step back, and reflect. In the yoga practice, there is a story about an elephant, Ganesh, which gets in your way to stop you and make you think. Ganesh is put there for you to decide if you are going in the right direction or not. Don’t push on. Stop, reflect, and let happiness be the journey, not the destination.
As you hold the stretch below or contemplate decisions, listen to this meditation. It is very repetitive, but so is life until we make an active choice to try another way. The repetition aids in clearing your mind and enlightening the path your soul wants you to take.
Voyage to HEAL Weekly Task
Stretch: Let’s go for those hamstrings. In tall sitting, spread those legs apart to a comfortable position. Begin with dynamically reaching toward the right, center, and left for 2 minutes while listening to the song attached to this email. Then hold in each direction. Breathe as you say this week’s perspective enlightenment.
Exercise: Let’s sit against the wall or hold chair pose in yoga for 1 minute 3x/day. Make sure your pelvic floor and core are activated. Go for more if you would like.
Habitual Change: Stop forcing stretches. Let them come as you hold the stretch. Remember what a release feels like. It’s not just the tissue softening and gaining an increased range of motion. Here is a list of what a release feels like. Hold the stretch until you feel a release.
Change takes your ability to let go of what you are holding on to. How long that will take depends on you, but try to hold the stretch until you feel a shift in the tissue or the energy surrounding the area. Here are signs that a change is occurring:
- a melting or lengthening in the area being addressed
- stomach sounds
- eyes fluttering- this may reflect a release in tissue/emotional memory
- change in your breathing pattern
- salivating or swallowing
- heat or coolness in your body or a specific area
- shaking or bursts of energy flowing through a particular area
- change in your thoughts or feelings
- emotional outbursts
- skin redness, which is a vasomotor response of the body guiding you to areas that need releasing
- bruising in areas not being physically touched
- re-enactment of traumatic event subconsciously in an unwinding experience, note that you do not have to relive the trauma in order to release the energy around it.
- anything that is different than when you started
Perspective enlightenment: I allow happiness to travel with me along my journey.
This week’s blog post goes wonderfully with week 9 of the Voyage to HEAL: God’s plan. Please listen to this meditation. You can purchase this meditation in the Inner Peace Meditation CD, by purchasing Week 9 of the Voyage to HEAL, or starting your full on-line Voyage to HEAL.
Godspeed on your Voyage to HEAL
Love,
Jocelyn