Energy is always in motion; but you can feel stuck
when your thinking process goes in opposing directions. Here’s an effective way
to get your thinking and energy moving in one direction only.
Is it even possible to think in opposing
directions? Yes. It happens when you say or think, “I want (this), but…”
Attention on what you believe opposes what you want (whatever follows the
“but”) will never, ever lead you to what you do want. This opposing motion
makes your energy and your life feel stuck in place. To shift this you need to
find and kick your own buts.
There’s a lot of talk these days about
surrendering to what-is, some of it from me (surrender meaning allowing the appearance of something that’s present
in your life and working on it from there, rather than resisting it, or to give
up or give in). I’d like to clarify this a bit by adding that we tend to focus
on what-is as it appears to us or as we interpret it, rather than on the energy
underneath it (cause and effect). In other words, we’d assist ourselves in a
better way by allowing the appearance to be what it is instead of resisting it
(because it is there), and
identifying the cause and effect factor, to see how we may do something
different or differently, in order to create a desirable shift in us and in our
experiences.
Because our ego-aspect prefers being comfortable
and unruffled, we can get lost or mired by focusing on the appearance of
what-is in our life, which puts us in the mindset of opposing thoughts, which
means situations or matters don’t change in the way or as quickly as we’d like.
Then one day we feel more uncomfortable than ever before. We feel a sense of
urgency about a needed change or adjustment in our lives; and we may even feel
we’re running out of time or have. The last thing we – that is, our ego-aspect
- think we need to focus on is the energy underneath the what-is we’re
concerned with or panicking about.
The thing is that this kind of focus is your best
option, maybe your only option, at least initially; and you will have to allow
right timing, which you can support with trust in Source and by doing the inner
work. That which bothers us is or can be a motivator to get us moving forward,
but that is one choice presented to us. The other choice is to be miserable
about what we want and don’t have, as yet. Under anything and everything we
ever want is, in reality, the feeling we expect the having of it to give or
provide to us. Once we grasp this truth, we can access a whole new level of
inspiration, motivation, and potential. When we identify the feeling we want to
have, then choose to feel it no matter what’s going on, this is the key that
unlocks that particular door and many other doors for us.
Sometimes, though, our “buts” cause us to believe
we’re thinking or doing one thing when we’re actually thinking or doing
another. Here’s an example of this. Let’s take something many people say they
want: Security. Let’s try a quick thought experiment with this. Say to yourself,
“I want (or need) security.” How do you feel
when you say this? Please take a moment to actually say and feel this statement
so you really get this; perhaps close your eyes to do this, and stay with it
for several seconds.
Did you keenly feel the absence of security, if
you don’t believe you have it or can? Did you perceive the silent “but”: “I
want/need security, but I don’t have it/will likely never have it/work or
struggle so hard, yet still can’t seem to attain it”? Does security feel like
an object positioned somewhere outside of you and far off in the distance?
Now follow the same closed-eyes instruction and
say this to yourself, “I choose serenity.” How did you feel when you said that?
Did you feel serenity start to flow into you, or even outward from you as
though it had been let loose from its container, when you said you chose it
then paused a moment to be with your
choice? There was likely no feeling of distance; and even if it felt outside of
you, it likely felt closer than security did. You might have felt it flowing
into you or even, perhaps, merging with your hidden or buried inner serenity.
The energy vibration of the word “security” vs.
the vibration of the word “serenity” can be quite different at your inner
level, despite your intention. The
word “security” likely leads your energy to vibrate at the frequency of not
having it or not having as much as your ego-aspect would need to feel secure
(chasing security – enough to satisfy your ego-aspect, that is - is akin to
chasing perfection rather than excellence).
The not-so-funny thing about these words being
used “out there” is that you’d get a nod of approval or agreement from
mainstream, if you say you want security, and probably more than a few raised
eyebrows if you tell mainstream that you’re into choosing serenity these days,
despite what’s going on, because you know that what’s going on will eventually
align with the vibration of serenity you maintain. Because that IS how this
works, whether you choose to focus on security or serenity.
Choosing serenity puts you in a better “place”: A
better feeling, a better mindset, a better response mode. It opens you to
possibilities and experiences that seem magical or miraculous. Focus on wanting to feel secure is an opposing
thought to being it because it’s about the “lack” of it, and this causes you to
chase it (or feel stuck in place); whereas, choosing serenity means you open to
and receive lovely “gifts” and surprises from the infinite resources of Source.
Life feels easier when “amble and appreciate” is your chosen pace and mindset
rather than “chase in haste.” What words do you currently use that seem to
support you but actually create opposing feelings and energy, and keep you
stuck? Choosing serenity at all times can help you deal with the opposing
motion of the “buts.”
One way “buts” intrude on our serenity and
experiences is that every story we tell ourselves, especially ones we repeat
over and over, to ourselves or others, create actual neural pathways in our
brains. These thoughts bio-chemically become our “paths of least resistance”
in/on our brain, meaning they are either the first response when we are
triggered or the foundation of our mindset. Happily, this can be adjusted by
telling ourselves better stories with the same energy level and repetition we
use to tell ourselves unhelpful ones. We all use the word “but” on occasion; it
does have its purposes as a word. However, when it lingers in the mind or is
uttered often, or even thought, as the start of a “reason” something will never
happen or why we can’t do something, we benefit by calling it out as a story.
It is just that, one of many possible stories we can tell ourselves. “But,” you
ask, “what if my reason is factual?” Keep reading.
“Buts” ask us to revisit our intention and
commitment. If we say we want something “but…,”
do we really want it, or want it enough? Why do we want it? Who do we want it
for? If it’s not for us, if it’s not our sincere personal want, we’ll feel
stuck at some point, because we’re thinking and feeling and attempting to plan
in opposing directions. We can’t walk forward and back at the same time. Our
“buts” keep us out of alignment with Source and out of head-and-heart
alignment. Recall my earlier mention of feeling urgency. Whether urgency is present
or not, if you find, choose, and tell yourself a story that will align your
head and heart, and you with Source, your experiences and results, and you,
will be the better for it.
When a “but” shows up, you might say something
like this: “Okay, maybe that’s true; but what CAN I do that I WILL do to get a
desirable result, one appropriate for me?” As the saying goes, if there’s no
wind – row. Also, when appropriate, a good replacement for “but” is “and”: I
appreciate what I have, and I
appreciate the “even more” on its way to me now. This is far better than “I
appreciate what I have, but I want/must have more.” The wording may seem a
small technicality, but so it may seem with “security” vs. “serenity”; yet, the
difference becomes obvious in how your body-mind feels when you say each.
“Wanting” gets a bad rap a lot of the time. What
helps is to identify the energy under your use of the word “want”. Is it the
energy of lack, like “security,” or the energy like “serenity” – something
you’d appreciate having even more of? Your wants, especially if unencumbered by
frustration about not having whatever
right this moment, can fuel your motivation. Wants can drive your focus, your
intention, your commitment. Wants can provide the opportunity to align your
energy with Source. Alignment provides what? Serenity. Enthusiasm. Excitement.
Results! As Abraham-Hicks said, use your leverage of alignment.
So go ahead and kick some of those buts impacting
you and your life. At least do what you can to dilute them. Use your but-light
mindset to put you in alignment with Source and your good. It’s a good
practice, one you’ll appreciate.
Practice makes progress.
© Joyce Shafer
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