A Spacious Mindset
I have entered a new year. 2020 brought so many changes to my life. At times, I am constricted by them. However, now I am feeling the inklings of a shift and a feeling of spaciousness. How can I keep this feeling going?
Yes, There Is Restriction
Our world is restricted right now. The impacts are different for each of us – accepting the restrictions or not accepting them; being hugely impacted or lightly impacted by them; resisting them or honoring them. Restrictions have created conflict among us. They have required new approaches and we scramble to develop them.
Our emotional reactions to change can compound our feelings of restriction, leading to irrational behaviors. Fear can debilitate us and must be managed. Grief for what we have lost must be expressed and moved through. Anger is a natural reaction – our “normal” has been taken away. Denial takes us out of the present moment into a false reality.
What if restriction leads us to new Openings and new ways of being? There are clues this may be true. So many are questioning the adequacy and efficacy of our existing systems. Many are coming together to care for those in need. People are working and living and seeing the world in new ways.
Possibility Within The Unknown
The unknown and uncertainty are part of our existence. We do not, and never did, have full control over our lives – that is an illusion. If we can embrace the unknown, we will begin to see the existence of new possibilities. It’s kind of like dark matter that makes up 95% of our Universe. It is not understood, but it is there.
Humans often fear the unknown. If we can lay fear aside, we can see that possibilities are endless within the unknown. This is what we can take hold of – within the unknown, possibilities are ours to create. The darkness around us is ours to shape. The unknown offers possibility and open space.
As we acknowledge and honor the presence of the unknown in our lives, it is a powerful beginning. We can shift our view to one of excitement. As heroes of our journeys, great possibility and adventure lie before us. We can be steady and cautious in the face of the unknown. What matters is that we not allow the presence of the unknown to stop us in our tracks.
➟ My free ebook, Chrysalis: Personal Transformation From The Inside Out addresses how to handle the unknown in our lives.
Moving Ahead
So, there is space now as we start the new year. Let’s use it to build momentum. Even with our current restrictions we can move ahead. The restrictions we are experiencing may provide clues to the future. Will more of us work flexibly and remotely? Will we focus locally for our food, recreation and community? What roles will technology play?
Life is undergoing change. For some, there is isolation and more time to reflect, as bustling activities are curtailed. For others, there is extreme adversity calling for their courage, endurance and hope. There are new opportunities for us to help others from a distance. There are endings of what was. Openings abound now. They come in adversity and change, the same way they do in easier times.
The time to move ahead toward Openings is now. In chaos and change, we see Openings that were not visible before. There is energy building towards a new future. Action fuels us. Fear and resistance drain us. Let’s move ahead cautiously in the present moment and see where it takes us. That way, what is building now will not leave us behind.
A Spacious Mindset
As we start the new year we can cultivate a spacious mindset. Start with a deep breath that brings us fully into the present moment. We are here, in a world undergoing transition and significant change. The full nature of this change may not be visible yet, but it is felt beneath our every day. Use the room made by what has left us.
A spacious mindset sees all that is around it. It acknowledges its freedom. It looks out for new ideas and occurrences. It is centered, present and calm. It balances mind and heart using the powers of each – neither dominates the other. When surprises or the unexpected come, it examines them to see where they fit.
Openings are easier to see from a spacious mindset. The Openings that appear may be wrong or right for us. We determine which they are. A spacious mindset allows Openings to flow. They are not threatening. They are welcome as indicators of directions we may take, especially in times of change and the unknown. A spacious mindset gives us room to grow.
I realize now that I do have space around me. I have freedom, amidst the challenges and change of this time, to chart my own course. With a spacious mindset, so much is possible!
photo: Michael Gaida, pixabay.com
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