Winter, a time when the natural world around us goes into hibernation. A natural time for rest, reconnection, reflection and rejuvenation. Much like our animal and plant friends, winter can also be an opportunity for us to rest and relax. This rest can give us the opportunity to come inwards and re-connect with ourselves and others. It can present an opportunity for us to reflect on our lives, particularly busy times, and it brings an opportunity for re-evaluation, allowing us to move forward mindfully toward the change or maintenance we want to realise in our lives… We can do this anytime throughout the year of course, but during winter, nature is on our side in helping us to go within and slow down.
For some of us the thought of slowing down and going within can seem all too out of reach…. Our regular routine could be more than any sane person would undertake and we can begin to wonder how we could possibly take the time to go within without dropping everything we are responsible for. Well I have good news – it will take as long as you want it to take – you are in charge…. So, if you are happy with your current status quo then stop reading now. If not, lets dare to dream and uncover your vision of the future you want…. Set down your work, put aside your ‘to do’ list, cast aside your device, just for a few minutes, and give yourself the opportunity to dream of a future that makes your heart sing.
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens” Carl Jung
Rest/Relax – before we can dream and gain a vision of the future we want, we need to get into a restful mode of being – so take some time now to take just a few big deep breaths down the body – at least three. Allow any tension you are holding to melt away through movement, changing position, whatever works for you.
Re-Connect – often we are so busy we forget to dream, so lets reconnect with our dreams and our vision of our future by asking ourselves these questions:
What would a perfect world look like to me?
What would my role in that world be?
How would I feel?
Reflect – allowing time for reflection – recognising where we have been, how we have got to where we are and where we are now can help in giving us a starting line.
How does my vision/goal compare to where I am now?
Re-evaluate – Re-evaluating our path forward can help us move in the direction we wish to go rather than tramping in the hills without a map.
What action steps could I take right now to move in the direction I want to go?
How will I know when I have reached my vision/goal?
What has been holding me back up until now?
The answers to these three re-evaluation questions give us the map we need to move forward mindfully – the action steps mark out the path for us to follow; the vision/goal is the destination on the map; and the things that have been holding us back are the areas of the map to watch out for, these could be our thoughts, beliefs, etc…
Having a map like this does not mean we will get to our destination unhindered but keeping this map in mind we may just get there faster because we know the direction in which we wish to go. We may also be aware of the stumbling blocks we may encounter on the way…. Our limiting beliefs or limiting thoughts that are holding us back, our thoughts about how others may respond to us reaching our vision, and so on…
Once you have discovered your vision, hold onto it, and do something daily to live it! Before you know it, you will have become your vision!
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As features in Issue 12 of The Inspired Guide https://issuu.com/studiosnz/docs/the_inspired_guide_12