By Catherine Schasser
It’s said life is made of seasons. A time to be young and free, a time to ‘settle down’, a time to work hard and save, and a time to relax. There are times for sorrows and times for joys. Times to sleep and times to wake. Times to move and times to be still. Life is an ebb and flow of this and that, backward and forward, up and down. “Swings and roundabout” a previous colleague used to say. “It all comes around.”
“Nature gives to every time and season, some beauties of it’s own.”
Charles Dickens
Encouraging mindfulness of these universal truths helps foster clarity, calm and purpose to your days. And couldn’t we all do with a bit more of those! Do you ever feel a bustling in your brain, where roles and responsibilities swirl unending until their weight rests so heavily, it tolls on your body? Headaches, fatigue, stress and pain. What if you could ease these feelings and reduce these impacts? An impossible task you may believe but trust me. It doesn’t have to be this way.
“There is a way to flow and co-operate with universal laws which can be beautiful and kind.”
Bryant McGill
If you COULD ease feelings of heaviness, overwhelm and frustration:
- How would your relationships improve?
- What benefit would mental clarity have on your productivity?
- What would the results of more rest and less stress be in your days?
Now let’s return to what we know about the game of life. There are seasons, a time for everything…just not all at once. And this concept is as applicable to a day as it is to a lifetime. In your quest for greater connection and a more meaningful life, its imperative to gain clarity of what your life is NOW.
- What stage of life are you in?
- What’s currently taking your time, energy and attention?
- What is your priority at this time?
These questions apply to daily moments such as family dinners, a meeting with a colleague or doing the groceries. That is, what’s your reality and what matters at this point in time? These questions are also significantly applicable when taking a broader view of your life and when applied, help you experience greater peace and success. Social media, societal expectations and even well-meaning family and friends can have you chasing expectations or ‘goals’ that are not only unobtainable and unrealistic, but irrelevant to you! Only you know the truth of your needs.
Take those three questions and apply them to your life right now. Are you a mum with four children under six? If so, your reality is going to be very different to a child-free 23 year-old, or an empty nester. Are you grieving the loss of a loved one? Have you experienced a recent health scare? Are you starting a new business? Honest assessment of your current life situation is not only beneficial to ease your mental and physical load, it’s ESSENTIAL. This recognition of where you are and what matters right now, is the key to reclaiming you. From this understanding of your reality, you are then empowered with the truth of what season you’re in. Perhaps it’s spring and things are blossoming for you, or maybe it’s your winter, where you feel cold and dark. Either way, resisting what is promotes persisting of what is. Accepting this season of your life is the first step to moving forward with purpose, control and intent.
“Accept then act.
Whatever the present moment contains, accept is as if you’d chosen it.
Always work with it, not against it.
This will change your life in miraculous ways.”
Eckhart Tolle
You can do it. In fact, you’re the perfect person to take back control of your life.
Sincerely Catherine
If you’d like to access more from Catherine, go to www.developingdreasms.com.au or follow Developing Dreams on facebook. 1:1 and online life coaching options available.
Catherine is the co-founder of Developing Dreams, a local company ‘empowering children one adult at a time’. This vision is achieved through the educational curriculum at Developing Dreams Early Learning Centre named 2019 Best Small, Private, Regional Centre in NSW, and through coaching programs written and facilitated by Catherine. Email catherine@developingdreams.com.au for further information or to find out how you can be EMPOWERED in your life.