I’m excited to share my inspiring week with you…
As you may or may not know, my mom has a serious diagnosis and I’ve taken several trips to help her out as of late – supporting her with logistical aspects, supporting her emotionally, and supporting the possibility of healing or at least thriving with her dis-ease.
It is incredible how often the theme or thread of listening inward and doing what is true has come up over and over during the last few months. The awareness of the fact that she has been abandoning herself and not listening keeps surfacing.
She found herself stuck between two stories – doing what’s true by listening to her inner voice, verses listening to everything and everyone outside of her and/or her tired, worn out, conditioned narrative (story). These are stories that we are all living in, even though their circumstances may differ from person to person.
Are you in a space between two stories? Are you actually taking the time to listen and develop the skills needed to support the re-emergence of your most authentic self and innate wisdom – the essence of who you are?
Actually, I pose the question: is this why my mom is dealing with severity of this illness in the first place? She admits to not having really listened for sometime now (even though this stuff is not new for her). For how many of us is this true – even though we know differently?
Listening to and developing our connection within is at the VERY HEART OF WHAT I DO… I actually don’t believe there is anything more important in life – whether you are speaking in terms of raising children, improving your business, feeling happy and fulfilled, developing meaningful relationships, or whether you’re on the precipice of dying.
We all have an inner gauge or navigation system – a reliable compass that is always within each of us and never fails – we only fail to listen or develop the skill of listening.
We get lost thinking the answers we need are outside of us. We feel disempowered. Most have lived a life of stuffing down or distracting themselves from this innate wisdom, inner authority and knowledge that is, in fact, our most precious counsellor, friend and lover.
When we turn away, stray or get lost in life and don’t listen, abandoning our authentic nature and truest version of who we are, life has a way of continuing to knock, and it gets louder and louder until we pay attention.
I don’t know about you, but almost every person I have ever met has had a wake-up call. It’s a reminder of what’s REALLY important. And we may listen for a moment, disregard it altogether or heed the message, gift and insight, and use it to become… become more authentic. To love more, to regain more purpose, to find deeper meaning in life, to tap into our inner strength – to remember who we are and why we are here.
Life’s messages usually come in threes… so it’s not surprising that while I was away helping, caring and partaking in conversations around this topic with my mom, just as I was leaving, two of my kids ended up in situations that required this same care and attention.
I have been doing this work most of my life, so that equates to the fact that my kids have been doing it all of their lives, too….lol.
First, my 17-year-old son starts talking to me, again, about his dilemma of whether to take a break from his 1.5 year relationship with someone he cares about and loves. This topic has come up recently, because as much as they have big ideas of being together forever, it has also presented some recent “off moments” (his words are “things have been ‘off’). Who else has been in a relationship where you were looking for more and not quite sure how to fix it”?
With his sports competitions coming up, he was saying, “I feel like I need some focused time for myself, and a break would be good for both of us.” So on Wednesday, he sends me a text explaining the pull he feels between his awareness of what he wants (what is easy), and what he knows he needs. He mentions the struggle to listen to and trust what is true, verses what he wants in his head. He also mentions the conversation and their intention of getting back together, but taking a break with boundaries, commitments, timeline and trust.
Yeah, I know – how is it he is only 17 right?
At this point, my jaw is dropped and I’m feeling so proud of him! How many people spend a lifetime not being able to decipher what is really true, and honour the self with clear, loving boundaries, let alone being able to trust it – especially when it hurts at the same time.
Truth, and listening to that deep calling, isn’t always easy, even if it feels right. How many people would love to have had this awareness, skill and support now, let alone when you were 17? What would your life look like if you embodied listening fully? How would your life be different?
And, of course, it didn’t end there for me.
On Thursday (now back at home), my 14-year-old daughter comes home from school telling me this story about how when she was walking to the bathroom, a teacher popped out and said, “Are you busy? Can we borrow you for a brief project/quiz?” My daughter said yes, even when she wasn’t feeling necessarily comfortable with it (it was outside her comfort zone – she is a bit shy).
She walked into the room (of all boys) and had to introduce herself, and then answer a series of simple questions like, “Which of these three lines are the same length as this one?” Little did she know, she was set up in a test to see whether she would pick the “right” answer and trust herself, even though everyone else was told to say an incorrect answer.
So, in a room of all boys, being a 14-year-old girl that is way outside her comfort zone, she stood by what she saw as the right answers.
Whoot, whoot! Beaming with pride… it’s a mother’s dream that her children can tap into their inner strength and stand in their own inner authenticity! Now, don’t get me wrong – my kids all still have moments of doubt, fear and resistance, but they feel the difference when they don’t listen. They have learned the skills of listening.
Each phase and stage for them (and all of us) brings new obstacles and challenges to embody that even more. My prayer is that we are all learning to listen to our soul’s calling and gain the inner strength, access the innate wisdom and feel the courage to move in the direction of truth – honouring who you are and standing tall and… unapologetically YOU!
I’m so grateful that this week brought these three amazing reminders about the importance of listening within, not abandoning the Self and being committed to truth, no matter whether it is painful or way outside our comfort zone.
You must be willing to risk everything to be all of who you are!
Where are you being called to, that you have been putting off?
Is there something painful that you have been avoiding because it’s easier to be complacent?
What do you know you need but are afraid to honour?
When is enough, enough? And what does that look like to you?
