You know the old saying that people appear in your life for a reason and for each there is a purpose and a season? I can honestly attribute my "awakening" to one such experience eight years ago. Something about this person really got under my skin and I came to realize as time went on that I had been living in a bubble for many years concerning who I was and why, among other things. Based on experiences of the past decade or so, I can say that I have broken out of my bubble to recognize the possibilities and the potential but I know that as far as enlightenment goes...I have a long journey ahead of me. On a scale of 1 to 10, I believe I would now rate myself as follows:
Physical wellbeing - 3 (I have regressed from the gym rat of four years ago to a less than comfortable state)
Psychological wellbeing - 6 (I have learned a lot about what makes me tick and what I need to do and not do to continue forward)
Spiritual wellbeing - 8 (I have accepted my own beliefs as valid, albeit not mainstream, and recognize potential for continued growth)
This is quite an improvement from the person I was a decade ago, walking around with a big "why?" bubble over my head, so I am beginning to see a glimmer of that path we speak of and am excited about the journey!
Goals:
Physical - continue with my exercise program and maintain focus.
Psychological - continue to remind myself of how far I have come so that I may continue forward; one day at a time.
Spiritual - continue looking within for my own answers.
These sound general, but I have had to learn the art of being kind to myself. Being a breadwinner, mom, wife, student - for so long really took it's toll and I was the last one I worried about. Validating myself and my own needs and desires was quite an accomplishment for me and took many years. Now I am focused on doing what is good for me - diet and exercise, spending time with my dogs and going to rescue events (my passion and great psychological therapy), and continuing to delve into Eastern religion and culture.
Your goals sound quite similar to my own. I guess I always feel that I have room for improvement when it comes to myself.
ReplyDeleteI always continue my exercise program in one way or another, but every now and then I get very serious about it.
I too, thought that my goals seemed general, but I find if I begin with a general goal that I can then break it down into smaller goals that will lead me in the direction that I desire to go.
My situation was a bit different from yours, but somewhat similar just the same as I had been a 24/7 caretaker to my late husband for the 10 years of his illness and I always put myself last. Then shortly before my husband passed away I had an “awakening” and started doing things for myself to make me better which in the long run helped me to take better care of my husband and gave me the strength to get through those final months of my husband’s life.
The areas that you are now focusing on sound great and I think that they will lead you to your goals.
Good Luck!
Cherri Looney
Hi Cherri,
DeleteThose "awakenings" are a wonderful thing, are they not? I had a similar epiphany several years ago...one of those "ah hah!" moments when you wonder why you never understood this whole concept sooner. I still wonder at how much time I wasted trapped in my own head, doing my "duty" to others while ignoring myself. Thanks for your comments and good luck to you as well!
Carrie Lawson
Carrie,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are on a wonderful journey, have amazing self-awareness, and are evolving in positive ways. Your statement “These sound general, but I have had to learn the art of being kind to myself.” really stood out to me. I do think it’s important to be kind to yourself and its necessary to prioritize yourself and your needs, especially when you have been focused on others for so long. However, I would encourage you to make some more specific goals. They do not need to be big, just measurable, and evolutionary. I noticed that all three of your goals began with “continue to”. If your doing is new than continuing to do is still evolutionary because you are making it a habit, but if you have been doing what you’re doing for a while, your new goal should be an improvement. It could be something like “journal about my emotions for at least 15 minutes a week, or increase my aerobic exercise by 10 minutes a day” Just thoughts. I really enjoyed your post. Thank you
Sacha
Hi Sacha,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions. I know my idea of goals probably goes against the mainstream and, like you said, they could be more specific, but that is my point exactly. For many years, I have tried to abide by what others thought I should do, or be, or how I should go about it. It's not that I don't believe in goal-setting as I do, but as part of being kind to myself, and as a result of finding what is comfortable for me, I prefer to let things unfold naturally. I have faith that my path will become ever more apparent as I am true to myself. I became much more relaxed about evolution after my journey through regression hypnosis. It was an eye-opener, to say the least, and had a positive effect on my level of patience. I feel that the universe will take care of it all in due time! Thanks for your thoughts and comments!
Carrie Lawson
nicely stated!!!!! Good luck on your journey.
ReplyDelete