What if the task is to simply unfold, to become who you already are in your essential nature? - Oriah Mountain Dreamer
What I’m hearing from clients and from friends, and what I’m feeling myself - people are tired, spent, depleted. Tired of trying to wrap their heads around what school will look like for September; tired of having events cancelled, tired of reading discouraging headlines; tired of not visiting with friends and family without a second thought.
And, ultimately, tired of the not knowing.
I’ve written before about allowing things to unfold. In that allowing, we focus more on who and what we are being rather than placing the emphasis on what we are doing. It is harder than it sounds.
It makes me think of a challenging yoga pose where my first reaction is “this is going to suck,” and then as I ease into it, step by step, my body begins to take on the new shape.
At first it feels like a struggle, and then as I let go of a little bit of the tension, the struggle transforms into release. Then suddenly, I am just there, doing this difficult pose. Unfolding, even in the folding.
Here we are folding ourselves into new shapes - making concessions, imagining new ways of doing things, putting things on hold. And we are primed for release - releasing expectations, letting go of our sense of control.
That’s where the unfolding can be found - in relinquishing any notion of control, in being with the unknown and uncertainty. In this place, it’s more about who I am being than what I am doing.
And so I put my focus there: Who do I want to be in this liminal space? What are the qualities I want to embody?
I want to be gentle
I want to be open
I want to be courageous
I want to be fierce
I want to be empathic
I want to be flexible
I want to be present
I want to be centered
I notice an ebb and flow to my choice of words - a reaching out, a coming back, a reaching out, always coming back. Perhaps that is the dance of folding and unfolding. Center never changes.
What is your relationship with doing and with being? What do you feel at the center of your being? How does that show up in this liminal space?
And, ultimately, tired of the not knowing.
I’ve written before about allowing things to unfold. In that allowing, we focus more on who and what we are being rather than placing the emphasis on what we are doing. It is harder than it sounds.
It makes me think of a challenging yoga pose where my first reaction is “this is going to suck,” and then as I ease into it, step by step, my body begins to take on the new shape.
At first it feels like a struggle, and then as I let go of a little bit of the tension, the struggle transforms into release. Then suddenly, I am just there, doing this difficult pose. Unfolding, even in the folding.
Here we are folding ourselves into new shapes - making concessions, imagining new ways of doing things, putting things on hold. And we are primed for release - releasing expectations, letting go of our sense of control.
That’s where the unfolding can be found - in relinquishing any notion of control, in being with the unknown and uncertainty. In this place, it’s more about who I am being than what I am doing.
And so I put my focus there: Who do I want to be in this liminal space? What are the qualities I want to embody?
I want to be gentle
I want to be open
I want to be courageous
I want to be fierce
I want to be empathic
I want to be flexible
I want to be present
I want to be centered
I notice an ebb and flow to my choice of words - a reaching out, a coming back, a reaching out, always coming back. Perhaps that is the dance of folding and unfolding. Center never changes.
What is your relationship with doing and with being? What do you feel at the center of your being? How does that show up in this liminal space?
 | Jessica Curtis is a professional life coach who helps people cultivate intention and live from a place of meaning and authenticity. If you think you could benefit from working with Jessica or want to invite her to work with your group, reach out to start a conversation. |
Sign-up to receive my newsletter and blog to your Inbox:
RSS Feed
