Releasing the Old to Invite the New – Practicing New Behaviors to Instill Inspiration
Adventures in Awareness Issue #7
“The stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.”
- Bruce Lee, Martial Artist/Actor
These past four months of 2015 have contained energizing revelations in my experience of my work, resulting from a monumental decision I made at the end of 2014. That decision was to ‘hit the pause button’ on my 18-year tenure on faculty with a coach training organization, a tenure that has comprised my entire professional identity since becoming a coach in 1997. Needless to say, this decision scared me just to think about it; I considered it carefully and seriously. Thank goodness for my coach, my husband, my colleagues and my friends who supported my emotional roller coaster as I realized leaving was the best thing I could do for myself.
That is an example of a large ‘releasing the old to invite the new’ and it illustrates the impact of this month’s ‘energy soup’. Every day I recognize thoughts, attitudes, patterns and even ‘rules’ I had unconsciously put in place around myself, especially as a member of that organization. The surprising thing I am noticing is that they are ALL of my making.
Sure, I had some organizational policies and procedures to adhere to but I am just discovering how those pale in light of the ones I wrapped around myself. Things like “this organizational work is a top priority” - despite the fact that it was a relatively small percentage of my book of business. Another example: I did not want to submit proposals to speak. Why? Because my ‘rules’ say I must use the lexicon specific to the coach training program rather than expressing my ideas in my words. Now remember that these are the rules I placed on myself, not expectations of the organization.
Now that my restrictive rules are disappearing, I notice that my energy levels are higher, my play time is unfettered, and my stress levels are nil. My creativity feels as though it is exploding, and my enjoyment of work and life has expanded dramatically. At this point, I am consciously examining and reworking what I’ve discovered so far, which, of course, is revealing the next horizon containing the new that wants to show up.
In my client conversations this week, I noticed a theme of releasing the old running through all of them in some form. Universally the expressions of how scary it is to stand on the precipice of a decision, realizing you must take a step in order to create the next new YOU. Also, realizing that you must let go of something that has been part of your life and way of being for quite a long time.
One client decided to make the time last weekend for meaningful conversations with two family members, which meant letting go of plans to focus on finishing up some school and work projects. As a result of our session, it was clear that a different choice had been made to honor a high value of ‘family’ rather than blindly adhering to an equally high value of ‘responsibility’. This realization spotlighted the activation of new behaviors leading to a more relaxed version of self, bringing more joy into life, and serving a primary coaching goal for this client right now.
Another client, while practicing new behaviors around asking for what is wanted, discovered unconscious expectations that simply because a need is made known, the other person must meet that need. As a result of our coaching conversation, these new behaviors now include the recognition that the other person has a choice. S/he can either meet the expressed need, not do so or renegotiate to serve the needs of both.
All of these stories illustrate an individual who is releasing an old, perhaps stiff, way of being to integrate a new version of self that is courageous, inspired and flexible in the winds of change.
A QUESTION FOR YOU TO ASK YOURSELF
How about you - what attitude, belief, pattern or thought is calling your awareness so that it transforms into something new?
I invite you to consider this question and, as you do, notice what new awareness emerges from within you. And please remember to have FUN on that awareness adventure into the question, okay?
Happy exploring!
Amoráh
THE ENERGY SOUP REPORT:
Since we’re inextricably interconnected to each other, our planet, and our universe, here is some of the ‘energy soup’ we’re all swimming in right now:
Full Moon - Sunday May 3rd - 8:42 PM PDT
Stephanie Austin, EcoAstology –
This full moon highlights our current passions, fears, and faith, and reveals the wisdom of our desires, the power of our unconscious mind, and the accuracy of our beliefs. Discover what is true for you now by turning down the volume of your everyday life and tuning into your heart and soul. Meditate as close as possible to the peak of the full moon, visualizing a grid of light around the Earth and the presence of all the beings assisting in humanity’s ascension at this time. Ask for guidance, be in gratitude, and enjoy the mutual blessings of random acts of kindness. Full moons bring light to the dark, illuminating what has been hidden in the unconscious; this one reveals where we are ready to delete some very old programming.
This full moon is a chance for a reset in your perception of how things really are in your life and supports forgiveness, creativity, beauty, appreciation, and all things feminine. It is a chance to experience self-love and the love of spirit. It is a day to reconnect with what is important to the emotional body and to honor your connection to all of nature. Anything you do will be supported to be practical, grounded and nurturing. Give yourself time to be out in nature and to appreciate all the beauty around you. Also give yourself the gift of something of the physical realm that you can indulge yourself in. Be grateful for your ability to manifest and honor all the things you have manifested in your life, without judgment. Allow for something new and different to settle into some kind of new alignment. A new friend, a new experience, a new idea…
The Moon pulls the tides and our emotions and deepest unconscious primal feelings. All full moons intensify this. A SCORPIO FULL MOON = INTENSE Full Moon. This full moon will be the emotional integration of “the divine child” of intuition within the empirical, intellectual and responsible “adult care-taker.” While the negotiation of these ideas may challenge you throughout the month, when these opposites resolve, consider holding on to the “playful” part of your inner child to fuel your imagination and help you to utilize the law of attraction with less resistance. This aspect may place your freedom, progress and enthusiasm at odds with your capacity to communicate your ideas.
May Theme - NEW ALIGNMENT - The Power Path –
We have had the theme of “alignment” before at various times but this month’s focus is different as the main word to pay attention to is NEW…These times are amazing, unsettled, a bit overwhelming and confusing, scary but awesome at the same time, and full of new opportunities. What is needed now is integration and assimilation that will help create a new alignment serving as a new platform from which we can move forward. Because everything is different, NEW is the word to keep in mind. It would not serve to try and force things back to an old alignment. Don’t wait for things to “get back to normal” because you may be waiting a long time. The key is to embrace what is new and different and allow the new and different to integrate into your life in some way. This may require really letting go of old expectations or the way you thought things should have been. Work with what you have rather than pining after what you don’t have.
Helpful hints:
Be around beauty as much as you can.
Laugh and be in humor as much as possible.
Use the discipline of gratitude to keep from wandering to the past, and sliding into negativity.
Eliminate negative people and environments.
Clean, clear and throw away whatever feels “old”.
Choose a practice you can do every day that will keep your focus on the NEW.
Allow new and wonderful things into your life.
Watch for synchronicity and pay attention to what shows up.
Clean up your diet and eliminate bad habits.
May 2-May 29 is the “Spectral Moon [Month] of Liberation” according to the Mayan Natural Time Calendar - its energies are Dissolve-Release-Liberation: “In order to evolve you must learn something new.”
Upcoming Events:
ICF Midwest Conference - Theme: “Getting to the Heart of the Matter” June 18-20, 2015 in Kansas City MO - my educational breakout session is entitled “Mentor Coaching: A Pathway to the Heart & Art of Coaching - Who Knew?!?!”
ICF Competency Brush-Up Program – 18.0 ICF CCEs [in core competencies] - I designed and love leading this program - next offering begins August 26, 2015 and it’s already filling!
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