Reflections: Procrastination or Stepping Up
'Compass Rose Speaks'
Workshop 7 July in
Cornwall
Concessionary coaching place during July and August
Reflections: Procrastination or Stepping Up
Procrastination or
stepping up? As I sit in a shady spot in my garden during our current glorious
June weather, I have been reflecting on this. We are now past the solstice -
past midsummer here, past midwinter if you are in another part of the world.
Half of 2018 has already passed by - time for action?
For the whole of
this year I have been saying, to myself, and to others (including on my
email signature) that I have a work in progress, a new publication for 2018. As
I have just observed, half of 2018 has gone, so if I am to achieve the goal I
have set myself, I need to get a move on, as the saying goes. My intention was
to be writing sections all year, as the groups I work with on the slow steady
version of unfurling the Dare to Blossom Power Flower have been flowing
through the seasons.
My inner critic has
been shouting at me that I have done 'nothing', and yet, that is not true. Not
only have I been writing steadily (just maybe not in a file labeled 'book
draft'), but I have an immense library of unpublished writing, not to mention
other work in blog archives and the like, on which I could draw.
In a recent
meditation, flying on the magic carpet ride visualisation that I so often
facilitate for others, I realised, or, rather, was shown, that the flower
symbol has much more depth and richness, and potential, than I have noticed so
far. The simple graphic of the flower with a centre point and four petals has
proved potent and powerful, for myself, and for others.
Part of the book
will be about that practical process, combining the Power Flower with the
Rediscovery Cards, (as in the example above), that has been tried and tested
with individuals and groups, in person and on-line for nearly two years now.
Those petals, those points: Peace at the centre, Purpose to the North, Passion
in the East, Power to the South, and Progress to the West - those points have a
profound flow and symbolism to them. Whether people are in the workshops here
in Cornwall, where people have returned for a second 'turn around the sun' a
second year of flow and exploration; in the Dare to Blossom into Joy Mastermind
group where an group of women from around the world have developed a deep
and supportive connection as we journey together through the year; or in the
shorter more focused versions in one-to-one coaching, or a Dare to Blossom
Quest Day, however they come to this - it works. (I recently described
what that symbolism means to me in a prose poem, that I will include at the end
of this newsletter.)
It works for people
right where they are, however they come, dipping in and out, or staying for a
long term programme. However short our personal contact, the effect is long
term and can be transformational. The process continues to unfold and
evolve as people integrate the initial work they have done into their
lives. Every time they revisit, or simply remember, a word or a phrase, a
feeling, an emotion, that was evoked - then the magic is working.
Speaking of magic, the other tried and tested process, that I mentioned earlier and is a key part of my work, along with the Rediscovery Cards, is the guided visualisation that I called a 'Magic Carpet Ride' over three years ago. People love the idea so much I have not changed that title. For many of us the symbolic Magic Carpet may not appear in our inner journeys, certainly for me it does not feature every time.Yet each time I speak the words of the visualisation that set people on their journey; each time I stand beside them as their companion along the way; each time - true magic happens.
Maybe not a white rabbit plucked out of a top hat, although sometimes it feels just as amazingly wonderful as that, when a new idea for a business or creative work arrives fully formed along their journey. At other times people return deeply moved after conversations with loved ones who have died, or insights into dealing with difficult relationships with those still living. Sometimes, the experience is a simple floating or resting.
The true magic is that of allowing us to be with all the parts of ourselves: the logical, the practical, the creative, the artistic, the adult, the child, the fey, the whimsical. Knowing that each of these parts brings gifts and each is a valued part of the whole. My own journey of rediscovering my inner wisdom and stepping into my power has been about just that. Re-finding, re-claiming those parts, some of which I may have rejected, and allowing them to stand proudly as themselves. Letting go of the fear of other people's opinions and judgment. Letting go of imposing my expectations of these judgments from others on myself without even giving the real people a chance to respond themselves.
This work with visualisation, is where the extra detail will come in the book. I see that there can be many more rows of petal opening. A little like the lotus flower, in between the my flower's simple four petals, there are others: supporting, deepening, growing. (This a slightly out of focus photo was taken at Kew Gardens two years ago, before I replaced my phone for one with a good camera).
The extra layers for the book will be unfolded from the resource of my own journals, my own journeying. The journals contain stories: stories I have seen, created, observed, participated in - however they came about. There will be 'Unfurling' chapters, working with each point of the simple Power Flower, starting with Peace in the centre, and working around the four petals as we do in the workshops. Interspersed will be 'Journeyings' chapters. Some may contain stories from my life, my experiences as I remember them. Others may tell some of the stories of my inner journeys, in meditation, on my magic carpet and through other visualisations.
Speaking of magic, the other tried and tested process, that I mentioned earlier and is a key part of my work, along with the Rediscovery Cards, is the guided visualisation that I called a 'Magic Carpet Ride' over three years ago. People love the idea so much I have not changed that title. For many of us the symbolic Magic Carpet may not appear in our inner journeys, certainly for me it does not feature every time.Yet each time I speak the words of the visualisation that set people on their journey; each time I stand beside them as their companion along the way; each time - true magic happens.
Maybe not a white rabbit plucked out of a top hat, although sometimes it feels just as amazingly wonderful as that, when a new idea for a business or creative work arrives fully formed along their journey. At other times people return deeply moved after conversations with loved ones who have died, or insights into dealing with difficult relationships with those still living. Sometimes, the experience is a simple floating or resting.
The true magic is that of allowing us to be with all the parts of ourselves: the logical, the practical, the creative, the artistic, the adult, the child, the fey, the whimsical. Knowing that each of these parts brings gifts and each is a valued part of the whole. My own journey of rediscovering my inner wisdom and stepping into my power has been about just that. Re-finding, re-claiming those parts, some of which I may have rejected, and allowing them to stand proudly as themselves. Letting go of the fear of other people's opinions and judgment. Letting go of imposing my expectations of these judgments from others on myself without even giving the real people a chance to respond themselves.
This work with visualisation, is where the extra detail will come in the book. I see that there can be many more rows of petal opening. A little like the lotus flower, in between the my flower's simple four petals, there are others: supporting, deepening, growing. (This a slightly out of focus photo was taken at Kew Gardens two years ago, before I replaced my phone for one with a good camera).
The extra layers for the book will be unfolded from the resource of my own journals, my own journeying. The journals contain stories: stories I have seen, created, observed, participated in - however they came about. There will be 'Unfurling' chapters, working with each point of the simple Power Flower, starting with Peace in the centre, and working around the four petals as we do in the workshops. Interspersed will be 'Journeyings' chapters. Some may contain stories from my life, my experiences as I remember them. Others may tell some of the stories of my inner journeys, in meditation, on my magic carpet and through other visualisations.
An additional part
of my work has been slotting into place over the last few weeks. Being made to
slow down by a virus and a minor back problem, being made to let go and cancel
some plans, this made space for the new.
I saw afresh what I have always known, the importance to me of being firmly rooted, seeing myself again as the tree shining her light, knowing she has a strong anchor point in the earth. Maybe some of my procrastination in relation to writing came through a little too much stepping out in to the world, or too quickly. I have been pushing my own comfort zone, giving talks at events large and small. Maybe I needed to re-root into my inner power before I could step truly into that place? This painting is the first I ever framed, emerging out of meditative doodles in a workshop with the talented Annie B. It hangs on the wall in my study and continually reminds me to connect with my light within.
So I have been grounding and balancing. Listening to myself. Listening to what my heart knows and I often either dismiss or fail to hear altogether. From this inner work a new offering emerged - that some of you reading this have tested for me, with heart-warming results. "The Root and Branch Listenings". Briefly, in case you did not see the special notice I sent about this a few weeks ago, these are based on the principle that the Rediscovery Cards are for you to use as a tool to rediscover your own inner wisdom, and that my work is about Listening to help you along the way. (Read more here)
I saw afresh what I have always known, the importance to me of being firmly rooted, seeing myself again as the tree shining her light, knowing she has a strong anchor point in the earth. Maybe some of my procrastination in relation to writing came through a little too much stepping out in to the world, or too quickly. I have been pushing my own comfort zone, giving talks at events large and small. Maybe I needed to re-root into my inner power before I could step truly into that place? This painting is the first I ever framed, emerging out of meditative doodles in a workshop with the talented Annie B. It hangs on the wall in my study and continually reminds me to connect with my light within.
So I have been grounding and balancing. Listening to myself. Listening to what my heart knows and I often either dismiss or fail to hear altogether. From this inner work a new offering emerged - that some of you reading this have tested for me, with heart-warming results. "The Root and Branch Listenings". Briefly, in case you did not see the special notice I sent about this a few weeks ago, these are based on the principle that the Rediscovery Cards are for you to use as a tool to rediscover your own inner wisdom, and that my work is about Listening to help you along the way. (Read more here)
.I have used a lot of words to describe all the good things that have developed, and how I know that people gain benefits from the work I do. And yet, I still feel a reluctance, a resistance, to moving ahead with the book. This feeling has another name: Fear.
Fear. When I drop
inside and allow this feeling, this fear to speak, I find the voice of the
young girl, the young Mary. The girl who was punished at her first primary
school for something she did not do. The girl who was bullied at her first
secondary school, apparently simply for being 'different'. Even as an adult at
work, various experiences rocked her world and resulting in her doubting
herself. This Mary did not know she had chosen to give away her power, nor that
she could reclaim it whenever she wished. I know now not to blame or berate
myself for this (nor others): I feel that I (as we all do) was doing the best I
could at the time. Protecting myself, and maybe I felt that withdrawing,
hiding, was necessary at that time to keep myself safe.
In some ways I feel I began an emerging journey in 1994, when I was diagnosed with cancer, and I have experienced a number of 'wake-up calls' over the years since then. Everyone has a stories like these, I am not painting myself as a victim or asking for your sympathy. I am becoming more aware of the cyclical nature of my own journey, and that may have resonance for you. Or it may not. And that is all fine.
One of the meditation journeys I experienced when I held the space for the first Magic Carpet Ride Group, in June 2015, was extremely powerful for me. The full story will be shared in the new book. Briefly, I saw myself faced with taking a decision, to move forward on a perilous journey or to turn back to safety and remain the same. There was no judgment felt then, no accusation of 'procrastination' such as in my heading for this piece, just a simple choice between stepping up, and staying where I was, each with consequences. Neither right or wrong. just different.
In some ways I feel I began an emerging journey in 1994, when I was diagnosed with cancer, and I have experienced a number of 'wake-up calls' over the years since then. Everyone has a stories like these, I am not painting myself as a victim or asking for your sympathy. I am becoming more aware of the cyclical nature of my own journey, and that may have resonance for you. Or it may not. And that is all fine.
One of the meditation journeys I experienced when I held the space for the first Magic Carpet Ride Group, in June 2015, was extremely powerful for me. The full story will be shared in the new book. Briefly, I saw myself faced with taking a decision, to move forward on a perilous journey or to turn back to safety and remain the same. There was no judgment felt then, no accusation of 'procrastination' such as in my heading for this piece, just a simple choice between stepping up, and staying where I was, each with consequences. Neither right or wrong. just different.
Here is a very short
extract:
"How many times
have I stood in this place? How often have I been at the point of taking off
and flying, of daring to blossom, of unleashing my power within? How many times
have I stepped back, retreated to a safe place? I take a deep breath,
shake my body and settle my bones, my muscles, lift my head, standing tall, I
look at my guide - waiting patiently - I put out my hand to grasp theirs and
say strongly: 'Yes! Yes, I am ready.' "
Maybe it has taken three years, or maybe I have been stepping up ever since and not realising that I was. Either way, yes, I am ready. Are you?
Maybe it has taken three years, or maybe I have been stepping up ever since and not realising that I was. Either way, yes, I am ready. Are you?
For you, for your
journal, meditations or artwork:
What does
'stepping up' mean for you?
Where do you experience yourself doing that?
And where do you experience procrastination or resistance?
What else is there? What is hidden beneath those feelings?
And, what else?
What is your next small step?
What would make that easy and fun?
Or, will you choose to remain content where you are?
How does that feel?
I feel it is relevant here to remind you that this is powerful work you are doing. It may stir uncomfortable feelings, emotions or memories. If you need help, reach out and ask someone, and that may be professional help. I have done this a number of times over the years. Sometimes counselling, more recently coaching (and at times in the past, both of those). If you feel it would be useful for us to talk, simply book a 'complimentary consultation' through my Calendar service here.
Where do you experience yourself doing that?
And where do you experience procrastination or resistance?
What else is there? What is hidden beneath those feelings?
And, what else?
What is your next small step?
What would make that easy and fun?
Or, will you choose to remain content where you are?
How does that feel?
I feel it is relevant here to remind you that this is powerful work you are doing. It may stir uncomfortable feelings, emotions or memories. If you need help, reach out and ask someone, and that may be professional help. I have done this a number of times over the years. Sometimes counselling, more recently coaching (and at times in the past, both of those). If you feel it would be useful for us to talk, simply book a 'complimentary consultation' through my Calendar service here.
'Compass Rose
Speaks'
I am your Compass
Rose. My centre point is Peace. Balancing, grounding.
Look up! Look North,
to your Guiding Star. Your Purpose.
From the East comes
the rising sun. Passion, potential.
South is the source
of nature's powers. The flowing rivers, the rising tides, the ever-changing
oceans. The wind that shapes the land. The power that is arising in you.
West is the
land of the setting sun. Progressing forwards into the night. Anticipating the
promise of a new day. Return your attention to your centre point, Peace.
Balanced, grounded.
I am your Compass
Rose.
© Mary Lunnen 2018
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cornwall: Dare to
Blossom Workshop 7th July 10 am to 1 pm: Stepping into Your Power 4: Power - Stepping
Up
The next of the regular workshops at the Blue Lotus Therapy Centre, near Scorrier. It may come as no surprise that the petal we are unfolding this time is Power, and the subtitle 'Stepping Up'. Read more here.
The next of the regular workshops at the Blue Lotus Therapy Centre, near Scorrier. It may come as no surprise that the petal we are unfolding this time is Power, and the subtitle 'Stepping Up'. Read more here.
Concessionary
coaching place during July and August
For those of you who choose not to be on Facebook, here is today's notice about the availability of a concessionary coaching place - could that be for you?
For those of you who choose not to be on Facebook, here is today's notice about the availability of a concessionary coaching place - could that be for you?
During July and
August I am retreating a little from being out and about, and from my
one-to-one coaching work, so I can focus on writing, and on resting.
Are you feeling at that place, in the words that inspired 'Dare to Blossom', where "....the day came when the risk it took to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.'?
Or maybe you are at a crossroads and not knowing which way to turn? Maybe your children will be starting school in September, or maybe leaving home? Maybe you feel so rushed and stressed that you never stop running? How would it feel to have half an hour every two weeks to breathe; to pause; to hear yourself think?
Here are some words from someone I worked with earlier this year:
"I am amazed how impactful and insightful just half an hour with you can be – which I wasn’t expecting, but loved. All our sessions have been an incredibly positive experience; setting me up on the right tracks to move forward again." read more here)
The concessionary offer is five thirty minute coaching calls on Zoom video-coaching, at half price. The usual charge is £225, paid one session at a time, in advance, or minus 10% for advance block payment (which comes to £202.50). The half price offer is therefore £112.50, £22.50 per session, or £101.25 in advance.
Is this for you? If you think it may be, have a look at my website coaching page here. Before you make a decision, we will talk first to get to know each other a little, so book your complimentary consultation now using this link to make sure you don't miss out. If it turns out not to be for you then the place will be there for someone else
Please do feel free to comment below, I would love to know how you resonate with this.Are you feeling at that place, in the words that inspired 'Dare to Blossom', where "....the day came when the risk it took to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.'?
Or maybe you are at a crossroads and not knowing which way to turn? Maybe your children will be starting school in September, or maybe leaving home? Maybe you feel so rushed and stressed that you never stop running? How would it feel to have half an hour every two weeks to breathe; to pause; to hear yourself think?
Here are some words from someone I worked with earlier this year:
"I am amazed how impactful and insightful just half an hour with you can be – which I wasn’t expecting, but loved. All our sessions have been an incredibly positive experience; setting me up on the right tracks to move forward again." read more here)
The concessionary offer is five thirty minute coaching calls on Zoom video-coaching, at half price. The usual charge is £225, paid one session at a time, in advance, or minus 10% for advance block payment (which comes to £202.50). The half price offer is therefore £112.50, £22.50 per session, or £101.25 in advance.
Is this for you? If you think it may be, have a look at my website coaching page here. Before you make a decision, we will talk first to get to know each other a little, so book your complimentary consultation now using this link to make sure you don't miss out. If it turns out not to be for you then the place will be there for someone else
If you would like to own a set of Dare to Blossom Rediscovery cards to explore their power for yourself please visit the dedicated page.
Thank you dear friends for visiting with me again this month and sharing my musings.
Until next time,
with love,
Mary
Find 'Dare to Blossom Life Coaching' on Facebook, @daretoblossom on Twitter
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