Dear reader,
We need to talk.
There’s part of the Alignment process that you are afraid of, & thus, you are currently avoiding.
Don’t feel bad - I’ve avoided it in the past, as well, & so have all of my clients.
Furthermore, our entire world has been invited to experience this part of the journey in real time - yet very few of us have embraced the opportunity.
Which is a bummer, because this part of the process holds power & magic for those who are courageous enough to say, “yes.”
What I’m speaking of is the “in between:”
that uncomfortable space between knowledge, & action; between knowing & doing.
I’ve also referred to this space as the grey area, the waiting room, & the manifestation station (clever!)
When I sense my clients’ are about to arrive here on their journey, I prepare myself to co-navigate fear & confusion & a little bit of panic.
Because in a world where achievement & action are plastered across every billboard & self-development book, it is novel to consider that sometimes progress does not require us to crowd calendars, organize checklists, or master a skill.
When we arrive in the in between, our tendency is to think something is wrong. We fight against it - or, if you’re anything like me, we try to problem solve our way out of it.
Here’s the revelation: sometimes, to make progress is to pause; sometimes, the most productive & beneficial thing we can do is wait.
Again, our world hasn’t necessarily taught us this fact - so allow me to demonstrate the significance of the in between through your own breath:
Notice, in this moment, your breath. Sense your inhale, & experience your exhale.
Now, notice the space after your inhale is complete & before your exhale begins.
By nature, in our own breath, there is an in between.
In our own breath, there is a moment where nothing needs to be done
There is no task or required action - yet it clearly needs to exist.
To emphasize that point, let’s try to “fix” or eliminate it.
For a moment, remove the space between you inhales & exhales…
If you do so, you will experience immediate stress & a forced, energy-depleting, rather than life-giving, breath.
Breath without space does not feel great - yet, this is how so many of us are walking around the world.
We try to force decision after decision, & action after action -
Which is parallel to yelling at a tree to blossom immediately after its previous leaves have fallen.
& it turns out neither yelling, nor running in circles, nor problem solving expedites the natural flow of life.
Just as we need a pause in our breath, just as Mother Nature needs the stillness of winter - you, too, thrive with an in between.
And, it’s uncomfortable - right? Again, most of us right in this moment are doing anything we can to avoid it.
Because in a world of doing, there is nothing to DO in a space of pause.
The only point, is for it to exist & for us to patiently exist in it.
The great news, is once we accept the in between as part of our natural rhythm, life gets much easier -
Decisions, actions, & our interaction with it all are a little more natural & a lot more energizing.
One of my clients is experiencing this in real time. She knows her current job is not her forever work - yet we have tuned in & clearly felt right now is not the time to jump toward her entrepreneurial dream - even though we have a sense this is where she’s headed in the future.
So, instead of forcing misaligned action for the sake of doing, we patiently wait for the time to act - & in the meantime, her & I have the opportunity to joyfully experience abundant space to clarify dreams & envision what the next chapter will bring.
What a gift; this is such an important step to support & ignite her upcoming season when it is time.
Are you in an in between, as well? Maybe you’re out of work - & not yet clear what your next job will be. Maybe you’re grieving loss - & not yet ready to create a new normal.
Our entire world is in lockdown - so although pause & this grey area likely feels a little uncomfortable, at least you are not alone. (And, reader, you are never alone.)
I challenge us to utilize this time to get curious about the in between.
Rather than forcing quick inhale after exhale - metaphorically or literally hyperventilating.
Pause, instead. Return to calm -
& if your mind fears this part of the cycle as being unproductive or unnecessary, return to your breath.
Pause, stillness, & the in between are part of the process.
Trust this to be true.
