If you would have asked me 5 years ago what mindfulness is and if I practice it, I would have given you a blank stare, followed by a moment of panic that I was somehow ignorant for not knowing. Being mindful, aware and in-tune with myself was something that just did not exist in me. I was a classic example of a person operating on auto-pilot, burying my emotions and needs and avoiding any type of feeling what-so-ever. If I am being honest, there were only a few emotions anyway; happy, sad, pissed-off. Hmmm, yep, that’s about it for me. It wasn’t until I thought I was dying, literally, that I decided to step into this scary world called “Rachel”. What the hell was going on with me that I was walking around like a zombie, a shell of a human, sick, tired, sad and totally and completely unable to find connection in other people? Yeah, it was pretty rough for a few years. I didn’t like myself much so I can’t blame others for not liking me either. Then one day the Universe stepped in and took control. It dropped a bomb in my lap and said “Ok you stubborn woman. If you’re not going to pay attention to your needs, then we are going to knock you on your ass, pin you down and keep you there until you do”. It was kind of like when your brother sits on top of you and dangles spit over your face until you give in to his demands – all of you with older brothers know exactly what I’m talking about! Yep, that’s what happened to me. I had a full-blown come to Jesus and there was no turning back.
Each day was an eye-opening experience for me. Suddenly I was able to see more clearly. I was able to feel just a little more and trust those feelings to lead me in the right direction. It led me out of a job that was no longer honoring me. It led me to a new career of Nutrition Therapy and Professional Coaching. It led me out of a marriage that was crushing my spirit. It led me to the arms of many beautiful people who supported my journey, encouraged my growth and taught me that love is not a weakness…….and it all happened overnight. HA! Total bullshit. I’m still learning, practicing, falling off the wagon and climbing back on, but the bottom line is I’m doing it. It’s not perfect and in fact, sometimes its rather ugly – especially when I do the ugly cry, but I’m doing it and my life continues to move me to a place that feels so right, honoring, content, invigorating, challenging, WTF-ing, and loving; and I do this through mindfulness. I do this during the “pause” when our brains formulate a signal and we react on this signal. That’s the pause. The time it takes between the two. That’s our window of opportunity to make a choice. Do you choose what you’ve always done, like shoving in another brownie, or do you choose a new path, one that moves you toward the place you wish and dream to be? The “pause”, a quarter of a second that allows you to take control, make change and break old habits.
Psychologist Viktor Frankl highlighted the power of awareness: “Between the stimulus and the response is a space. In that space lies our ability to choose. In our ability to choose lies our power and our freedom.”
If you’re not exactly where you want to be in your life, but don’t know how to get there, I will help you. I truly feel one of my purposes in life is to help people find themselves again. To move out of whatever is holding them down, to a life of happiness, confidence, joy, power and love. Wherever you know you want to be, or don’t know it yet, but know there is MORE, let’s go there!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/30/habits-mindful-people_n_5186510.html