Hummingbird Soul

Learning to ebb and flow with energy can be an exercise in mindfulness. It’s a new year and all-around people are goal setting, doing 30 days of this and that, dieting, exercising, and going through all manner of ‘new year, new you’ practices in change. Now that we have moved out of January some of that momentum is already heading out for some folks and may have completely ended for others. And just think, by March, getting a spot on the treadmill at the gym should no longer be an issue! 

Don’t get me wrong, personal growth and adoption of good habits are always steps in the right direction. However, it’s important to stay plugged into where you are currently and what the Universe & Spirit may be trying to grow within you… of which the timing may not always align with Earth’s rotation around the sun. So, don’t be too hard on yourself. This is normal.

This year I decided to skip all the new years’ madness for sake of my own sanity in favor of a more introspective approach. Without setting an end date I approached the holiday season and new year by taking stock of my emotions, examining how I feel about not just the last year but the last few years. I’m evaluating the person that my younger self aspired to be and how I have pursued my personal ambitions amongst the challenges of the last few years. 

I recall at the close of 2019 the wildly ambitious goals I had planned for 2020 and how crushed I was as each phase of the Covid-19 Pandemic rolled out. I wanted to go wide and the world demanded instead to go within. Everything that has happened since has been an exercise in frustration, patience, and flexibility. 

But there have been some incredibly valuable takeaways from this experience on a global level. As individuals we have an opportunity to pull some character building tools out of something that has been otherwise devastating to life as we once knew it. We have identified, and, more importantly, acknowledged, broken systems. We have found gratitude in time spent with loved ones. We have recognized the gross imbalances of work/home lives. We have found both greater division and greater unity amongst each other which has allowed space for empathy, curiosity, and understanding should we choose to take advantage of the conversation. Many people have even deepened their spiritual relationships through these challenges. 

The energy of this time has been turbulent but also ripe with hope and great opportunity to change the world. But it starts with us as individuals. 

This is a great time to evaluate some previous habits and decide which ones have served well versus the ones that have not. My personal experience in doing this has been a much more fluid process than setting annual goals and resolutions. Instead, it has become an exercise in mindfulness and self-awareness. Learning to recognize personal patterns of thought and subconscious cues takes a bit of work but the end result is well worth the effort. 

So how can we make this work in our own lives in a practical way? Here are some tips and steps that have been effective for me but feel free to customize and adopt your own helpful practices to stay tuned into energy. 

• Identify your stress – Pause when you recognize that you are anxious or stressed. Take a mindful moment and write down a few sentences about what’s bothering you. Then write one thing that YOU can do to reframe the situation or change your energy to something more productive. 
• Create space – We can modify and change the energy in our physical environment. 
  • Clear clutter. If your desk is crowded with papers create neat stacks and clear the desk space. You can go back through these later. 
  • Get some fresh air. Leave your environment and change your scenery if you’ve been in one spot for too long. Eating lunch away from my work space has improved my productivity immensely. 
• The ‘woo woo stuff’ – I know that it often seems whimsical and out of touch with reality to acknowledge what’s going on with the stars. And, granted, there have been plenty of false prophets and astrologers claiming to read the future. However, I would challenge you to start inquiring about what’s happening in the sky throughout your various moods. You may find that there is quite a bit of clarity to be found in how the stars may be impacting your current experience. Stay open minded. 
• You are in control – We can only do what we can do. We can influence some things. And some things are completely out of our control. So, understand and take action on the things that you can actually do. And don’t minimize this. We are limitless beings. But once you’ve done all you can, release the situation to the universe, pray, and trust that things will work out the way they are supposed to. 

Through these and a few other very simple practices that push me to align my energy with that of the universe I have found greater balance in my work and home life. I find it easier to recognize when I need space and much easier verbalizing this when necessary. Even when the world imposes energy and circumstance on me that are not ideal, I am able to process this and flow through to something that serves me. 

I have also found that being in flow has allowed me space to process what may be considered ‘negative’ feelings like anger, frustration, and sadness for example. Allowing space for these feelings creates greater balance because I feel like I’m getting a full human experience. I am no longer ignoring low vibrational emotions but instead allowing healthy space for them. And what do you know! It works! The more I have allowed myself to really indulge in those feelings for the moment, acknowledge and validate them, the more that I can appreciate the high vibrational emotions when they return. 

This practice has given me a greater sense of Peace. 

So, here’s my challenge to you for 2022. Find your flow. Embrace the energy around you and transform it into something that serves you. Don’t be influenced to veer off track by friends, family, or socials. Just do you. Stay close to Spirit. And flow through this year with a knowing that you are going to honor yourself first.