As you go along taking steps toward whatever it is you are up to in your life you will eventually come up against the inevitable fence. This is that all too familiar point where you don’t want to move forward even though you can see through the fence you have created in front of you.
photo from Thomas Laupstad’s blog – http://blog.thomaslaupstad.com/
When this happens, it is really useful to know your “what for”. If the term “what for” is new to you, it is simply the experience or value that you are creating by taking on the project that you have. For example, if you have a weight loss project your what fors my be some of these: to look better, to fit into my old clothes, to feel better, to live longer, to be more able to do things with my children, to shift my relationship with myself, to commit to myself to a breakthrough level, to find in my daily habits a reflection of the love I want to experience for myself, etc.
When you come up against the fence and part of you wants to just sit on the sofa instead of meditating, exercising, making a healthy meal, releasing toxic emotions, or whatever your current action is, then this is when you pull out your what for. This is where to reconnect to your heart instead of your head. This is the fertile ground where your breakthroughs really germinate.
Another place to go when you are up against the fence is to your centre, the deepest truth you can access within yourself; your essence/soul/heart/spirit, or whatever your term is. This is where your deep well of strength comes from.
Let me give you an example from my life. For well over an hour this afternoon my body was telling me it needed to run or walk. I was busy at the time so I noticed the message and put it aside to check in with later. After a few errands the message was still clear. Well, it’s autumn here in northwest Canada, which means it’s cold and raining. Neither of these are favourable for running or walking, but when you live in a rainforest you have to expect to get wet. There was my fence. I could see/feel the benefit of the activity, and at the same time I wanted to curl up at home with something warm. Since I do not have a weight loss project or an exercise project I do not have a list of what fors. So I went to option two from above. I went inside and connected to a greater truth within myself than the truth of that part of me wanting something warm in my living room. It was not some kind of thought or motivational quote. It was something far more subtle and deep within myself. Almost against my will I grabbed my music, vibram fivefingers, rain gear, keys, and headed out.
If the act of breaking through the fence is not enough of a reward, then create a reward strong enough to support you. For me, and this fence today, the reward was dinner in a hot, epsom salt and baking soda, bubble bath. Simple and very effective, and probably more information than you want to know.
I like to tell the people I work with that what we practice is what we get. When we practice stopping we get more of that. When we practice connecting deeper than that surface voice that says stop, we get more of that. When we practice breaking through the fence and moving forward we get more of what is on the other side of that fence for us.
Be well my friends.
Unleashing Your Potential 