Have you ever stopped what you are doing to listen in on the stories being spun in your mind? Have you ever considered that perhaps whatever intense feeling you may be experiencing in the moment is meant to be just that – an experience?
Instead of mistaking who we are for what is happening in our lives, what might happen if we agree to view all life encounters, good and bad, as moving pieces that can flow through us? I can’t help but notice that there is a lot of acceptance and joy in allowing ourselves the gift to be breathed by life.
These are the key points, and learning I have been practicing, perhaps they may be a fit for you too.
Pay Attention
Pay attention to the stories you are weaving. They are most likely creative and detailed and awesome, and they probably feel really real. Our personal chronicles can entertain, bring joy, sadness, frustration, loneliness and so much more. I find it inspiring that we are all storytellers in our own right and we have been given creative license to concoct some of the most brilliant tales in the matter of minutes – it’s simply amazing!
What I find most intriguing by all of this, is that more often than not these tales have absolutely no truth in them whatsoever. See what happens when you put your focus on the stories running through your mind for a part of your day. Is it possible that some of what you are telling yourself is based on fears and worries, or details that aren’t actually true for you? These stories may be about yourself, about others or about your experiences.
I enjoy checking in on my stories just to marvel at my creativity. Every time I do, I am equally blown away by the untruths in the stories I am telling myself. I am often humored and entertained by my observations. At the same time, I also feel a wave of relief wash over me by knowing I can detach from the story through recognizing its lack of truth.
Paying attention to the stories we create for ourselves, is one of the quickest ways to get out of a funk and instead become centered and present in the moment. I believe we are all equipped with the ability to self-reflect. If we choose, each of us can willingly step outside of a participation role in our life and into an observer role.
So whenever you are feeling a little stuck on something for too long, see what happens when you step into your observer role and pay attention to the story you are currently creating. As you do, be sure to check in to see if an element of creative fiction has been woven into the story.
You are More
You are not your thoughts, feelings and actions – you are so much more. You are a creator, an observer and a participant of all of your thoughts, feelings and actions throughout this grand life adventure. So create, observe and participate loudly, fully and proudly. But whatever you do, don’t attach your worth to your creations, observations and experiences.
This isn’t about being hard on ourselves for what we should or shouldn’t be thinking or feeling. See what happens when you are willing to acknowledge the occurrence of whatever is going on for you, and be okay with your reaction – it’s just a reaction, it isn’t who you are.
There is a wonderful sense of inner peace that comes when we allow whatever is going on for us to pass through, without attaching our worth to it. We are human and therefore thoughts and experiences exist. Remind yourself often that it is okay for them to exist, you can question them, alter them, embellish them and see the reality before you because of them. Thoughts may turn into things, but you don’t have to become them. You are so much more!
Be Moved
Instead of confusing yourself by believing you have become an experience, feeling, thought or label. See what happens when you shift your narrative. If your story is: I am anxious, angry or frustrated. See what changes when you say to yourself: it is okay to experience anxiety, anger, or frustration etc. They are just experiences. The same goes for joy, abundance and excitement. There is a lot of peace and acceptance for what is, when we can see that nothing lasts forever.
It becomes easier to open the door to fully experience life’s magic as a willing and aware participant, when we begin to notice the ebb and flow of life before us. There is room to be moved by an infinite number of other thoughts and experiences eagerly waiting to pass through us, there is no need to fixate on any of them.
Have fun with this practice, laugh at yourself often and be delighted at the life moving through you. Above all else, remember that at the end of the day whatever may be going on, good or bad, it will not remain this way forever. The landscape of life will change and new opportunities and ways of experiencing life will inevitably be there to move through and inspire you.
❤ Emily
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Originally published at www.huffingtonpost.com