It’s been a while since I’ve sent you a new note or video, mainly because I’ve been down for the count.
In fact, I’ve been on the receiving end of what I often refer to as the “forced time-out.” It’s something I’ve coached numerous clients through, but I never thought it would happen to me.
What is a forced time-out?
It’s when something unexpected develops in your life that forces you to slow down, or even stop completely. And it always, always forces you to re-evaluate how you’ve been doing things.
I’ve seen it show up as bicycle accidents, job layoffs, illnesses… for me it arrived as a sudden onset of appendicitis and an unplanned surgery to have it removed.
And if I’m really honest with myself, I should have seen it coming. For months I’ve been getting little niggles from my body to slow down, stop pushing so hard. Aches and pains in my legs, feelings of intense resistance to projects I was working on, roadblocks and random life dramas. But I ignored them. So the Universe had to up the ante to get me to stop, rest, reflect, and most of all surrender.
When you come down with a sudden illness that requires immediate surgery and a 4 week recovery period, it’s a pretty frickin’ good reminder that you are NOT in control! We’re never really in control of anything, despite what we want to believe, other than how we respond to life.
And being told I couldn’t exercise (my usual “stress reliever” aka control strategy of choice) was another tough pill to swallow. Turns out I’m being called into a deeper level of healing around body image as well.
So it’s been an interesting time of reflection and getting better acquainted with my intuition. Funny thing is I had been hearing “stop” messages in in my mind for a couple of months. I had set a goal to have my new Live & Eat Fearlessly program created and launched in May… and yet I just kept hearing, “stop,” broadcast loudly by some serious hip and hamstring flare-ups causing me almost constant pain.
But I didn’t trust myself. I mistook that voice for resistance and just kept pushing. And when I finally did release the timeline I even beat myself up for it a little bit. I realize now that the timeline I had chosen was infused with fear (“I have to do it now or else!” Or “what will people think of me if I don’t?”).
And I don’t know about you, but my soul will never let me flow freely to a fear-based goal.
Or perhaps my body and soul knew something was coming, because I’d never have been able to deliver on that program given the way things unfolded with the surgery.
In any case, I’m left with the question… when do we “push through”, and when is it OK just to pause and check yo’self before you wreck yo’self.
Yes keeping our commitments to ourselves is important, and it’s necessary for our self-worth. But for me it comes down to the nature and energy behind the commitment. (I’ll have another article coming for you on this soon.)
Perhaps I needed to have this experience so that I can make the Live & Eat Fearlessly program even better – in fact I’m 100% sure of it. When will that happen specifically? I’m don’t know yet.
But I now know that I’m much better served to move when inspired. And to trust that everything is unfolding for my highest good and the highest good of others, in exactly the right time.
For now I’m enjoying more leisurely mornings, gentle walks, and being pampered a little bit (Hey, I’m not supposed to be lifting anything heavy so someone else had better carry in the groceries J).
A Course in Miracles teaches that the Universe will do for you what you can’t do for yourself.
If there’s something your body or soul has been trying to tell you for a while, what would it take for you to trust it?
Instead of waiting for a forced time-out, what if you gave yourself that gift by choice?
Leave me a comment below and let me know how you can better listen to YOUR inner voice today…
