|
by Harriett Simon Salinger
Fuel
for your business
Many of us recently have been going through some rough business times. And that
“recently” has been stretching fairly far.
Like a number of my clients, you're probably wondering,
“What do I do? Where do I
turn next? How do I ride the waves? Will my business ever work
again?” Oh the
stress!
Frankly, I don't have the answers to these questions, but I do definitely know
that there is no one answer that fits all. No
“Ten Tips” here—but let me suggest
some ideas to ponder and perhaps a bit of learning will be revealed for you
personally.
Are you resisting where you are?
Notice how you may be resisting
where you are and
what you are truly experiencing.
You are probably not used to simply
feeling things. Change the word from
“feeling” to “experiencing” and see if that helps.
Feeling has some connotations,
but experiencing is what we are doing all the
time—except when we are resisting
those experiences. We exacerbate our stress response by resisting what we are
experiencing! So as the old adage goes, “What we
resist persists”...make a choice
to begin experiencing
now!
Primary “spiritual” principle
Remember that even when we are facing huge circumstances and seemingly
insurmountable obstacles, life is
“always
working.” We have to be willing to
“not know” and to be curious about surrendering to this
“not knowing.” I call this the
“gift of the
unknown.”
This takes some getting used to, for sure. In a culture where we have been fed
and weaned on the “need to
know” we have here another big
surrender. To
“not know” is quite a paradox which allows you to know...yes a little koan (let me know
what you learned from that one!).
Waiting for the tide
Our heart and spirit never really die. Only the physical heart truly
“bombs” out...and then it's really over! But we all can have really
lousy times, and
these times undoubtedly can affect our
non-physical heart and spirit quite deeply.
As the Buddhists say,
“When you don’t know what to do next, just
wait.”
We often make futile attempts to push and push when there is no energy to work
with. As difficult as it may be for us, the best way to
care for your heart and
spirit is often to wait until the tide comes in so you can again ride the waves.
I urge my clients to be awake to this fact, and remind them that adopting such an
approach is not the same as denial or procrastination...it's only waiting. Riding the waves
Through meditation,
breathing, listening to music, or simple smiling exercises, we
can all reach that peaceful place where we again ride the waves. For some of us,
we listen to Mozart; for others, it's Hawaiian music.
What is your surefire ticket
to the high seas? Give it some thought. In the meantime, check out
Fuel
cells for a simple exercise sure to put a smile on your face.
back
to top
Fuel
cells
It's
all about smiles
I can hear you saying, “What do I have to smile about?” Try this
exercise and find out why
you want to put more smiles in your
life.
- Check your heart and pulse and notice that you are
breathing—yes, in and out.
In fact, I ask you to
draw a lovely breath
right now to feed your
spirit.
Feels better already, doesn't it?
- Now smile—not in reaction to anything, just smile. Research shows that the
act of smiling can do more for the human
spirit than we ever imagined. It
actually changes our biology.
- Now put on a “long” face, with
down turned mouth. Notice how that feels.
- Alternate between smiling and the long face a few times. Which feels better?
Based on what you've learned, when it comes to weathering rough times, what
expression will you be wearing? During these times sometimes the only thing we can
do is experience and be aware...and
smile—secure in the knowledge that
inevitably the tides will change.
back
to top
Fuel
for your soul
Consider
these words of
wisdom:
“When you look for it, there is nothing to see.
When you listen for it, there is nothing to hear.
When you use it, it is inexhaustible.”
– Tao Te Ching
“Leap into and embrace the unknown: that's where great happiness and all wisdom
reside!”
– Deepak Chopra
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about
shrinking so that other people won't feel
insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own
light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission
to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates
others.”
– Nelson Mandela
(or some say Marianne Williamson) 1994
back
to top
| 
