Thursday, October 2, 2008

Watch Out!


The title of this post may have misled you. It is not intended as a warning of what someone else may do that can affect you...it's a warning of something you may do to you.

For the purpose of this post I invite you to think of "Watch Out" as a reminder to pay attention to your thoughts, your hooks and your emotions. It is not meant to create fear as this command may typically create. The intention is for you to pay attention to what is going on in you at any given moment.

For instance, watching out for hooks means you notice what creates a reaction within you. What ticks you off or creates impatience, resentment or even anger. Once you notice, I'm not suggesting you then punish yourself, but rather take note of how you feel. What may have frightened you or upset you or just plain pulled you like a fish on a hook out of calm waters?

Another great place to watch is of the impact you are having in any given moment. Are you creating a calm space by your attention and care, or are you creating some agitation by your abruptness? Once you notice, be curious what emotions are present in the moment. Is this a common impact you have? What do you need to change in your life and relationships to have the impact you prefer?

One more example to watch for is when you feel small or unimportant or just plain wrong. Rather than just going down a dark hole of sadness and creating a story of how you are always messing up and no one respects you, get curious about your reaction. Is there something being said by someone that you need to clear up? Did anyone really do or say anything to put you down, or did you make an assumption about what someone else thinks or the situation that just occurred?

My suggestion is you consider this game of "Watch Out" to be one that makes that which you fear easier to be with. Remembering this game will help you to be more in-tune in your own life and to live in a way that is more fulfilling. Every time you notice a default way of being, you are one move ahead on the big game board of life. Of course, as always, I recommend you enjoy your process along the way.

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