Clarity
Today I’ve been very busy, I have done nothing at all. Huh??? Yep, I spent the whole day lying on my couch, in silence, just staring out of the window. And one by one, insights started pouring in. In just one day I gained so much clarity over things that were bothering me for months.
Do you…ever? Just, do nothing? Clear your calendar and make some time for you. Just forget that pile of laundry and get on your bike and head into nature. Stay in bed on Sunday morning and dream away. Do you cancel an appointment because you don’t feel so good? ‘Don’t feel so good…’, well that says it all. Your body responds and sends you subtle signs that it’s time to step on the brakes. That it’s time to look after you. Do we actually listen?
We tend to feel somewhat guilty. It’s that little voice inside our head urging us to keep busy. To go on and on, fast paced, to make sure that our demanding list of chores get checked. Demands from others, demands from ourselves. ‘Doing nothing’ is hardly ever on our ‘to-do-list’. We don’t make time for this. Perhaps it’s because we think our time is valuable and in the meantime we could have done so many other things. Maybe. But are we really effective this way? We tend to do things out of habit, because that’s how it is used to be. But do we really reach our goals? Do we see the whole picture? Is it even necessary that we do something? Or, in some events it’s better to take a step back and let go?
I am not talking about the daily stuff of course. I’m talking about the more complicated things happening in your life. Decisions you need to make in your relationship or career. Decisions which make you feel hesitant or even scared. A chance meeting you had with somebody you know, but later on you start to wonder if what you felt at the time was right.
You could go on this way and hastily take decisions. But are you sure you got the whole picture? Maybe there’s something hidden beneath your doubts and fears. Are you sure what you observed in that chance meeting was right? Could there be another explanation for what you noticed or heard?
Gaining clarity
Going forward sometimes seems like crossing a river. If it’s a wild one, it will be difficult to assess the situation. The water is colored dark with sand and mud and there are a lot of things floating beneath the surface. You can’t see the bottom of the river and you’re not sure where to place your next step. You could step into a hole and the water might pull you down and drag you along. There might be rocks hidden under water and you could stub your toe. It’s going to be one heck of a crossing which will take all of your time and strength while trying to stay on your feet.
But… if the water is calm, it would also be clear. All the rubbish and mud will have sunken to the ground and will stay there. You’re able to spot what is where and how it relates to one another. You have the chance to see what at first, you couldn’t (or wouldn’t) see. You see patterns. You see what might be better to avoid. Now you can move forward step by step. Not only every step will be precisely placed, it will also take less strength. But more importantly you will be more balanced. You move forward knowing that each step is the right one for that exact moment. For you and for the people around you. You can see where you are, where you want to go and what you need to do to get there.
Insights
While I was lying on my couch, staring at the sky outside my window, a lot of things became clear. It was quiet inside me. No whirlwind of emotions trying to drag me along and even the thoughts in my head stopped for a moment. I could clearly feel what was really important to me and what wasn’t at all. I could see what was making me happy and I surely had to continue doing. And which situations and people brought about the exact opposite feeling and I needed to let go. Even insights about certain meetings with people in the past hit me. That there might have been a different reason behind their behavior. In one day a lot became clear.
Maybe lying on a couch and staring at the sky is not your thing. Perhaps you rather go hiking or cycling. It doesn’t matter. Choose what works for you.
Do you take time to get things clear?
