In the quest for balance and flow, it is easily for one to overlook the state of where they are at in the present moment.
Imagine taking a selfie, and observing what are you experiencing?
Today’s tool, is OBSERVATION. Sense where you are physically, emotionally and mentally without trying change anything. Instead allow the shifts to happen naturally.
An analogy I like to use, is the theatre. Imagine going to a play. The lights dim, the auditorium quiets down, and a spotlight goes on. The center of attention is focused on a single section of the stage. At this moment the scene looks perfect, nothing else exists. Yet, in the background there are many other activities going on which our attention unaware of: lighting technicians, stage and production managers, gofers, box office attendants etcetera… all interacting to create the experience.
Our observational tools are not activated.
Observational tools support us in exploring those areas which are often unseen, yet greatly impact our experience. While we may excel in certain areas of our lives: work, investment, sports and other fields of interest, it is our blind spots set the underlying tone and quality of our experiences. On the physical level we experience tension, movement, and relaxation, ease…
On the emotional level we maybe experiencing challenges in our relationships, intimacy, self acceptance, self love and trust.
Last but not least, on a mental level we may be faced with failure success, financial achievement and purpose issues.
How can you experience those areas that are less visible unless you use the spotlight as a tool and what can you gain by using the tool?
Take physical discomfort for example. When we experience it, our attention is on the discomfort. We may try to ignore it for a while. If it persists we may use other parts of our body to compensate or we might take a painkiller to numb the ache. We ignore the fact that the discomfort in itself is not the cause, but it is the effect of being out of balance. Any attempt to ignore or suppress it, will at best, buy us some time, but will not fix the problem! The observation tool works best if used when we first notice the discomfort.
It takes some training of your mind to notice internal and external shifts before they turn into a crisis.
Exercise I – Observation to details
- Sit down with a piece of paper and a pen in a familiar space to you (your bedroom, living room).
- Begin to write down all the items you remember, without looking around.
- Once your list is complete – look around and compare your list to what is actually in the room. Notice how many items are missing from your list.
- Repeat the exercise again immediately.
4a. You can repeat this exercise as many times as you choose over the next few days.
Check if more items have been added that were not on the first list?
Want to take this exercise one step farther, ask yourself if the item you are missing on the list has value for you at this time or can you give it away, sell it or just through it out.
Exercise II – Observation of a physical habit
Explore taking an ingrained physical habit such as teeth brushing.
Switch hands for a solid week. Observe the differences: what makes the action easier on the habitual side vs. the other? Notice the subtle differences, how you use your body differently as a whole and more specifically your hand grip, the arms’ and joints’ tension, the rigidity of the shoulders and neck …
Be patient. At first it may bring up resistance and frustration.
Can you see why changing a habit is so challenging?
Our brain has plasticity, and is continually looking for ways to consolidate and automate process otherwise every action we generate would take forever. This advantage can also be a disadvantage because the same applies to habits and conditioning that may not be in our best interest. This can occur in our decision making, responsibilities and accountability in our relationships, finances, how we carry ourselves and other aspects of our lives that may not be functioning effectively.
Using observation tools is a multi purpose tool. In the physical body observation equals learning new ways of doing similar activities, rewiring the brain in new ways that are more attuned, more updated than the way you have been habitually opening.
In addition, as you notice a habitual pattern in your daily routine, you can begin to discern and decide if it still serves you, or whether you choose to replace it with a more suitable alternative, disrupting the pattern and allowing a fresh perspective.
Going back to the analogy of the theatre, while in the spotlight, everything seems to be moving smoothly, behind stage things may not be running so smoothly. There may be arguing about the next scene or the producer may experience stress about the ticket sales … By using observation, we can sense what is in fact going on behind the scene and address the challenges that arise. This allows the show not only to go on but to thrive.
I’d love to hear about what you found out through these exercises. Did you find missing items in the room? Did you manage to brush your teeth with the other hand? If you have found the two exercises beneficial I invite you to continue to the transformational process with me. If you’d like feedback,
Schedule a free call to discuss how you responded to the exercises and how you could benefit from working together. Simply send me an email and lets discuss the transformation you just started.