I just read this on the internet, and felt inspired to write about it. Air force pilot shared an interesting fact: For every single degree you fly off course, you will miss your target landing spot by 92 feet for every mile you fly. That amounts to about one mile off target for every sixty miles flown. If you decided to start at the equator and fly around the earth, one degree off would land you almost 500 miles off target. So, the longer you travel off course, the further you will be away from the intended target. (Source) Life is like that. We are all flying our planes best to our ability and from time to time, we all get pushed. The trick is to know when we have travelled off course, even a degree, so we can correct it, or at least have a choice about it. We all have a different internal signal system, some are more refined than others. But the important thing to remember is that we all got one. If yours is dormant, know that you can activate it. Here are practices to strengthen your inner compass.
Sometimes we get lost due to the habit of asking directions from people around us, rather than asking someone who invited you to walk the path.“
In doing so, we not only lose the right path, but also the trust that one day we too can become the guide to others. ― Shahenshah Hafeez Khan
1) DAILY SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
You knew this was coming, didn't you? I wish I was a bit more original here but my own experience has shown me that there's no way around this one. Spiritual practice brings us back in touch with our authentic core. When we are being our true selves -- when we rest in that neutral sweet spot of realness -- we attract people, work and things to us that match it, and are in alignment with us. Find a practice you can commit to daily. What makes a practice spiritual? One way to know is when you are doing it, you feel a certain way: expanded, calm, connected, centered, light, clear-eyed, vast, one with everything, joyful, inspired. It does not always have to be a sitting meditation. Maybe it's a gratitude walk around the block every single day, focusing only on things you are grateful for. Here's a lunch hour meditation I created a couple of years ago. Maybe it's simply about finding a tree or a rock in your neighborhood you connect with every day. Or a dance class that is not a social event but purely a journey inward. Or time in your garden, talking to roses. If you are committing to a sitting meditation, or movement that can be done home, dedicate a place for it. Create an altar -- an anchor point for it. Choose items that represent your brilliant soul. Let the carefully chosen objects hold space for your commitment. While you are doing your practice, set a clear intention for your day. A simple word is enough. Ask yourself, who do I need to be today, what quality I most want to embody today? Then be it. Just like that.
2) I SHOULD vs I CHOOSE
When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. — Henry Ford
We all engage in things that feel more like "shoulds". Each day, write down three things you think you should do and place "I choose" in front of it, then become aware of what you are actually choosing for yourself. You can use this also when you declutter your house. The more empty space we create in our physical environment, the more space we feel mentally and psychically. When we are mostly surrounded by things that reflect who we truly are, the more our home supports our evolution and well-being.
3) CONFRONT
The fears we don’t face become our limits. – Amy Elizabeth
If we got a parking ticket and we let it sit on our desk too long, something simple turns into a huge deal. Our avoidance equals complications, our willingness equals simplicity. Every time. Write a list of things you are not confronting and what you need to do to simplify your life.
4) ENERGY SUCKERS
When you’re feeling lost, take heart. It’s just your brain gathering the information it needs to make good decisions. – Josh Kaufman
Did you reach out to your phone as soon as you woke up this morning? I did - and I can tell. My energy today is not as clear as it was yesterday or on the days I take my time before turning my phone on. I had my excuses but those excuses end up taking my plane off course. List 5 things that drain your energy. Find a way to turn it around. For example: Having too much stuff drains my energy. I commit to finding a place/use for each item, and if I can't, I give it away.
5) LET GO, LET ...
We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. – Joseph Campbell
According to my dictionary, surrender does not mean giving up. It means letting go the need to know. Surrender is begging us to TRUST that the plane will get there, eventually. Surrender is begging us to enjoy the flight. It's the flight attendant's voice wishing us to enjoy the flight when we very well know that twenty hours in the middle seat with no leg room can not possibly be enjoyable. Surrender is begging us to drop every idea about who we think we are, the roles we play, our creations and plans. Because when we do, something profound takes place. The course gets corrected. The only thing that was on the way was ... us.
6) "SEE YOU IN THE MIRROR"
In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
– Martin Luther King, Jr.
There's nothing more valuable than the people in my life who have seen me on my lowest low and highest high. They know my "backdoor" -- ways I try to lie to myself just so that I can keep doing what I'm doing even when it's not for my best interest. My partner is very blessed with many friends who are like his brothers and every time they get off the phone they say "see you in the mirror." There is something so soothing, supportive and safe about that. So my wish is that we do not get too isolated on this personal development path. Most of us are not flying on a private jet. It's in the mirror that we see the truth.
7) AND SOMETIMES, IT'S ALL FOR A REASON
Getting lost is part of getting there. ― Marty Rubin
