Throwback Memories
Last week I posed a question in my Facebook group, “What is something you experienced that you really cherish the memory of AND what is happening in your life right now that could use that kind of loving feeling?”
For me, one of my fondest memories is being taught to ride my bike by my Dad. The feeling of pure joy when I realized that he had let go of the back of the bike and I was doing it by myself was amazing!!! In my life now, I need to allow myself to acknowledge my accomplishments and enjoy the feeling, instead of wondering if I could have done better.
I’ve been giving myself a hard time because I missed my self-imposed deadline of creating a bi-weekly blog/newsletter. I feel like I let you down. Truth is, maybe you didn’t even notice, until I just pointed it out, so maybe I should have kept quiet ;). But then I wouldn’t be honoring that little girl who was overjoyed that she could ride her bike, on her own, no training wheels or Dad holding on running behind her. You see, I enjoy my writings, and I’m proud of them so this is me acknowledging the feeling of joy that I get when I write!
So, I pose the same question to you…What is something that you really cherish from the past (distant or recent), and how can you honor that feeling in your life today? How can you use the experiences of the past to positively influence your today and tomorrow?
If you don’t know how to tap into your past to make your present better, here are a few tips:
Close your eyes and imagine yourself when you were a kid and feeling that unabashed joy…you know the kind, the invincible, nothing can hurt me, I really can fly elation. Ok, got the feeling? Now, imagine that there is no possibility of ridicule, no-one is watching, what expression of joy will you let rise to the surface? Is it a huge grin, a shriek of delight, do you jump up and down, laugh hysterically? Let it out people! Let your inner child play again.
If your memory was one of safety and warmth, think about why you felt that way? How can you recreate that feeling in your life today? What adult stressors can you let go of? What worries do you have that you can change, reframe, or walk away from in order to feel more safe & secure? I know what you’re saying “Ciara, I can’t just walk away from my responsibilities!” and I hear you. I’m not suggesting that you abandon all and go live in a tree-house! I do know that we all have stuff in our lives that cause us stress that we simply don’t need. We hold onto things because we were not taught to let go. We were taught “Quitters never win”, “Never quit, never surrender” etc. I don’t buy into that philosophy. Now, I’m not suggesting that you give up on something at the first hint of difficulty or hard work. What I do believe is that letting go of something that’s not working is not quitting or failure, it’s Wisdom! Who here hasn’t stayed at a bad job, or in an unhealthy relationship too long? How would it have changed your life if you had been able to walk away and not feel like you were “quitting”?
If your fond memories are of a simpler time, this one is for you. I’m not going to tell you to put your technology away & go hug a tree but I do want you to look up every once in a while and see what gifts are all around you. A friend told my about something that she experienced in a game of Angry Birds of all things that is a great metaphor for this. At some stages of the game, a gift appears. If you can hit the gift, an explosion happens and you are given what she described as Empowerments, they fly up to the top of the screen! If you’re not paying attention, you might just miss these exciting things you can use to make the game better. But then she said, if you don’t use them in that level, they disappear! This struck me profoundly and isn’t it true in life too…if you don’t acknowledge and use your superpowers, they can disappear (or at least appear to). The same is true for life & nature & moments…they can pass you by if you don’t stop, look up from the screen and live it! I love technology, don’t get me wrong, but if you’re nostalgic for simpler times, maybe you could go outside & take a walk in nature, or the city, and leave your phone at home, and embrace the beauty around you.
My passion is to work with women to help then to see how valuable they are to the world, and learn to appreciate their amazing capabilities. I love to see my clients go from overwhelm to focus and accomplish their goals. My clients appreciate my honesty, and my kindness. I’m not afraid to challenge you but am respectful and will always honor your wishes. It’s part of my job to explore the boundaries and see if my client is willing to step outside their comfort zone. I get such joy out of helping my clients.
XO
Ciara