Moving Along

Moving right along in search of good times and good news, begins an old Muppet song. The promise of good times and good news is, in certain moments, not enough to have us letting go of those things that just aren’t working. We have this strangle hold on the past convinced that our tight grip will somehow breath life into our shattered hopes and dreams. So sure that that life is the one we should live, we are unable to move along into more life giving places. Eyes focused on the not possible future, we miss the good times that fuel the good news.

How do we loosen our grip and gracefully let go so that we can move along? It begins with acknowledgement of our grief and suffering. It continues with being courageous enough to name our fears and be curiously daring to try yet again. Letting go and moving along means catching the prevailing wind and riding its currents to a place of realizable possibility.

It is almost assured that the process of letting go begins with the identification of the suffering attached to unrealized hopes and dreams. Befriending this suffering brings us to a greater acceptance of what is not working in our lives. When we enter into relationship with suffering, we move beyond our rational mind in order to understand the roots of our suffering and its emotional ramifications. By befriending suffering we learn the lesson it brings and transform its challenge into understanding. Through this relationship with suffering we become strong enough to let go and move along. 

Connect to suffering

focus on your breath…don’t shift your breathing…move in the rhythm of your breath…name your suffering…where do you hold your suffering in your physical body…how does it feel? (use your senses to describe it)…what does your internal monologue say about this suffering (name your judgments/assumptions)…when you are ready:

Begin to breath in compassion…visualize it flowing through your body to the point of suffering…allow it to surround suffering…feel it wash over the suffering as it erodes the hold suffering has on you…even if you are unable to let go of suffering in the moment, affirm your desire to let it go…when you are ready: breath out the suffering

Visualize what you are moving along to…own that image in your minds eye…feel what it feels like…then breath that feeling throughout your body.

Acknowledging suffering and beginning the process of alleviating and learning from it are the first steps in moving along. Dreaming a big dream energizes our curious daring and courage so that we are able to take those initial steps into good times and good news as we live within the possibility of being in the moment. 

Moving Right Along,

Vanessa

Vanessa F. Hurst is a Mindful Coach, Compassion Consultant, Professional Speaker, and Author who interweaves her inner wisdom in all she touches. Contact Vanessa

Her books are A Constellation of Connections: Contemplative Relationships and Engaging Compassion Through Intent & Action.

More from Vanessa: www.intentandaction.com