and if one door opens to another door closed, I hope you keep on walkin’ till you find the window. My Wish, Rascal Flats
Opening a door of hoped-for possibility only to find another door closed is disheartening. Feeling that stagnant air of dashed hopes is something we have all experienced a time or two. That moment where instead of finding limitless possibility, we find seemingly no possibility is pivotal. We can choose to continue to be mired in despair or navigate into a new, better way.
Instead of being frustratingly stuck in a stagnant place of disappointment, our inner voice can guide us to the open window. No matter where we find our self, no matter how stuck we feel, we can find that window. While this discovery may seem improbable in the face of yet another disappointment, trusting there are the options prepares us to find them. Trust powers the pause, our ability to rest in the silence, and the focus our awareness on the breeze of possibility.
Pause: Enter the pause by focusing on the breath and noting any somatic, emotional, and mental reactions. Ranging anywhere from several seconds to hours, the pause is a time to regroup. As we withdraw from the current situation, we gain the power to objectively notice what is happening in our life and how the circumstances have impacted and continue to impact us. We identify how we react and how we respond to these disappointments.
Silence: Once we attend to the breath, a gateway to silence is created. In this place unrecognized possibilities lay dormant. Here our frazzles are soothed. In the silence we become aware of distractions. A new focal point appears as we move away from distractions. The ebb and flow of silence washes over us coaxing us into a place of wide openness and increased awareness. Once calmed, we feel the gentle wafting breeze, and sometimes gale force winds, of possibility.
Focusing: The natural progression of pausing and resting in the silence is an increase of awareness. As we focus our attention, we are able to reset our angst. Once we are calm, we are able to actively search for the gentle breeze wafting through the revealed window. As our inner wisdom wafts through the window, we are showered with sparks of possibility. These may occur as a renewed ability to reframe the current situation or our attention may be drawn to something out of the ordinary.
We further relax as previously named dire straits are reframed to curious adventure. No longer do we hold so tightly to the old way of doing things. We see potential. Through the pause, silence, and focus, we open to approaching life differently. With courage we edge closer to the window, peep over the sill, and peer into a world of possibility. And, maybe, just maybe, we open the window, climb onto the ledge, and leap into the waiting world knowing that our wings of possibility unfurl in our daring.
Just like that, we move beyond locked doors and unknown possibilities to a wide openness of living in innovative, transformative ways.
May you see the window,
Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is a Mindful Coach, Compassion Consultant, Professional Speaker, and Author who weaves her inner wisdom into all she touches. Contact Vanessa @ hurst.vanessa@gmail.com
Her books are A Constellation of Connections: Contemplative Relationships and Engaging Compassion Through Intent & Action.
Website / LinkedIn Profile / Facebook / Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2017
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