A friend described this time we are in as being on the cusp. We both wondered, “The cusp of what?” If a cusp is a transition point, what are we transitioning to? That is the question. Maybe knowing the question allows us to consciously live into the answer.
I don’t know about you, but these past months have given me ample opportunity to practice being the moment, to rest in the silence, to spend a lot of time with myself. (If it weren’t for my part time job, I’d say I would have been in alone time overload.) Some of that time was spent in celebration of who I am while other points of time were spent in the discomfort of what I discovered.
This cusp of transition is not always a warm and fuzzy place. It is an edgy space of exposure. We are given ample opportunities to confront who we are and ask our self how we respond to a world that seems stuck in reaction mode. Maybe you, like me, find yourself in reaction mode more often than you like.
How do we move from reaction to respond mode? I wish it were as easy as shifting gears in an automatic transmission car. If you’ve read other blogs of mine, you know that I am a big re-framer. I am all about identifying the silver lining and living in its reflection. This Time of Cusp calls for a different kind of action.
Like reframing, that action begins with awareness. Awareness of how the external world is triggering the quagmire in our internal world. Once aware, we can no longer ignore the biases that push their spindly stems out of our being. We know that have a choice — to stay stuck in those biases or weed them out and become who we really are.
Make no mistake about it, during this time, we will act. It is just unclear if it will be a reaction or a response. A response is a result of being anchored into who we truly are is. This necessary anchoring is created by knowing who we are, understanding how we get trapped by our triggers, and freeing ourself from the cycle of getting caught and reacting.
This is not the work of the faint hearted. It is all too easy to say, “I will do this another day.” It takes courage and strength, unwavering fortitude to stand on that cusp and be who we are. To say, “I am doing this today,” no matter how scary the uncertainty is.
Books have been written on how to navigate uncertain times. I wrote one myself: Imperfect in an Uncertain World. These books are terrific resources for living in an uncertain world. But, how do we begin? If I had to share one tool, it would be practicing being in neutral or being an objective observer. When you are in neutral, you notice how you are impacted by all the stuff.
How do you get to neutral? Discover where you hold your neutral. Listen to this meditation on YouTube or use the following prompts: Close your eyes…take a couple of breaths…become aware of your body…where do you hold your tension…make a mental note of how your body feels….next, think of something that is very upsetting…find the place in your body where you are holding it…don’t hold on to the feeling…just be with it…no judgment…no defending…allow the energy of the emotion to dissipate…return to your breath…think of something very happy…go to that place in your body where you hold your happy thoughts…just be with it…allow the energy to dissipate…think of a neutral thought…something that you have no feelings about one way or another (Mine is the Detroit football team. I am so neutral on this one that I have no idea the name of the team.)…once you have that neutral thought, become aware of your body…where are you holding your neutral?…How does your body feel? Remember the feeling.
Practice holding neutral when you are feeling a high emotion that you do not want to react out of.
This movement from sleep to awake is huge. How do you know you are there? You may be filled with niggling itches that something isn’t quite right; that it is time to make a change. You may feel uneasy about your life routine. Those are signs that you are being impacted by this Time of Cusp. The time of transition. You are being pushed from your complacency into a scary place of uncertainty.
Are you there? If so, know that this Time of Cusp calls us to be in the moment. To be warriors of response. That begins with awareness and holding your neutral.
Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, lives on the cusp. listening to the voice of intuition. As a contemplative coach, an intuitive-coach-catalyst, she uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for personal and relationship transformation. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Her most recent book, As Natural As Breathing: Being Intuitive, is available on Amazon. Contact Vanessa for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs.
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This is great, thank you. I am a very rational person (I think). I try to approach decision making using logic and evidence. Yet I'm also aware I often run with an intuitive decision because it's quick and it just feels right. I worry that using intuition is more reactive than responsive. How can I reconcile my desire to be responsive, logical and rational with my assessment that my intuitive decisions are often my best and most efficient ones?
ReplyDeleteRKB, great question. I have found that only later I will discover the rationale behind my intuitive decision. So, it is about trusting that even if you cannot discern the logic behind the decision, it is there and you will understand it in time. Listening/acting upon your intuition is being responsive. So, this is all about reframing. My book, As Natural As Breathing: Being Intuitive, focuses on this very topic. I will end with a question: what happens when you discover that the logical, rational part of you is another part of your intuition?
ReplyDeleteThanks for responding:) I like your explanation.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't have an answer to your question because I can't imagine discovering that the logical, rational part of me is another part of my intuition. I can imagine the other way around where, as you suggest, the intuition turns out to be rational and logical. I can accept that it's intuitive to WANT TO be logical,but I think a logical decision must be able to stand on its own, independent of intuition. A logical decision can be explained to another person, but an intuitive one can't really.