Making Peace With What Is

Several weeks ago I started my morning journaling practice with the words, “I think I might be mildly depressed.” For several days, I had been feeling an undercurrent of despair about my life.

In the never-ending up and down cycle that is the life of an entrepreneur, I was questioning (for the hundredth time) whether or not I should be doing this work. Things on the surface were not looking good and despite my best efforts nothing appeared to be changing.

The more things stayed the same, the more frustrated I became. Finally one morning, I realized all of my attention was on changing the situation and because the situation was not changing, my suffering about it was increasing.

In that moment, I decided to stop resisting and chose instead to surrender. Surrendering didn’t mean giving up, it meant looking for a way to make peace with the situation as it was, without anything changing. It meant trying to understand what was really going on.

Starting place matters

I have a few core beliefs that drive my life. Two of them are that the Universe is always conspiring FOR me and the Divine is always moving me to my highest and best self.

If I start with those two beliefs then this situation, which I desperately wanted to change, was about something bigger than it appeared to be on the surface. As I always do when I need answers, I took to my journal to see what I could uncover.

My latest journaling practice holds space for Spirit to ask deeper, more inquiring questions to help me see beneath the surface of things. During that writing session, several limiting beliefs emerged, which I was able to see were contributing to the outcomes I was experiencing.

I talk a lot about owning your greatness yet these beliefs were causing me to back down and play small. The end result is me living a life less than the one I’m capable of and my soul knew it. She used my despair to help me remember the truth about who I really am.

I’m sharing all of this with you because making peace with the situation taught me a few things that I want to share with you:

Trust the journey

First, this is a journey, not a destination. It was not the first time in my life I had felt the despair that led to my inquiry. But it was the first time I looked at that despair. The inquiry helped me find a new layer that needed shedding.

Circling back on issues that you’ve dealt with in the past is not a sign of failure but actually an opportunity for growth. It is a chance to look at things with a new perspective and discover what new layers need peeling away.

Judging or criticizing yourself for “being here AGAIN” is unhelpful and doesn’t create the insight you want.

Curiosity is key

Instead of judging yourself, see these moments as an opportunity to get curious. Approach the situation with a spirit of curiosity to see what is happening under the surface.

This means suspending the belief that you “already know” and instead stay open to seeing something new.

The best way to do this is through journaling. I know not everyone loves this practice and I’m not advocating you start the practice if you hate it. What I am saying is that time and time again when I put pen to paper, answers come to reveal something I could not see before.

You don’t have to start a journaling practice. Simply put pen to paper and see what comes up for you.

Take action

Once you know what’s really going on you’ll have more clarity and peace of mind to take action. Bear in mind that sometimes that action is outer AND other times it is inner.

In my case, it was inner work that needed doing. It might be the same for you and I’ll also share that often the inner HAS to happen before the outer work can be done. Once you know though you can decide how to proceed. Trust that as the truth shows up, the way forward will too (because it always does).

From my heart to yours,

P.S: If making peace with what is, feels too hard or you’re unsure how to move forward let’s talk. Finding clarity in these spaces is part of my genius. Schedule a complimentary Courage Igniter call with me today. On this call, we will look at what’s really going on with you, how you can get moving again and why now is the perfect time for you to take action. Click here to schedule the call.