-The 5 Magic Questions-
Holy fuck it’s windy today! I’m sitting outside to blog because it’s beautifully warm and sunny but there are also 20 mph winds with gusts up to 45mph. I only biked 10 miles to a gas station rest area because my bike ride back home is going to be straight into the wind. Not really looking forward to that. :(
Life is a strange thing. As I sit on the curb and watch lots of trucks, cars, and semis pass back and forth I wonder…
“Where are they all going? What is their life like? Are they happy?”
Here we are; on this planet we call Earth, all doing our best to survive and build a life. Some people are wildly rich, some don’t even have a home. Some are famous and all over the news while others live their whole life mostly unnoticed. We put on events and congratulate humans on the achievements that we have created. We make all the rules and shame those who do not follow them. We rush around trying to collect as much stuff as possible in hopes of finding happiness but it never feels like enough. We idolize people who seem to “have it all” even though it’s quite common that those people are seriously struggling behind closed doors. We have meticulously fabricated the meaning of success and then spent the rest of our lives miserably scrambling to reach it. Funny humans we are.
Seems like with all the inventions and technology we now have, happiness would be abundant. But all the scientific research continues to point to simplicity. Now before you assume I am advocating we all become self-sustainable or god-forbid Amish, that’s not where I am going with this. It’s not about hiding in a hole and shutting yourself off from the world. I’ve done that so I can pretty firmly assure you that that isn’t the answer. What I am talking about is connecting with your essential self and living in that space.
A lot easier said than done.
Recently I was watching a Zoom session with Martha Beck. She was talking about the infinite search for happiness and she asked everyone these questions. (Now real quick, I’m gonna ask you to humor me and do this exercise as you read this. Don’t overthink it. Try to just feel and allow the answers to bubble up. It might feel silly but just trust me on this. I want you to try to picture each thing as you think of it.)
Question #1
“What are 3 things that you love to see?
Question #2
“What are 3 things that you love to smell?
Question #3
“What are 3 things that you love to feel?
Question #4
“What are 3 things you love to hear?
Question #5
“What are 3 things you love to taste?
Now. How does your body feel right now? Chances are you feel pretty good at this moment. :) Chances also are, that the things you love don’t cost a lot of money but yet they bring you immense happiness. Most of these things are pretty simple. This little exercise is a great way to help bring yourself into the present moment and out of the anxiety part of your brain.
Isn’t this beautiful? Anytime you find yourself overwhelmed with anxiety about stuff out of your control, you can easily find peace in the present moment using this little exercise. For me, I am always looking for ways to live less stressed out.
I’m so fucking tired of going through my days rushing from one thing to the next. It’s like I am just trying to “get through life” instead of truly living my life. I have one chance; one shot at seizing this gift called “life”. I have spent way too much of my 40 years comparing myself to others, hustling for my worth, doubting my value, and wishing I had a different set of life circumstances. It’s always quite clear when I am operating from this place because I feel frustrated and miserable.
So here I am, seeking a better way and a better version of myself. I have been doing a lot of healing these past 4 years and I have made a lot of good changes. However, I still easily slip back into old beliefs. It’s a forward and backward, and sometimes side to side, process of learning a new way.
If you have never heard of or read any of Martha Beck’s books, I highly recommend ANY of her stuff. She has spent her whole life helping people find happiness in their lives and achieve a greater level of success. Her bio says “Currently exploring how creativity can cure anxiety”. “Wow, Martha. Way to hit it out of the ballpark!”
I hope someday that like Martha, I can help people connect to themselves so that they can actually “live” their life instead of just “survive” their life. For now, I am focusing on growing in these areas myself and I hope that it inspires others to reach for healing and happiness.
What areas do you want to grow in? What approach best helps you ground into the present moment? Do you have a mentor/coach that you learn from?
I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to shoot me an email at zebracoach@freedomforthetaking.org
Thank you; thank you for continuing to show up for yourself every day.
It’s beautiful because YOU are beautiful.
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