A theme has presented several times lately for me and for clients that I see at my practice. It’s the question of “why am I not where I want to be yet” and for me it’s the “I need to do it all now.” I love to read, and I have never read Chapter 1 and then skipped to the last page. Why? The answer is obvious, right? I would miss out on a lot of information that is important in getting to the end. I learn about the characters in the story or about the journey that the author led in gaining the knowledge presented in the book.
How often in the stories we read do things get worse and then better only to get worse again? A journey does not often keep moving up and up more and up even more. A client comes to me for weeks reporting that she notices positive changes and then suddenly is feeling frustrated and overwhelmed again. It’s not that the work she did is for nothing, it could be that she has a new awareness about things in her life and is working through it. It could be that she has relaxed on her self care and her body and brain are saying “hey, um, you have to keep taking care of me.” It’s a chapter in the book. If she throws her hands up and says “see, I am hopeless and will never really feel better” then she is right because she probably won’t. However, if she says “this is part of the journey and I’m ready to dig deep and get curious about this” then she will thrive and move through it.
I have high hopes and big dreams for my private practice but I have to be patient in knowing that this is also my journey. In talking with a colleague recently, I realized that the chapter I on right now involves me seeing my clients, becoming very efficient and managing the day to day business needs, and being open minded to opportunities that may present.
And guess what? All chapters aren’t fun and exciting. Sometimes a chapter is necessary simply to see details about the big picture that we wouldn’t know otherwise. You may feel “stalled” as one client recently told me. Take advantage of that time to just listen and pay attention. Reflect, mediate, pray or whatever else gives you the opportunity to learn more about yourself. Don’t create a story about the rest of your life simply because this chapter isn’t your favorite.
Lauren =)