ORIGINAL BLOG POST FROM THE HIGH VIBE OIL LIFE:
Taking the next step. But when? How?
When you climb stairs, there is a pause between your steps. It's a split second pause, but nonetheless it's a pause. When you plan out your timeline of goals, you chop it up into measurable chunks. This inherently involves a plan, a pause, a completion of one goal before embarking on the next. When you are on a journey, driving coast to coast, you make pit-stops and have layovers, whether to rest, or to refuel. When we learn how to walk, we put one foot in front of the other, right? Or do we run all at once with our feet ahead of each other in rapid fire? We would fall flat on our face if we did! Again, pausing is the common denominator.
In our culture today, we've adopted a way of life very much in opposition to "taking a pause". Resting is seen as the antithesis of moving forward. Contemplating too long is seen as procrastination. "Efforting" or "hustling" equates to progress (don't worry if you get burnt out and develop health issues, or completely become demoralized, we can always deal with those later, right?). But what if pausing was a necessary precursor to success? What if receiving the next step meant slowing down - even momentarily - instead of pushing, launching, forcing, constantly?
Habits are formed slowly. Pausing can become a habitual practice, if nurtured. What I love about essential oils is how they make me pause, especially when I use them in moments of transitions. For example, this morning I was completing several freelance writing assignments, pumping them out. I was on a roll, and in "the flow". But I could also feel the fatigue settling in, and knew what would happen if I continued to ignore those cues.
So instead of reaching for the coffee or the snack, I decided to "pause with a purpose". I took a 3 minute break by applying In Tune essential oil blend behind my ears for focus. I also put 10 drops of Rosemary, the oil of Knowledge and Transition, in my diffuser, and inhaled deeply.
Yes-- Rosemary is for WAY more than mashed potatoes. It took only 3 minutes to refocus, re-energize and re-center (without the caffeine)!
I then did some housework and spent some time with the kids, but knew my work was still awaiting me. I felt like I needed another transition, something that was mindful and deliberate before creating this blog. So I took a minute to bless my work space.
Today, we dive right into our offices, and right onto our laptops, without a thought. But what if we blessed that space beforehand? We could bless it with frankincense essential oil, which in many cultures is said to "draw in the angels", or with a prayer, or just with a deep breath? The methodology doesn't matter; the intention does.
Today in our busy world, we often take on too many things at once. And while we're multitasking, our minds are already rushing into the future. We've just landed that big project, and immediately our minds turn to the NEXT big thing. Or, we successfully read an entire book on weight loss, and immediately our minds turn to the possibility of becoming vegan. Or, our kids score awesome in a standardized test, and we immediately initiate plans for them to enter Harvard!
Jokes aside, maybe jumping to the next big thing isn't the best for our mental health? (think overwhelm, over-achievement, perfectionism, living life too fast.....) Maybe the next step is to ask for a SMALL step? Or maybe the next step is to not take any step - yet? We'll be continuing the conversation next week, and I would love to hear your thoughts on this too. What do you use to create a deliberate "pause" within the space of your many steps?