STORYHACKING SHOULD

A few weeks ago something amazing happened to me.

I felt true peace for perhaps the first time since I had been born (in this lifetime at least).

 

Peace

Contentment – but more than that also

A sense of being really, truly present in the moment

A moment that could stretch on for eternity

 

It took me by surprise

And it was humbling

Deeply humbling

 

Because, when experiencing this complete relaxation of my mind (and therefore nervous system), I suddenly had to confront just how little I had allowed myself to know this place ever before.

 

Me.

 

Someone who teaches people about meditation, contemplation and soulfulness.

 

It taught me that there are always deeper levels of initiation into our life’s work. We never know how deep we can go until we surrender to the fear of ‘not knowing’ everything and realise that we hardly know anything 

 

This all may sound poetic, and maybe confusing.

Of course it does.

 

It’s because I am attempting to use words and language that are unable to come close to describing the actual experience and feelings I had.

 

So I invite you to use my experience as a prompt to explore your own inner sense of peace.

To do so, you need to overcome the single biggest thing that gets in the way of it –

 

Distraction

Mental, emotional, physical distraction

 

Most of us live lives that are governed by a never ending stream of ‘shoulds’.

 

I should just send that next email or write that report before I go to bed

I should call my mother / father / child / friend

I should exercise more

I should study harder

I should do more to save the planet

I should learn more about that thing so I don’t sound stupid in the meeting….

 

Or the classic

I should be a better person……..

 

Etc, etc, etc.

 

There are so many things that we think we ‘should’ be doing that we never allow ourselves the space to stop (even for 60 seconds) and calm our maniac of a mind. Our nervous system responds to our ‘shoulds’ by creating thousands of chemicals and hormones that keep our physical body on alert, making it very challenging to stop thinking even for a moment.

 

A friend of mine has a habit of saying ‘have you had a shouldy day’?

‘Yes’ is the resounding answer from most of us!

 

So why not conduct an experiment by hacking your #1 distraction and dis-ease pattern with one simple word –

 

Could.

 

Switch ‘should’ for ‘could’ and you regain your choice.

 

I could send that email now

I could call that person

I could prepare for that meeting

I could exercise more

 

Or

 

I could stop for 5 mins and enjoy a cup of tea whilst looking at the birds

I could choose to stop worrying and allow my nervous system to calm long enough to recover a sense of equilibrium and wellbeing

I could choose to take that walk in the woods today

I could book a massage

I could even speak more kindly to myself

 

Could opens doors to peace

Could creates space where should closed it down

Could heals

 

What could you choose differently today?