Switching Gears

I had an amazing holiday. Lots of family and friends in just the right dosage. Not too much. Not too little. I rested a lot. My client demand dipped and my engagements increased. For someone who is self-employed, this is the perfect combination because it means there was not a lot to do over the holiday period, but I had a ton of work lined up afterward; hence, I could really relax. And I did.

The year started off with a bang. A busy week that began January 2 and another in the week ahead. So, it’s time to shift gears from hibernation to being out and about in the world. I can feel the draw of deep sleep and don’t want to lose all the energy I have recouped over the time off.

What I need is a clutch. When I first learned to drive I learned how to drive a manual shift. When ramping up speed I took the gear I was in to a high level of rotations, and then disengaged the clutch so I could reengage a new, more powerful gear. This activity was key to successfully driving my little Volkswagen. It took me awhile, but soon it became second nature. It was how I got up speed. And so, here I am looking for a clutch in real life.

It’s time to shift gears from hibernation to being out and about in the world.

I have a clutch that work well for me: my meditation practice. I choose mindfulness because it starts by accepting me where I am and does not try to make me anything. It does not try to make me peaceful or resilient. Those are natural products of being one with where I am now, which could be agitated, nervous, anxious, afraid just as easily as calm, equanimous, confident.

Every morning I find at least 10 minutes and up to 20 minutes to engage in mindfulness. It helps me to switch gears. My clutch is doing its job.

Look out world; here I come!!

If we each take responsibility in shifting our own behavior, we can trigger the type of change that is necessary to achieve sustainability for our race or this planet.

– Yehuda Berg