anticipation Archives - Owl Medicine: Shamanic Healing

Ripples – Photo: L. Weikel

All These Ones

Holy cow! With all these ones surrounding us tonight and a powerful new moon to boot, how could it not be a time for fresh starts, planting seeds of creative intention, and contemplating the new stories we’re ready to begin weaving in our lives?

In case you’re puzzling over exactly what ‘ones’ I’m talking about, it’s the “Day 1001” above and the “(T-110)” at the end of this post. Ones galore. New beginnings. And since many of you have been faithful compatriots over the long slog that’s brought us to yesterday’s milestone – now with only 110 left to go! – I dare say each one of you is undoubtedly standing at the cusp of something new in your life, too.

Perhaps it’s a major life decision, such as selling your home, pursuing a new field of study or expertise, opening your own business, or adopting a baby. Or maybe it’s something on a much smaller scale – or perhaps only seems so in this moment – but may end up changing the major trajectory of your life.

Flow and Bubbles – Photo: L. Weikel

So Much Going On All Around Us

With all the static and confusion, the rancor and fear that’s swirling around us, I challenge us all to find one new little twist we can add to the story of our lives right this moment. Even if the new thought or activity only changes five minutes of the story we tell ourselves, what will happen if we think it and then act on it?

Where will those new and different five minutes of our lives lead us? That new thought or choice might seem to shift the strands of our destiny a single degree from where they were otherwise headed. But over time? Wow. It could lead to a transformation of our reality.

I’m sharing ‘all these ones’ with each of you. If you weren’t reading my words, then they wouldn’t matter in the least.

And so I invite you to embrace this opportunity to add a little spice to our stories. And ok. If you’d rather sweet instead of spice, I say, “Go for it!” Either way, or even another way entirely, recall the tantalizing anticipation that comes with starting a new book or movie and imagine feeling that way about your tomorrow.

(T-110)

Procrastination

I think there’s a really weird dynamic going on, within myself at least, when it comes to procrastination.

I’m finding it just makes me sad.

The weirdness of which I speak comes from a perception I think a lot of us have. Or at least it’s a belief I’ve had when I thought about procrastination generally. And that belief is that one procrastinates because they do not want to do something.

In other words, if a person doesn’t want to do something, they put it off. We’ve all seen the sarcastic adage, “Why do it today if you can put it off until tomorrow?” I believe most people embrace that attitude as the primary reason people procrastinate.

Is it Fear? Or is it Anticipation?

But actually? I know from my experience with lots of creative people (and myself) that many people procrastinate because they don’t feel as if they deserve to spend time on either the pursuits that make them smile (and their hearts sing) or the tasks that will make life better for them in some way.

In my case, for instance, I procrastinate on taking action toward my goals. I procrastinate on putting my self, my dreams, my ideas at the front of the line of my daily “to-do” list.

Funny thing is, if I saw one of my clients doing what I do, I would call them out on it. I would make them choose themselves. I would methodically pick apart each and every one of their excuses for not doing what they were ‘called’ to do. I know I would. And I would persist until I persuaded them to honor themselves.

But it’s a lot harder to call myself out; and it’s harder to persist with the relentless follow through I feel is often so effective in my relationships (and practice).

I procrastinated on something today, something pretty big that I wanted to announce. And yes, something beyond my rate increase, which technically went into effect today.

Perhaps I’ll announce it tomorrow. Yes; perhaps I’ll follow through with it tomorrow. It’s time to stop these shenanigans.

(T-880)