Wednesday, April 4, 2012

4/5/12—Centering Yourself

Today's Draw: Eight of Arrows from the Incidental Tarot. Does your head ever feel like a jumble of a million things? Are you good at finding ways to distract yourself from yourself? How often do you things like journal or meditate or just sit by yourself in nature?

The real meaning of this card, according to the authors, is that a large amount of energy has been released and the results of that are about to come to fruition. But when I looked at this card, in the reality I'm in today, I saw it like one of those "you are here" arrows. Only they're all over the place. 

That's how I feel today. Parts of me are at the top of that hill, parts of me are climbing the hill and parts of me are going down hill fast. If you were to ask me how I'm doing, I'd honestly have to say "I have no idea." I feel equal parts unfocused, confused, brilliant, creative and trying hard not to take things personally. I'm probably also ovulating, too. So there you go. 

The Calgon people really hit on something when their copywriter wrote "Calgon, take me away." I mean, c'mon. How often do you feel that way? If we actually bought a box of bath bubbles every time we felt that way, these guys would have the most valuable brand in the world. Instead, it's Apple, your gateway to hours and hours of mindless computing and distraction; Coca-Cola, the drink that keeps you awake all night; and Google, the site that gives you unlimited ideas of more stuff to shove into your day. 

Between the computer, work and the TV—which I'll admit are where I focus pretty much all of my time—I seem to take less and less time to. Just. Be. That's my fault. Entirely. I know that. And it's why I feel so scattered and uncentered. I feel off my spiritual game. And when I'm off my spiritual game, I feel sad. Vulnerable. Unsupported.

I think we owe it to ourselves to question why we'd rather be distracted than in a hot tub full of bubbles with only our thoughts. And I can hear you all saying "but I'd rather be in the tub." Let's be honest. If you'd rather be in the tub, you'd find time to be in the tub. After all, you find time to go on Facebook every day. Or read a book. Or watch American Idol. Or chat with friends. Or go shopping. Or do any number of other things that put your head anywhere but right smack dab in the middle of your own life as it exists here and now. That's why Apple, Coke and Google are so successful. Between the three of them, you can shove as much distraction as possible into your day without ever even having to sleep. 

What if you realized on your death bed that you'd lived your whole life without ever assessing who you are, why you're here, what you really believe when it comes to God...the big questions? The answers to these questions change. It's not like you figure it all out on an acid trip when you're 20 and never have to think about it again. At the very least, you need to check in to see if you're still on course, maybe spend some time asking the big guy how he can use you. I believe finding the answers to these questions can bring more joy and purpose and peace than finding out who got eliminated on The Voice. But I have to admit, The Voice usually wins in my life. 

I do meditate and take some time in silence every day. But I used to journal and I think I need to get back to that, because it helped me process those eight arrows better than ignoring them does. If I had someone to discuss these things with, I would do that, too. But today, in particular, I'm really feeling how crazy it makes me when there's too much input and not enough conscious processing. 

How about you? Do you find yourself putting things off in your head? How often do you muse about the big things? And what do you that puts you inside you, without distractions? By that, I'm not talking about while you're driving or cooking or reading or doing or thinking anything else. How do you go about focusing all your attention entirely on you, how you feel, what you think and what you need? Or is that even important to do?

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