Alignment

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted: A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather together; a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

You might not recognize this scripture, but I would bet that “there is a time and place for everything”, “timing is everything”, or a similar sentiment is familiar to you. They each point to the subjects of alignment and timing. When I think of alignment, I mean all things working together to ease the path towards a goal or elevation in your life. I have felt that I have been operating in alignment for quite some time. It is an almost magical experience as things seem to work out or happen with ease. I am grateful for this season. As you can tell from other writings, it has not always been that way.

We are multifaceted and true alignment manifests on each level of our being to the higher purpose that directs our lives. For me, that is God. He is the Higher Purpose by which my life and all things in it align. Each facet feels illuminated. I feel that I am operating optimally on all levels. I am mentally clear, physically healthy, emotionally balanced, and spiritually connected. Much of that addresses how I feel, but things are also going well in my relationships, career and passion projects. There are so many endeavors that I have dreamed of that until now, I couldn’t imagine actually doing. Yet today, some are done. I am writing, mentoring and coaching. I am walking in my purpose and am doing good in the world. That feeling gives me peace and my life new meaning. I see the feelings of ease and purpose as the gifts of alignment and timing.

Preparation

There have been times in my life where I wanted something so badly that I pushed, pulled, and did whatever I could to make it happen. I achieved what I was after, but I was exhausted, and it wasn’t what I had imagined it to be. Looking back, I can see that the timing wasn’t right. I had fought to have something that I wanted when I should have been preparing to have it. That preparation is key. When something is received when the timing is off, it often doesn’t last or bring the joy that it could have. We read stories of people who suddenly experience large financial gains, but before long, the money is gone. The money wasn’t the problem. The issue was in the lack of preparation.

Things that we are properly prepared for, will be managed well and are likely to continue to grow. The opposite is also true. If I haven’t learned the discipline and techniques to manage what I currently have, adding more to it, won’t solve my issues. I simply have more to mismanage. It’s not enough for me to manifest or even work extremely hard to get something. I must put thought into how I will take care of that desire once it has materialized. I have been feeling very aligned, open and creative since December, but although I didn’t realize it at the time, the preparation began months earlier.

I began therapy the previous April. I started it because I was unsettled and wasn’t finding joy in anything. I was wrestling with that idea that at 53, I had lived over half my life, but it felt inauthentic. It felt scripted and designed to please those around me and to do what I had gleamed from life that I was supposed to do. I had a realization that if I was going to ever live the life I wanted, the time was now. The issue was that I didn’t know what I wanted. That’s where the work began. It was time to meet myself in all my imperfections and to love her as she was. I had to relearn a lot of lessons that the younger me had misunderstood and break down walls that once served as protection. They were now my private mental prison. Walls are designed to keep danger out, but they also will lock you in. I was ready to be free and began to do the work.

Do The Work

It wasn’t what I expected. I had complaints and I was ready to speak my mind. What I didn’t see coming was to see the role that I played in each of them. That was eye opening and needed. I have always believed that the only person that I can change is me. In places where my relationships were strained or out of balance, meant I had to step back from the relationship. If all I could see is how an interaction with another person hurt me, I had to either take it or walk away from the person. I didn’t see the other options of setting boundaries, communicating my needs and working through the situation. Those were things that I could do differently. I had no control over how the other person would respond, but I could show up authentically and give the relationship a reboot. I was becoming healthier. I was starting to see my value and get control of negative thoughts that plagued me for years.

That work led to feelings of peace and self-love at a level that I had never experienced. All of a sudden, magic! My family and I were heading down to the Texas coast for a post-Christmas getaway and as I rode, my creative juices kicked into overdrive. I decided then that I would learn WordPress while we were away so that I could make my first attempt at a blog. Not only did I learn it, but 2 or 3 days after that thought, I published my first post and have been posting weekly since. I had an idea to host a vision board party with some female family and friends. I held it on January 1 and have hosted 2 others. There were things at work that I had only dreamed of, but today they have all happened. There is more integration in my work life and personal life. My blog has been shared in some of our training sessions. I have had the opportunity to co-facilitate a class and cover some of the subjects that I blog about. As a result, I have experienced and enjoyed more than what I was dreaming. I still feel the magic, but now I realize that the magic is not in the accomplishment, but in the preparation. My sincere hope for you is that you will recognize what is limiting you, do the work and walk in your magic!