Extraordinary Moments

There have been many times that I have faced crossroads in life, and I struggled to make decisions for my highest and best good. I often put the needs of others before my own or I was paralyzed by fear. Even though I haven’t always followed it, I’m fortunate I have a divine inner compass. I believe we all have an inner compass, but we all don’t have immediate access to it if we haven’t honed the practice of using it. I also believe in the importance and practice of listening to the “God whispers” or the Universe and living in gratitude.

There are many ways to hone the practice of “listening” for guidance, and one way that I’ve used for years is walking. I feel energized and renewed by nature, especially when I’m near water, but I also love hiking paths surrounded by trees, rivers, and the chance encounter with animals. The natural environment inspires me, and I can remember several times in my life that I have gasped at the beauty I’m exposed to by taking the time to look. I say this because if you’re like me, you’ve had times that your mind is so overwhelmed with thoughts, your heart overfilled with emotions, and your spirit overburden by a dull ache that you don’t take the time to actually “see” what’s in front of you. The beauty around you goes unnoticed in these moments. The famous painter Georgia O’Keeffe once said, “When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else. Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower. I want them to see it whether they want to or not.” It’s important to be present and aware or we miss the extraordinary moments in our lives.

I’m realistic and know that sometimes the circumstances of life cause overwhelm; I’ve been there on more than one occasion! I’ve seen the dangers of not spending any time in my metaphorical rooms (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual) to spending too much time in one room at the expense of another. As the Indian Proverb, A House With Four Rooms states, “ Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time, but unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person.”

There are times I am stuck in my “head” and need to stop the constant grinding of the wheels. It is exhausting trying to keep up with the thoughts and ideas; this constant grinding litters the other areas of my life. Time management becomes crucial in scheduling important appointments, exercise time, and leisure activities. A major problem for me is insomnia. Can you imagine trying to stay focused and effective carrying out everyday duties without a good night’s sleep? I’ve had to learn important self-care strategies to help me in order to stay healthy. Staying healthy has become even more important to me after experiencing a serious health crisis that led to open-heart surgery. Some of us need a “wake up” call, and this was mine.

Coping with grief is another fact of life that we all deal with and for some of us, our days seem to be layered in grief. Our emotions pull and stretch us to our limits like a rubber band; when our emotions are pulled and stretched, our tempers can flare and tears can stream down our faces uncontrollably. There can be any number of stressful situations that layer our lives: deaths, divorce, addictions, and loss (relationships, employment, etc.). Being pulled and stretched in different directions isn’t a place to dwell; not only for health reasons, but it weakens the foundation of your life. One must take action to “air” out the emotional room to stay connected and in balance with life.

In what ways do you describe an ordinary day? If your day is anything like mine, you may eat on the run or overindulge in delicious horderves, meals, desserts, and snacks. Stepping on the scale or looking closely in the mirror or at a photograph may be the evidence that this lifestyle isn’t providing the desired results one wants. For some people, we climb on the hamster wheel, not for exercise but for the development and continuation of some of our bad habits: overeating, watching too much television, or staying plugged into the internet for hours. In times of chaos, diet and exercise can be the first thing crossed off our daily calendar, not because it got done, but because we fill that time slot with other activities. It seems to be one of the first things we shove aside, and as that hamster wheel goes round, we feel bad and guilt wells up. I’ve been there.

I can remember when I was a kid a church bus picked me up early on Sunday mornings for Sunday School. The community was terrific, and I enjoyed the fellowship and music. Going to church was also a way to escape the house for a while. Over the years I have visited several churches and explored different religious doctrines. At one point, early on in my spiritual exploration, I had an experience that had me bargaining with God. This bargain led me to study New Thought communities, and as a practitioner, I have developed a life based on principles that provide guidance in my life and have provided my vision for extraordinary moments.

In order to create a “complete” life as described in the Indian Proverb, it’s essential that steps be taken to “air” out the four rooms every single day. There are a plethora of ways to do this, and one chooses what methods and how much time is needed in each room. I believe it is important for our self-care to follow routines. For example, I like to walk first thing in the morning. If I don’t take my walk in the morning, it may not get rescheduled into my daily activities. The planner I use helps me organize my daily activities and record specific items that are included in my action plan. For me, routines and organization help me “air” out my rooms. This doesn’t mean that I don’t get entangled and thrown off my path from time to time because I do. When this happens, I recognize the detour and get right back on my path. It’s similar to when I’m on a diet and I partake in something that isn’t on my diet. I don’t tell myself that I blew it so I can eat whatever for the rest of the day...I pivot and get back on my plan toward extraordinary moments.

It took quite a bit of time for me to learn the pivot process, but when I did, my life changed for the better. Because I think we are all teachers and learners at the same time, I continue to learn and practice the pivot. I’ve established other self-care practices and have rituals that help me keep my balance with a busy life, and I’m having a blast because even the ordinary is extraordinary.

A House With Four Rooms (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual) advocates a balanced lifestyle plan for all practitioners and the practice allows us to live a “complete” life. A life that recognizes that we can learn from everything and know that the ordinary can certainly be extraordinary!

How have you “aired” out your rooms today? I welcome your comments. You can also follow me on my other social media outlets: A House With Four Rooms Facebook Page, twitter @housewith4rooms, and ahousewithfour.rooms on Instagram. Let’s start a conversation.

Cheers,

Lisa