Monthly Edition: Alignment
Inviting more ease to your life
The art of living deliberately is the art of examining this vast storehouse of beliefs, dropping the out-moded ones, consciously choosing those that serve your goals, and carefully crafting new ones in greatest alignment with your desires.
—Sir Richard Bishop
January is often a time when we are pressured to change major areas of our lives. What if, instead of doing an overhaul based on what we think others expect of us, we figure out what is already pulling at our hearts and minds? We are not starting from scratch in the new year. We are building upon who we already are. Creating change might look like a needed stripping down of our obligations for some of us. For others, it may look like adding in extra supports.
Only you can know what is right for you in this season of your life, and with a little intention and alignment, you can move ahead with confidence.
Alignment is not just about getting the tires in their right placement on your car so there’s no pulling. It’s not only found at the chiropractor, as they shift bones back into place. It is something that you can bring to every area of your life—from your relationships, to work, to how you spend your free time. It is all about getting grounded in what is most important to you so that you can bring greater ease in your day-to-day life.
If you have already laid the foundation of trust, curiosity, compassion, and belonging, creating more alignment in your life will only lead to more clarity as you continue to build the bridge of connection between yourself and the world.
In the coming weeks, we will look at how to create alignment by knowing our values, our priorities, and building structure around them, while still leaving room for flexibility, and embracing what is for us in this season. There is opportunity, as we do, to live with greater intention.
As we get clear about our core values, we won’t be confused when opposing opportunities try to pull us away from ourselves. In order to live from a truly grounded and ease-full place, we have to know what motivates us.
In addition to knowing our values, we also need to be aware of what our priorities are at this moment in time. {This moment, meaning the thing we can touch and maneuver in the short-term.} Perhaps our priorities will change each month or quarter, but we need to be able to identify them in order to bring our choices into alignment with them.
Structure is important in order to build habits and practices that bring momentum to the important areas of our lives. Alignment is not just about allowing what is already true to blossom, but also about setting ourselves up to thrive in growth by taking good care in practical measures.
This doesn’t mean we have to be rigid. Structure may sound like a dirty word to those of us who identify as artists, but it is a vital element to grow stronger in our craft. Flexibility is also necessary because we have to leave space for opportunities we couldn’t see coming. There will be opportunities for joy, connection, and growth, and we should not write them off if they did not show up in our original plan. Alignment allows for flexibility.
When we keep forcing things that no longer fit (our beliefs, lifestyles, etc.), we live in unnecessary tension. When things are no longer working, it’s time to reevaluate. Taking the time to embrace what is for us in this specific season will help us have greater ease as we make our next steps and choose where to direct our energy.
Things are clearer, movements made easier, when we are in alignment with our values and priorities. There is grace and permission to recalibrate when necessary. This is not a one-and-done situation. As long as there is breath in our lungs, there is an invitation to live with greater authenticity, clarity, and curiosity.
How intentionally are you living?
Is there something that you can let go of to make room in your life for more ease, space, and alignment?
Consider this an invitation to get curious about the things that deplete your energy without offering much in return.
An exciting in-person opportunity!
If you are in the Twin Cities and looking for a way to start out the New Year with intention, I’m offering an in-person creative workshop on January 9th. You can find the details for how to register here!
