I know you want to be successful in what you do. It’s pretty easy to measure success. But do you feel successful? So many of us are so busy that we put aside how we feel. And even if you feel successful you may not savor that feeling for very long. Distractions at home and at work conspire often against that feeling.
The fact is you are balanced only when there is harmony between ‘doing’ and ‘being’. Most of our lives, even in spiritual or religious practice, is spent in transactional ‘doing’: I do this for you; you do that for me.
I re-balance this way:
- When I am successful in something I’ve done, I pause and soak in the glorious ‘high’, that feeling of knowing why I am here on earth. For example, last week my posting of ‘Imposter Syndrome’ on LinkedIn was in their top 1% of hits!
- I take breaks from doing by looking around at details in my home that I appreciate, or in the garden that I’ve worked hard to create. I applaud my efforts with satisfaction..
- I look for the awe and wonder, the transcendence, wherever and whenever I can experience it: through deep conversations, energy work, created nature, and cooking!
Transcendence feeds our ‘being’. It is the food and drink of spirituality and helps us appreciate the mystery of ‘human-being’. The psychologist, Abraham Maslow, famous for his hierarchy of needs tells us that self-transcendence brings us “peak experiences” in which we are able to go beyond the limitations of our personal concerns and see life from a higher perspective. These experiences often bring strong positive emotions like joy, peace, and a well-developed sense of awareness.
So transcendence or paying attention to ‘human-being’ makes sense of and balances our ‘human-doing’ through a higher perspective. Some people call this God, Higher Power, Source, Spirit. Whatever you call your higher perspective, you need a healthy dose of it daily.
Yet I know many of you feel overwhelmed by responsibilities and wish you had more time to ‘be.’ The downside of ‘being’ is that all sorts of thoughts and memories are freed up. Some of these are unhelpful ‘saboteurs’ that remind you of unresolved traumas or unaddressed conflicts.
What are some tips to invite more ‘being’ in order to engage in a deeper sense of who you are and why you are here?
- ‘Being’ often takes more personal discipline and practice than ‘doing.’
- Set easy goals. Five minutes a day at first, to sit away from distractions and listen to your deep, rhythmic, breathing.
- Make note of feelings of awe and wonder (transcendence) throughout the day.
- Let your anxious mind chatter flow in, and flow out, without engagement.
- Notice and savor experiences from all your bodily and spiritual senses.
- Focus on the Now, the present moment; it’s all you’ve got.
- Work with a spiritual director/coach, who supports your particular spirituality.
Conscious ‘being’ leads to more mindful ‘doing’, greater productivity, deeper intimacy, and profound personal satisfaction and feelings of being a successful human. You will soon better appreciate who you are, and not just what you do. What could be better than growing rich in all possible ways?
Rediscover Your ‘Human-Being’
- Perform better by savoring who you are at your core.
- Discover new perspectives on what and how you ‘do.’
- Clear a new path to more productivity and job satisfaction.
- Join Michael Parise in four coaching/spiritual direction sessions that shift you into the future you want for your life or career.
- It’s all done over the phone in privacy and confidentiality.
Cost: $315.00 for 4 sessions
Twice per month for 2 months
Set up a 45-minute free Discovery Session
Blogs: www.mpariselifecoach.com
Contact: Michael@MPariseLifeCoach.com
Text: 813-449-3904 or through LinkedIn.