Turning It Over

I love to turn stones over in my palm, partly due to the soothing nature of the ritual; partly due to the reminder to consider all angles of a matter at hand. When I discover an unexpected color or texture, I am reminded not to make assumptions about what I cannot see/know, and my understanding of the rock is deepened. If I neglect to turn the stone over, my default beliefs will fill in the blanks, and I risk missing the unexpected or the opportunity to grow. Our default beliefs keep us tied to our past; and they can be sneaky (read: subconscious) in affirming stories that no longer serve us.

I recently reminded Phoebe to consider other possibilities, when, curled up in a ball, with tears streaming down her face, she declared: "Pip doesn't care about me." When pressed for why she believed this to be true, she explained: "He would rather go to Harrison's house than come to watch my game."

"Hmmm," I responded, carefully, "Maybe there are other reasons why Pip is choosing to go to Harrison's house?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes, and allowed me to continue:

"Is it possible that your brother cares about you AND he wants to go on this playdate?"

"Is it possible that on another day, in a different mood, Pip might choose to watch your game?"

"Is it possible that you would choose to go on a playdate instead of watching your brother's game? Would that mean you don't care about him?"

It doesn't matter which scenario is the truth; what matters is that Phoebe believes in the possibility that her scenario (i.e. her brother does not care about her) is not the only truth. When we open ourselves up to all that is possible, we lessen the hold our default beliefs have on us. Maybe there was a time in Phoebe's past when Pip (impulsively) told her he didn't care about her, but that did not occur on this day. When Phoebe considered the possibility that her truth was not absolute, she was able to settle down, and gain clarity. She untangled her bony, skinned-limbs, wiped her tears, and climbed upstairs to shower. When she came down, her brother asked: "Are you feeling better, Phoebe?"

How many times do you jump to conclusions, like Phoebe, without considering less obvious possibilities (keeping in mind the subjective nature of what is obvious)? Think about a recent time in your life when you were suffering, a little, or a lot. What was your truth in that moment? Now, using your amazing human-power, consider other possible scenarios that might explain the situation. For the sake of this exercise, you don't have to "believe" the other scenarios, just that they are, indeed, possible.

Making space for and building our muscle to identify less obvious explanations heightens our capacity to shift/expand our experience at any given moment by not surrendering to our default beliefs. The investigation anchors us into the present, forces us to open our mind, and inevitably expands our experience. You learn to start with questions like: "What do I know to be true RIGHT NOW?" and "What else is possible?" Then let go, and turn it over...

As always, thank you for reading,
Georgia

ps If you're interested in exploring "truth" in greater detail, join us tomorrow night at our Blue Light Seminar: The Truth Will Set You Free at 630pm. We will define truth, universally and personally; we will identify areas in our lives that feel out of alignment with our truth; and we will learn tangible tools to help us reclaim our authenticity. The more we are aligned to our truth, the more love, light, ease, and joy we will feel, even in the toughest of times. Sign up here.

pps There will be no live classes on Thursday or Friday this week. There will, however, be a special live class on Sunday at 4pm ET that incorporates CAKE, Blue Light Yoga and Meditation. Don't miss it. Register Here.