My mom used to laugh whenever she told the story of Hummy – my aunt – calling to complain about the amazing weather in Arizona. In New Jersey it would be snowing, school cancelled, hours of shoveling behind us and more awaiting us – and Hummy would call and say, ‘It’s another damn sunny day in Arizona.’
Perspective is everything, isn’t it?
Well, it’s sort of like that with healing work. When people are in deep process, it’s hard work. And it’s like shoveling in a snowstorm. You’re moving snow, but you’re not necessarily always making headway. Yet when the storm’s passed, the clean up can be completed, and the transition to clear space and easy traversing emerges.
Wouldn’t it be nice if our paths were easy, fulfilling, rewarding, that our growing edges were gentle, smooth and orderly? But would we grow? Would we invite challenges and welcome our growing edges if every day was simply another sunny day in Arizona?
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m all for sunny days. And I like Arizona. I’m not crazy, I’m real.
And while I share lots of jokes with clients about putting them on a table and serving as a highly paid trash collector, energy work is about detachment, letting go, surrendering, uncovering and yielding the obstructions that hide the authentic self and its emergence.
It’s not necessarily pretty, nor is it necessarily light.
On the other hand, energy work yields incredible results – sunny days stretching one after another as the individual basks in his or her authentic life.
When it’s snowing in your life, and the shoveling is high effort with low results, remember that energy flows where attention goes. If your emotions and thoughts are wrapped up in the slogging with the shovel, the endless flakes falling from the sky, the inevitability of returning to the task again to keep up with the storm, you’ll be in your process for sure. You’ll also be enrolled in the energy of what you’re wanting to leave behind.
If you’re shoveling with high effort and low results, move your emotions and thoughts to the inevitable clearing that takes place as a storm moves off the land and out to sea. What happens? The sun pokes through the clouds, the wind blows the clouds away and the landscape is sparkling, glittering, fresh and renewed.
And don’t get stuck thinking that your life should be all sweetness and light. That’s nothing but another damn sunny day in Arizona!
Keep your energy flowing!
CK
I love the phrase, “enrolled in the energy of what you’re wanting to leave behind”. Enrolled is quite the powerful descriptor and really speaks to me of the choice we have in every moment.
I’m glad the phrase is useful, Suzanne. Maybe it’s a polite way of saying ‘we get our knickers in a twist’! And yet, it’s easy to do. And yet, most of us feel quite exalted when we’ve made our way through whatever drama we’ve been in and are on the other side with new awareness. It’s a magic carpet ride, but a good one!