I’ve been on the clearing journey for most of my adult life. And though I’ve experienced many bumps along the way, faced some dark places, and even experienced a healing crisis or two, here’s what
I can tell you: It’s all good! And it's worth it.
You see, the more you clear, the lighter you are. The lighter you are, the higher you feel. The higher you feel, the easier it is to clear the next thing or issue that is holding you back. As long as we stay in the game, it's a journey that gets better, easier, and a lot more fun!
Today's message we'll explore ways to continue moving beyond overwhelm.
The Solution
What are you noticing, if anything, from giving yourself a conscious minute to slow down, reduce and repeat, tune into how you feel every time you think of it, detach from dramas, and show up for yourself? Do you feel a little calmer, quieter, less plugged-in? Is it stirring up any squirmy discomfort or emotional weather that you didn't expect, ask for, or see coming? Are you even doing the
practices?
If you haven't given these daily practices a chance, ask yourself why. If you have, but feel frustrated and unconvinced because a "rinky-dink clearing practice" is no match to the mountain of stress and stuff that is clogging up your life, here's what I have to say about that (again): overwhelm talking.
Don't be fooled by the simplicity of these steps.
First of all, dialing it down doesn't come naturally to us "doers" who have been stuck in the spin cycle (for years) – wired to react in advance of every possible calamity (that is sure to come at any moment), and insist on instant gratification and immediate tangible results.
Secondly, what causes us to feel overwhelm – the piles in our house, the noise in our head, the pain in our heart – is not the problem.
It is the solution.
Inside Job
Overwhelm is a symptom of something much deeper. It is a signpost that shows us where we are out of balance. It is a pathway that reveals the internal places that got us stuck in the first place; the places that can only be healed to the degree that we are willing to meet them with awareness and compassion.
Clearing is an inside job that begins and ends with us. We cannot make a dent on the piles "out there" until we've addressed the piles (of judgment, pain, attachment, fear, blame, shame) "in here."
Overwhelm shows us the way. The sooner we make friends with it, the sooner it will shift, and lift. And the best way I know to do that are five steps that begin with the letter S.
The Five S's are your keys. They will open all kinds of new doors to spaciousness provided you use them.
Your Dream Team
There’s a reason why these five S’s are presented in this order—in stages. You see, you can’t simplify without slowing down. Without a steady practice in sensing, you won’t have the tools you’ll need to step up your game with surrender. And without the nourishing effects of the first four S’s that precede it, self-care has no ground on which to
flourish.
The Five S’s build one upon another. They work together as a team. Your dream team.
Practice Makes Spacious
You may be wondering how to keep going after this email series is over, when there's no message coming in to gently remind you to stay on point. How do you get better at being aware and consistent in your efforts when life inevitably happens: you lose focus, get stuck, fall off the wagon?
That's where practice comes in.
And that's where my new book, A Year for You can take over as your companion and guide. I have created a whole year of inspirational lessons and gentle practices to help you become a master of slowing down, simplifying, sensing, surrendering, and self-care.
With it by your side, you'll discover that clearing the Spacious Way is not a diet, it’s a feast!
You can learn more about A Year for You, and order the book by clicking the links below.
Photo and text by Stephanie Bennett Vogt
Portions of this material are excerpted from A Year for You, Hierophant Publishing, 2019
Copyright © All Rights Reserved
