It was the windswept grey curls swirling over the headrest in the gorgeous cream VW Bug that caught my eye. They were two sisters I think, well into their seventies, laughing uproariously and catching the rays. We tracked our progress together for a few miles and I was able to see how much they were enjoying themselves. There was something very palpable in how comfortable they were with themselves. They could have been 17, could have been 35 – they just happened to be 75. Their energy seemed ageless. They were enjoying the hell out of who they are right now.
I was driving home from a client session that had buzzed with laughter and potential. My client has turned a corner. Over the last few months she’s put in the work of starting a mindfulness practice that held promise but not much immediate gratification. She took a chance on herself – putting in time and effort when there was no guarantee of reward. She did it because she knew she was ready for more.
Most of us live at about 60% of what we’re fully capable of. A lot of time it’s because we worry about what change will bring. Can we handle what comes up? Will we need to let go of what we’ve worked so hard to get? But the process of life is growth and change. Eventually the tension of staying still gets cramped and energy draining. We’re pushed into action when discomfort of staying in place gets bigger than the fear of the unknown.
My client put in the work and got the victory. She was tired of living with the feeling of overwhelm. She saw how it was interfering with her happiness and the happiness of her important people. The problem with worry and overwhelm is that they take up space and keep us at 60%. She learned with mindfulness to see worry for what it is — one of many things we listen to when we’re moving forward.
Now she’s ready for a new experience – to consciously write the story for the life that comes next. A story that creates forward movement, not the “looping back to the same place” kind of movement. A story that capitalizes on her strengths, likes, values and accomplishments. A story that will unfold over time. A story where she becomes the hero of her own life.
Seeing those sisters made me imagine my client and her friend 30 years from now – sporting a different look but buzzing with the same kind of energy. They’re sharing the enjoyment of a life lived with gusto. And she’s laughs with ease because she lived life on her own terms. She became the hero of her own life.
You know where you are and what it’s taken to get here. Is it time to figure out how to grow past your 60%?
Image: Deirdre Walsh
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