Remembering to Remember
One recent morning I was feeling squeezed, all tense and contracted, by a sense of rushing energy while trying to get my six-year-old out the door for camp.
And then I remembered I could let my body and mind soften and still effectively get us where we needed to go (which I did).
Oh yah. I forgot.
This is how it tends to be, right? We get swept up in the swirl of our habitual routines, thought patterns and ways of being, and if we don’t pause to consciously check in, those patterns just keep on unconsciously keepin’ on.
There’s a well-known saying in the mindfulness realm:
90% of spiritual development work is to remember to remember what we already know.
Once we remember what we already know from experience helps deliver us back into a peaceful, regulated, connected state the shift can be simple.
But those shifts back into the center of our Selves can also feel like the hardest to remember when we’re wandering around the bulk of our days on auto-pilot. Which is normal, of course, given that our brains spin out an estimated 60-80,000 thoughts a day and are wired to consolidate information into the most energy-efficient habit bundles possible.
So we need some practical reminders to pierce through the trance of our less-than-helpful habits.
My personal favorite go-to way to remember to remember is to write those reminders on Post-It notes and stick them somewhere visible.
Some examples of those reminders:
It’s safe to soften now.
Just this breath.
I’m resourced enough to handle this now.
Simply connect.
I can figure this out.
There’s space for this.
It’s safe to try something different now.
There’s enough.
It’s safe to slow down.
I can handle this one next step.
Just this moment.
Peace is available right here, right now.
Feel into what feels resonant and useful for you, and once that message loses its oomph, swap it out for the next simple reminder you’d like to keep top of mind.
No need to reinvent the wheel each time you feel stuck in an unhelpful loop.
Go back to the wisdom you already know as Truth in your bones.
What wisdom that you already know to be true has your (normal, busy, human) mind lost in the shuffle recently? Bring it back to the forefront of your days and rinse and repeat liberally.
Keep it simple, but do keep it front of mind (when you can remember).
Lots of Love,
Melissa
PS - If you’re curious about exploring these themes in a sweetly personalized way, be in touch about 1:1 coaching possibilities.