There are always labor pains before life’s greatest gifts. This morning I was thinking about the story of Mary’s time leading up to the birth of Jesus, how she had to face ridicule, the angst of waiting, and then of course, LABOR PAINS!
It always interests me, even I see this in myself, that we are surprised by the pains before something new comes. We might feel an uneasiness about a situation, a discontent about the way a relationship is going, or even be struggling to know where our path is headed! Waiting in anticipation can be really tough. Here’s the thing, we are used to what we consider to be “normal” and resist change. We don’t like change because we don’t know what to expect. In any system, the drive is to push things back into homeostasis. So, when we have an urge that what has been working is no longer working, we feel anxiety to even be thinking about going outside of the “normal.”
But, when we pay attention to the inner stirrings, we can help nurture and facilitate the growth of whatever is trying to make itself known. As you wait for your next “greatest gift,” here are ways to cope with the angst of the waiting:
1) Meditate and pray: When you have new urgings that don’t make any sense, it’s comforting to connect with your north star. Sometimes we are being pushed in a new direction without knowing the “why” or the path forward, so connecting to your source of truth is a must.
2) Get outside in nature: nature helps bring about creativity and clear thinking. It also helps you breathe just a little bit deeper. Get outside and notice what inner inclinations you have during that time.
3) Move your body: our bodies hold SO MUCH WISDOM. Go on a walk, do yoga, dance. Moving helps loosen up what might be stale inside.
4) Unplug: remove more of the distractions you have in life. Turn off the TV, put your phone to the side. If we want to listen to our inner guide, we need to make room to allow our voice inside to speak. I am always a huge advocate for making space before something new can fill in.
I want to include a quote by Steve Jobs I read recently: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma- which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other people’s opinions down out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”
I fully believe when we follow our hearts, our true north guiding point, that we are not disappointed by our decisions. We might be terrified by the “newness”, but we are not typically disappointed. I think as we make decisions and tune into our inner stirrings we are led in a way that brings more life to our lives, and more life to those around us. I don’t think our truest selves are ones that push us to things other than what is good for us and for others. So in this season of waiting, listen to your true north and be ready for one of life’s greatest gifts!