How big is your world right now? And perhaps, importantly, how big do you want it to be?
There’s a story by Mark Nepo, in The Book of Awakening, about cleaning out a little fish bowl. The story goes that he placed the fish (safely, obvs) with their water in to a plugged sink, and set about getting their bowl nice for them. When he went to the sink to return them to the bowl, he noticed that the fish were huddled together in the same amount of space in the sink, that they would have had in their usual home. They didn’t take up the space available to them, they simply stayed as they were.
It got me thinking about how we grow accustomed to the space we know, rather than expanding into our environment. I’ve mentioned Imposter Syndrome before (and am currently writing another blog about it) but this is one example of how we’re “held back”. Sometimes we even shrink to fit, just to get a seat at the table. It keeps us small and wears us down. And to be clear, that’s not always on us – the systems, workplaces or even friendship circles can keep us there, if we don’t awaken to what’s happening.
Here’s some food for thought:
This week, maybe set the intention to Open The Door. Facilitating change can feel terrifying at first, because we might think even exploring our options means we have to do something about them. But when we start to think about change, it doesn’t mean we have to take a step forward, we can simply open the door to possibility and see what’s available to us.
It might be defining clearly what it is you actually want, or fast forwarding to a year from now, and imagining – if literally nothing was an obstacle – where would you be, who are you with and what would you be doing? If it’s giving a Ted Talk, running your own business or creating something new, then start big, and work back from there. You don’t have to have it all figured out today. Wait if you need, and hold on to hope.
But, and this is important, if life is challenging you right now to the point where even just thinking about the future is problematic, please know that whatever you’re going through, you’re going to manage it. We can navigate the bumps in the road, even when we can’t see the end of it. Cry if it helps. Talk when you need. Be good to you.
For an expanded version of Monday Mojo™ straight to your inbox, which includes access to free resources (subject to availability), click here. Any third party links offered are not endorsed.
The Business End: I am delighted to provide this complimentary weekly blog. If you like Monday Mojo™ and want to say “thanks”, you can use my Tip Jar here No pressure though, it will stay free of charge as long as possible.
You might also like: my book Answers In The Dark: Grief, Sleep and How Dreams Can Help You Heal, out now.
© Delphi Ellis 2023
Monday Mojo™ 