Monday, January 08, 2007

Are you on track?

"Few people have any next, they live from hand to mouth without a plan, and are always at the end of their line."-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Just think: When we are driving, we know where we want to go and we plot out our route. When we plan and prepare a meal, we follow a recipe and monitor the food as it cooks.

Crash and I were talking on the way to Texas about manifestations and relating it to driving. When one starts driving one has a challenge with putting it all together and actually driving the car. Getting the clutch engaged with the right speed of the engine, releasing the break, turning the wheel, checking the mirrors, watching the speedometer, and trying to pay attention to the instructor - all at the same time! It can be a little overwhelming and frustrating for ourselves as well as others. But with practice, consistent practice and time, we learn to do all of that and more such as eventually turning on the radio, combing our hair, adjusting the volume, drinking some coffee and talking to our friend at the same time. We can become so engrossed in the conversation or radio that all of a sudden we are at point B, 20 minutes later, and did all of these activities on autopilot. I related that this is a lot like manifesting, building dreams, and when we start out, we seem to go in a herky-jerky forward motion.

Crash added that like manifesting, envisioning, dreaming of possibilities, etc, the real challenge for the student is really what s/he needs to watch. Some students get in and think they need to watch the pedal, others the steering wheel, and others the hood of the car. Eventually they learn to watch out in front to the car and some focus further down the road than others. They see the things that are flashing by, the pillars, the guardrails, and other obstacles/challenges along the way - but they are focused on where they want to go. Just like in driving, when we shift our gaze down the road to something out in the field, the driver will inadvertently turn the wheel toward what s/he is watching. In manifesting and envisioning s/he will also move towards that new target - and then we wonder why we crashed! What happened is we shifted our focus and attention away from what we desired onto some “thing” else and steered towards that new direction.

Some folks scoff at the idea of manifesting what they want in their lives. This is really the same concept as treasure mapping, building a vision board, goal setting, strategic planning, or planning a career path, etc. for oneself. This is not a new concept, as it has been around for ages. Everyone does it, and if you reflect on it for minute or two, you will realize you are doing exactly what you imagined you would be doing minutes, hours, and months ago. Think about it.

How much attention do you give to planning the direction of your life?

Taking the time to review your quality of life gives you a chance to re-evaluate what you are doing and where you want to go. It lets you fine-tune your direction, to ensure you are on track for what you most want.

Where are you?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Where am I? Seems I've lived on the edge of my seat all my life, but still managed to arrive at a designated location. Not without a few U-turns, and side roads, but the biggest thing is I never stop traveling. Whether I want to or not, I hit the gas and go.