I was scrolling through Instagram when I came upon some shared learnings of one Cory Muscara, teacher, writer and former monk. He was sharing a list of wisdom gleaned as an outcome of his practice with with his own teacher. Number 19 on his list resonated the most for me right now. At the time of writing this post, I didn't follow his profile or his teachings
but the 'gram' post was holding my attention.
Here was learning number 19:
"There are 3 layers to a moment: Your experience, your awareness of the experience, and you story about the experience. Be mindful of the story."
I knew exactly what this was bringing up for me. I'd held on to an experience that ended for quite some time. I didn't want it to be over. Additionally, I'd "romanticized" the outcome of my experience well after the fact. Just for good measure, I started adding new emotions to the heightened turn my story had taken. Finally, I was running with it and buying into my creative add-ons on the regular.
And what was I using my well practices intuitive abilities for? To ask questions, repeatedly, about this experience, of course. To get more information and guidance to "help me move through it". And yet, when the guidance didn't suit what I was ready to hear, I stopped meditating and thought, "Yeah, yeah. I know." Because, when I was being honest with myself, I didn't want to let the story go and deal with what was underneath. It would mean having to deal with many new thoughts and facts including why I was holding on to those deep feelings about the story to begin with.
Wait, what?
But Arlene, you're so intuitive. You have given countless beautiful and meaningful readings to others that have helped them propel forward, taking clear action with confidence and sharpened our unique abilities to intuit on our own. You've told us how much clarity and certainty your own intuition brought you. Don't you get all the answers?
Well, thank you :) And, yes to all that. I'm eternally grateful for my guidance and how following through with action, time and time again has helped me move along on my path.
But dammit Jim I'm an intuitive, not omnipotent. (Did I just age myself?) And none of us, myself included, get a free pass from being. Being a human being. In addition, as I tell all of us, the right path isn't always the easiest path and sometimes you don't want to get started walking along it.
With this particular story, what I needed to become curious about was- why I didn't want to let go of the emotions around the experience. The embellished story was awesome by the way, but total BS.
Sitting with each more truthful answer as to why then, why perpetuate the tale, I had to become fiercely honest with myself. It was only me hearing the answer, after all. The 'being' i needed to do was 'be' with each answer without judgement or scolding. Without feeling ashamed or saying -but you know better!
It's not shameful or less spiritual to need or cling to a story. This is the human condition. And sometimes, it's necessary for survival. But what is missing often, is the awareness of the story. The courage to accept that you just might be hanging on to things because it feels icky, uncomfortable, painful or boring to lose that story. Mindfulness makes it more undeniable that you must now 'be' and/or do differently. Or, at the very least, acknowledge that you're not ready to do anything but that indeed you running a particular program over and over.
Having given myself the acknowledgement and self acceptance that I was running with this particular story ad nauseum, I accessed my intuition to show me things like:
~What might I do to align myself more with a different story that serves me more at this time?"
~Show me what this story might have been providing me? What conversations should I consider?
And then, oh this part makes people squirmy, I made plans to take those concrete steps, one wee movement forward at a time if needed be, to move in the direction of that alignment. I'm still doing that. Not a quick 'feel good' hit like my story was providing me, but I feel more rested in my soul.
I wrote this to let you know, Intuition and deepening your intuitive practice is magnificent. And, at the same time, reminding all of us to be mindful when we are hoping intuitive guidance will delay the act of BEING.
But here's the good, no, great news! In all my twenty plus years providing intuitive guidance and readings at workshops, retreats or privately, it's been my experience that:
You are capable of the guidance, the suggested decisions and paths that come up for you. I can't think of one person who wasn't ready or didn't resonate with what inner wisdom was bringing forth.
It doesn't mean it's the easiest, least stressful, most fun way to do something. But, most often, you already KNOW it will bring you the deeper contentment and alignment you feel in your life.
As I write, I know this is not that earth shattering, but imagine the combination of accessing your specific inner wisdom with your desire to lead your life from what feels most aligned and empowering?
Just as I have been hooked on a story here and there, I've also had the glory of unhooking from it. And I know you have too. I know glory might sound like an oversell, but I'm not kidding, it's glorious.
How you doing? What comes up for you when you read this post? What scenarios in your life immediately came to mind? Remember, no judgement here. I hope you're do the same for yourself.
Love, Arlene
If you want to join me in my upcoming intuitive development course, please feel free to check out this link or click on the photo below for more information.
We will connect with your inner wisdom in meaningful ways that bring you glorious clarity and confidence. And if you've taken courses or classes with me before, you know I will gently nudge us all when potential stories play a role.
You've always been able to handle it and then some!
