Listen to yourself

Since I embarked on the journey to become and be a Holistic Therapist, I have learned to listen to myself more and more. It doesn't happen overnight and you have to continuously get to know yourself to be able to interpreted what, for example, your body is saying.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to go on a job interview with a company that is close to my heart, keeping in mind three times is the charm. It was on their end, but no longer on mine. I started questioning myself because this was what I hoped for so why didn't I sign already?! I started trying to figure out why I was not over the moon with the offer. Is it because I am afraid of starting something new, learning something I have never done before? Although it is good to rule out fear when it comes to making a decision, this time around the fact that I just wasn't that interested anymore, was reason enough to just say no, thank you.

You can maybe tell by now that I have been used to analyse the shit out of everything and turning that down and using my other abilities more is an ongoing process. Another clear example for me was a few weeks back. It was a running event and I was running a distance I had never run before. Somewhere during the first half, my app notified me that I was going over 10 kilometres per hour, a speed I never make during training.

In a matter of seconds my mind analysed the situation and is already sending out the signal to slow down. Being more aware of myself and my patterns, I noticed it happening and at that moment I took over the wheel and asked myself: how does my body feel? Great! How is my breath? Steady. Are my legs hurting? Nope. So it seems I was doing well and the only thing in my way was my mind panicking at something new and trying to keep me safe (read: making sure I can persevere the whole distance so maybe just walk instead of run). The more of those conscious moments I have, the better I get at catching my autopilot taking the most travelled path.

Honestly, it is not easy and it requires energy and decision making as the auto pilot can come in handy, but not if you want to change your patterns and believes. Sometimes it is clear you no longer want to take a certain route, but are not sure which way to pick instead. It takes time and practice to catch yourself and rewrite the auto pilot manual to create new habits.

Which auto pilot routine would you like to change?

With love,

Anne