The crisp pure white snow that blanketed much of the east coast last week was transformed into snowmen temporarily warming our hearts. It was plowed into piles of dingy grey mountains lining the streets and it continues to linger. These are reminders for me of the excitement and slight dread I felt at the impending blizzard that hit last week. These images also make me pause and consider the fleeting nature of life and our experiences.
It is so important to be awake as we experience life or else we risk life passing us by as a series of events that at the time seemed tedious, protracted, and unending but in the end become a gnawing feeling of regret and disappointment for opportunities missed. We risk having our lives turn into a pervasive feeling of emptiness at not playing full out, of not living a more purposeful life.
For some of us then the question that follows might be, “How do I become more aware, awake, and alive, when I do feel the weight and pressure of living, when life does feel like a joyless chore?” The answer lies in beginning an inward journey of self-reflection which I call mirror work. This involves being courageous enough to look at your life and how you’ve reacted to what life has offered you. Do you have a tendency to avoid when the chips are down? Or is your reaction more aggressive and conflict oriented? Or is there some other way you’ve found to deal with what can feel like the “unfair” things that “happen” to you?
Only through this inward reflection can we begin to become more aware of ourselves, of our responses to the events in our lives, and begin to realize that there are other ways to view and respond to these events. This work is not for the faint of heart, not for those who aren’t ready for a powerful journey of growth and transformation. But for those who are and dare to experience and live their lives awake and full out, I congratulate you! And, if you ever come to a point in your journey where you would like help, talking to a life coach might be right for you.
Photo Credit: Dennis Jarvis