Mindfulness in Here and Now: High-Fivin the Universe

Nothing is as it seems.

With the massive number of changes in my life, I am trying to decipher and make decisions based on strong signals. Dead ends, priorities that are out of whack in my life, an escalating challenge of mental, physical, and spiritual health. The universe has indeed cracked open again, and just in time for my 59th birthday. (NOVEMBER – Sagittarius)

I’m going to explore this moment out loud, here. Namasté.

When It’s Go Time, Again

I have been in this moment a number of times in my life. The moment is some sort of awakening, a tectonic shift of my worldview, my prospects for future adventures, and a bright hot warning sign to GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME. Here are a few of the previous moments, that have occured since I’ve been writing this blog.

March 10, 2018, the message was:

Universe Says: FULL STOP

February 18, 2021 the message was:

A Message from My Higher Power – The Universe: Jump Off!

Today is October 14th, 2021

Here are a few of the things happening this morning:

WORK: My new big job is working out quite well. The meeting on Friday with my boss’s boss was exceptional. The future here looks bright. The message: your job is your top priority. Don’t lose focus and don’t fuck around and fuck up the new gig.

MENTAL: My mental health is strong. I am learning to decelerate my ascending energies and ideas with more compassion and care for me. In the past, I would typically injure myself by either A. leaning into the moonshot and overcooking my body and soul; or B. harshly judging myself when my mood fell below the mid-point and I moved into a period of recovery.

PHYSICAL: My physical body is responding to the stress and excitement by giving me strong feedback. I have had periods of extreme exhaustion, even when the activities and tasks have been pleasurable. I have experienced a bit of dizziness. A persistent ulcer deep in my throat that feels like a sore throat (uh, oh) but it’s not. My body is clear: settle, eat better, rest well, and jump in the cold water each day as part of my “cooling my jets” regime. Even GOOD/POSITIVE excitement is stressful on your body.

SPIRITUAL: I am close to god at these times. Often, my go-to prayer and meditation is “thy will not mine.” I am asking for guidance. I am hoping for a sign. I am willing to accept leadership and answers from my quiet time in prayer. So far, the answers are not forthcoming. And that’s also as it should be. My action item >> Non-attachment and no forced movement. (See: Pausing in the Gap)

EMOTIONAL/MOOD: I’m trending up these days. AND, I’ve managed to keep my 8.5 (ascending) under the dangerous 9 level. Today, I’m at a 6 and very happy about it. All is well. I am at peace. I am not rushing towards any answer. And as I learn to pause, breathe, and pause, I am learning to lessen the fuel to my jets rather than having to “cool” them. This is a much healthier place for me to be, emotionally.

ENERGY/MOTIVATION: My motivation and energy levels are high. I am sleeping well, but waking at 3 or 4 am too excited dreams or creative inspirations. For the most part, I have been able to go back to sleep. Perhaps less water at bedtime would prevent the pee break. I’m happy with my sleep. I’m making mindful choices with my food. Often in UP times, I will neglect my food. (Either eating comfort foods: ice cream, queso, pizza, tex-mex, or forgetting to eat at all.) Today, I’d say my energy is good, solid, and under conscious management.

PEACE/MINDFULNESS: Here is a place I can use some more intentional action. Time for morning pages (see: The Artist’s Way) and meditation. Walks. Swimming once a day. And more prayer. I’ve learned ways of staying in prayer even while doing work or exercising. It’s all about intention and what words/thoughts you are repeating in your mind.

The serenity prayer is a great source of comfort during these times.

Dear God,
Grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change
The courage to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know the difference.

Today, I can say, I’m content and ambitious at the same time. I’m creatively alive and vibrant, without too much focus on the outcome. I write, I sing, I pray, for my own pleasure and enjoyment. Sure, I happen to let you (readers) in on my journey, but I’m just going about my business and telling my story to myself. I’m sorting through what’s happening in my life and trying to make sense of it, FOR ME.

A Note to My Readers

You are a bystander. You are willing to continue reading, to contradict my contradictions, and I welcome your feedback and comments. This blog is part conversation, part confessional, and part life planning for where I am and where I want to point my heart and actions.

I am no expert. I am no Brené Brown. I am a bit more like Ms. Eat Pray Love. I tell my story and share it. I do hope it helps some people when they recognize things in their lives that either match or contradict my experience. We are learning together. I’m just sharing my journey. Blessings.

Namasté,

John McElhenney – life coach austin texas
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I am a relationship coach and a dating coach. I coach women in small groups as well as individual 1 x 1 zoom calls. If you have questions about life coaching I am happy to talk to you. Please schedule a phone call HERE.

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Related posts:

Reading List: What is Love (Redefining what we want in our lives and loves)

The 5 Love Languages Gary Chapman
Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone – Brené Brown
**A General Theory of Love Thomas Lewis, M. D. et al.
The Soul of Sex: Cultivating Life as an Act of Love Thomas Moore
** Care of the Soul Thomas Moore

Here are my books on Amazon:

Single Dad Seeks: Dating Again After Divorce: Advice and Strategies on Learning How to be Loved Again
Fall of the House of Dad: My journey through divorce, from loss to joy, again and again
A Good Dad’s Guide to Divorce: One father’s quest to stay connected with his children
The Sex Index: Getting Our Love Languages Right in the Bedroom
Here Comes the Darkness: Surviving and Thriving After a Mental Illness Diagnosis
The Third Glass: When Drinking Becomes an Issue
The Storm Before the Divorce: When One Parent Wants Out, That’s the End

storm before the divorce john oakley mcelhenney Available on Amazon

image: Life Aquatic promo shot – Bill Murray is my spirit animal.

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