Hey! Happy Almost 2021! Let’s all clear out old 2020 energy and invite the new in, Womxn/Women! What a good time to do it!

Today I’ll try to do my best to explain a recent “A ha!” moment, because it may be helpful to you for schlepping some of 2020’s chaos to the side.

But first: do any of you do, or commit to, consistent mindfulness exercises?

I’ve talked about mindfulness a little before, and there are some powerful (and yet, so simple) reasons for doing it:

• It can calm your physical body.

• It has the ability to center your emotions and mind.

• It’s a way you can begin to recognize your inner Nature.

• And it can create experiences of feeling grounded in moments of chaos or transition.

I’ve made it a life’s mission, so to speak, to be mindful in activities. Still, let’s be real with each other: sometimes I’ve been better at it and other times my Human tendencies make it an “imperfect” habit. But, instead of feeling forever guilty about being in my head too much, when Mindfulness comes back I realize (again) that I’ve deeply missed it.

So, back to my “A ha!” moment. It came while doing a simple, fulfilling, and mindful, activity…

Knitting.

Sometimes a knitting pattern or project is not soothing; it can be confusing or stump me, despite watching 72 YouTube videos. It’s all about learning a craft, right?

But, this pattern has a very poignant message which just hit me… It’s called a metamorphosis stitch. Real quick, metamorphosis means to shift, mutate, transform, etc.

What’s more interesting is that you have to drop, a.k.a. release or undo, stitches that you’ve worked so hard on, row after row, to get this stitch to work. I get it, pictures or a video may help here, but my point is metaphoric…

You have to let go of what’s happened in the past to morph into something new, beautiful, and progressive or evolutionary.

Let’s talk about the visceral, in-the-body feeling I had when dropping those stitches or undoing them. My stomach tightened, my Mind and Intellect were annoyed at undoing work, and my Inner Child “didn’t want to mess this up” and have to start all over (again).

But, guess what? I undid the stitches, I let them go, and nothing fell apart or horrifically happened. And the end result looks, and is, friggin’ awesome.

Friends, many of us have the tendency to clench on so tightly to what we think needs to happen, or how it was and is. But what if that’s not where “our glory” is found? What if, in letting go of things or expectations, we rebuild or refocus ourselves into a bodily temple and an individual with peace, patience, discernment… Wisdom…

We all have defenses and beliefs. We have all stemmed from generational, familial, and historic conditioning (or lifetimes of it, depending upon your perspective). But maybe those are old stitches to release, building blocks, or they’re foundational to metamorphosis and our very own change.

The takeaway: Don’t fret over the stitches and “all the work you’ve done,” or the need to keep yourself perfect and unchangeable in what you do. On a deeper level, try to release some of the stubborn clenching of a mindset that no longer serves, or that literal, physical reaction that resists a good change. You know, when we literally lean back in a chair or while standing, say “Nope! That will never happen” without really regarding the shift that deeply.

Ponder on this. Maybe you’ll lead yourself in new directions of change that you couldn’t have seen if you hadn’t let go…

Let me know in the comments below, or contact me 1:1, about what you think of mindfulness, letting go, and shifting into something new. It’s honestly a great time to try something different because it’s been a Hell of a year for many, and the New Year is coming up. And maybe through all the tensions and events, a lot of us have seen opportunities for a redo. If you’re ready for a redo, or to grow and pivot, let me know! Join the FSW Circle for a free mini-guide to get started, and know that I’m here with you 100%!