What To Do When Stricken With Restlessness of the Heart

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope, which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities." - Dr. Seuss (1904-1991) U.S. cartoonist and writer

Recently I was in a restless mood. I wasn't sure if it had anything to do with cabin fever from staying indoors for longer periods of time due to record breaking freezing temperatures. Or was my intuition trying to tell me something?

In nature, winter is the season of hibernation to rest and not experience restlessness. Human beings want to keep forging ahead, going upstream against their natural instincts.

I decided to listen to my intuition, which led me to do what I know to be beneficial, but unfortunately have been neglecting to do for longer than I care to remember. It is the practice of journaling! Journaling can be magical, especially when writing without censoring.

In journaling you have the opportunity be as candid as you want to be. You can pour out your heart and soul. You don't need anyone's approval on what you write and if you can't be honest with yourself, then who can you be honest with? You can create a dialogue between you and your guides if you so choose; you can feel sorry for yourself if you so choose; you can seek answers to your restlessness from your inner guidance; you can use your imagination to visualize possibilities, or whatever else you care to explore.

I can't remember why I stopped journaling regularly. It might have become a "should," followed by feeling guilty for not writing every day. Doing something because of guilt is inauthentic and stressful. Guilt is the ego's way of trying to run the show. Can you relate to that?

Events and circumstances change and new practices take over. It could have even been my taking to writing more on the computer. For whatever reason I stopped writing, I followed my inner guidance and picked up my notebook hoping to remedy my restless mood. It worked!

With the intention to write uncensored while looking for answers from my intuition, I began to write. I found that my intuition aka inner guide had some thought provoking questions, such as: 

• What am I denying myself?
• What is it I want?
• What is the problem I solve for the clients who hire me as their leadership coach?

Without lifting my pen or being judgmental over the answers, I had some miraculous breakthroughs. Sometimes we are so enmeshed in our circumstances we can't see the forest for the trees. What came to light in the writing was that I wasn't laughing or enjoying myself as much. The stress of being a family caregiver for the past 5 years was taking its toll on my own self-expression and freedom.

Being a caregiver isn't something I use as an excuse for denying myself or reaching my goals. It is what it is. However, self-care is not to be neglected either.

What I let slip through the cracks was denying myself freedom to be okay with wanting more of me to be self-expressed. I want to feel more spontaneity and passion. I want more laughter. Life was getting too serious!

Within every problem there are possibilities. Most of my work is done from my home office. I have now calendared in more time out of the office to network and meet socially with friends. With that decision in mind, I signed up for membership in some local networking organizations.  Plus I am coming up with other ideas.

The next question that followed was: What is the problem I solve for clients? There were a number of answers, but the one that said it all was: "I help them be better leaders at what they do and help them develop into what they want to do." I am always looking for ways to bring my clients value and new skill sets that not only last during the duration of our coaching, but can be utilized throughout their life. My programs are designed to stretch and challenge professionals to new levels in self awareness and leadership. 

This past week I have written in my notebook, trusting what was coming through intuitively, logically and creatively. Journaling is a good thing!

Questions for the Restless Heart

• What are you denying yourself?
• What is your plan to stop denying yourself?
• What is it you want that inspires you?
• Why not journal for 30 days and see what happens?

Tips for the Restless Heart

• Without censoring or judging your thoughts write in a journal or notebook. If you stop your pen while writing, it is a sign you are evaluating.  
  Surrender to your intuition. It is wiser and has the answers.
• If you use a computer to journal, switch to handwriting. Notice the difference in the energy and feeling connected. For me there is a deeper inner connection in using pen and paper.    
• If you are already writing down your thoughts in a journal, consider writing in a narrative form between your physical being and your spiritual self. Most of us pretended when we were children to play with imaginary friends - maybe they were our guides playing with us.
• We are always evolving and restlessness can be a sign that change is in the wind. Check it out as you journal and trust the process. Watch out when you start second guessing what you have written. Second guessing is more than likely the ego resisting change.  
• Remember: Anything is Possible

"Take a chance! All life is a chance. The man who goes the furthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare." - Dale Carnegie (1888-1955) U.S. writer and developer of self-improvement courses