Dear Reader,
Today the sun passed directly over the equator. The Southern Hemisphere begins its winter, and we in the Northern Hemisphere mark the beginning of spring. Contrary to what some believe, the amount of day and night is not equal; there are two such days, called equiluxes, and they fall at different times of the year depending on geographic location.
But this post is not about astronomical information – it is about crossing the line.
We humans tend to like it when things line up – planets, stars, calendar numbers – because it reminds of of both order and change. As the sun today crossed the earth’s mid-line, so we cross many lines in our lives.
No, I am not talking about the line of decency, or the line of good taste.
I am talking about crossing the line from old territory into new, of crossing from the known into the unknown. We often recognize those moments in our lives. Sometimes we consciously choose them and sometimes we don’t.
I am currently in a coaching program where we are asked to cross an imaginary line of commitment. The side of the line we start on represents our current situation, and our current level of commitment toward a particular life or business goal. On this side of the line, we might be interested in our goal; we might even be willing to try really hard to reach our goal – but we may not have committed fully to achieving it.
We reach commitment by making the decision to commit. We reflect that decision by stepping across the line. What waits on the other side?
Full-out, 110% commitment. Nothing less.
I have done the exercise twice now, and it is powerful. On the starting side of the line, when I pay attention to my feelings, I notice that my emotions feel a little heavy, and my energy feels slow. When I step across the line, I actually feel lighter, as if a burden has been released. I feel a little more relaxed and free.
Feeling that sense of commitment in your body is so important in helping you follow though; you can return to body memory when fear or doubt arises.
Somehow the feeling of crossing the line reminds me of how I feel today as we head into spring: a little lighter, relaxed and free.
Wait, you might say, in Autumn the sun will cross back over the line, returning from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern. To which I would say, dear reader, that even though the sun will be returning to familiar territory, you will be a new person – even if you try your best to stay the same. Who will you be in six months time? More importantly, who will you be if you make the decision now to fully commit to your goals and dreams?
There is only one way to find out…
I honor your loving heart,
John
John-
I remember having a discussion with you on being the first person to watch then sun go down and the amount of trust, faith, internal wisdom it takes to let go and assume it will come back up….. The same with the seasons….. As I left Auckland this evening and flew into Vancouver for a seminar, I arrived on the same day, only earlier. I’m used to traveling over the international date line and often ponder ‘chicken or the egg’ kind of arguments. It’s easy when it’s man made, clock time for example. But seasons, hummmm…. I was thinking about jumping from Autumn to Spring in 14 hours and what this could or not, for that matter, mean to a person. Besides wanting to lie flat for five hours I wondered about what this could mean not only to the body but the soul. I’m often more intuitive in the Spring, can answer the phone, knowing who it is, without trying or have that feeling of ‘what is,
will be’ . In the Autumn I slow down and prepare for winter. My senses pull back with the frost and I start shutting down. Now I wonder if it’s just hibernation mode or laziness as I’m reading your blog thinking I may have taken an easy way out, meaning I commitment myself to tasks in the Spring, finding the ‘flow’ that carries me along….well into Autumn…. then almost shuts off. Granted I’ve worked on trust and faith over the last few years by thinking less (ruminating) and doing more. I had embraced the notion that with winter’s darkness my senses shifted and had faith that the sun would come back and so would another level of awareness. Now I need to look at this and make sure that I’m living my full spiritual opportunity, and making sure that I’m developing in some other areas when this one shuts down….thanks for another tool of thought!
Just tried the exercise on this Spring morning…. Will try it again when I cross back into the Autumn on Saturday…. Amazing imagery comes up in my meditative state as I can see it as a useful tool in figuring out what’s next in life…. Might have found a tool that encompasses all seasons…..limitless! Thanks! (new word? For my life)
Hi Diane – Yes, and I have posted before about the benefit of working with seasonal cycles. At the same time, we don’t want to be dictated by them! Ultimately, we each have to find our own way and do what feels right. For me, the seasons give me energy, inspiration and a sense of connection to something bigger. They also remind me that change is possible, for I feel like I contain the essence of each season within me. At the same time, I can choose how I work with the energy of the seasons on every level – body, heart, mind and spirit.
John
Excellent!
Limitless…
Like I said… Thanks for shaking up the routine! Just when I’m comfortable with one level of growth a challenge comes along…even something as simple as the exercise…. Pushes me in another dimension…. Isn’t it amazing how a simple technique can do so much….but you have to be ready for it? Plus finding a new meaning in an old word! I just finished the exercise incorporating movement and energy work… Very sensory….