Writing from my lap top

Today, I am writing from my lap top.

Typically, I write from my phone because I am often somewhere I don’t have my laptop when inspiration strikes.

I have to say, it feels like a luxury to write from my laptop.

Lately, what’s been happening in my life and that I’ve been working with is feeling good.

I talked to my coach about this today.

I noticed that when I settle in my life, look around and see everything that has been created, and feel how I feel, I feel really good (joy, ease, pleasure, relaxed). I feel grateful for what I have, I feel grateful for the challenges I am currently experiencing, I feel grateful for the people in my life and where I live and the experience I get to have right now.

And then something happens - guilt creeps in.

It has been sneaky. It is really subtle.

And it crushes and dampens the joy, pleasure, and gratitude I was feeling for my life.

The guidance I received was to acknowledge the guilt and how it came up and refocus on presence and what I was feeling when it came up.

And so now, this is my practice. Re-focusing my attention on what I feel in the moment, allowing myself to feel pleasure, joy, and gratitude without the guilt overtaking my attention.

It honestly feels like I am working out when I have practices like this.

It is not an easy practice for me, yet, but i practice it whenever I notice it is happening.

I’ve done this with other feelings and thoughts that come up. Notice the signs and choose where to put my attention. And the more that I practice, the easier it gets, the stronger the muscle becomes.

The key here is to acknowledge everything that comes up, take care of yourself as you need to as you do this, and choose to focus your attention. In time, the guilt diminishes. And this does work. Then when it does come in, in the future, well, you will notice it, know what it is and continue to choose where to put your attention.

I have been working in the psychology, mental health, well-being, space for the past 20 years and I don’t know who said it first, but ‘what you put your attention on grows.’ There is an exception, that I found which is when we are experiencing work in emotional release, the attention on specific sensations, actually allow the sensations to move and release - attention is needed to be put in these places in order for this to work, so even though the sensations might increase at first, ultimately the attention on the sensations aids in the process of release.

*I need to put a disclaimer stating that I am not a medical practitioner and I speak only from my experience. Please contact a medical professional if you need any medical support.*

I work with people 1-on-1 as a coach - attention is one topic we touch on. If interested in working with me - please email me at love@elenaladwig.com.