by Joan Courtney, C.Ht.

Unstuck Living

The voice in your head is nonstop: 

I need to ______, I am ________, I should ________, 

I haven’t _________; I wish I had _________. 

The list seems never-ending; continuous and unbroken. It’s your own voice speaking in that monotonous tone, driving you ever onward. If you finish one project, it seems two others take its place. You’re so busy moving into the future, you don’t even take time to give yourself a pat on the back.

It’s easy to mistake that voice for the real you. Too easy to be swallowed up by a never-ending flow of activity. With electronics, too easy to be connected, to be called to attention by a leash of information. Too easy to move into that reactive state. I heard of a woman whom a friend described as a FOMO, or defined by a Fear Of Missing Out. Always needing to be “in the know”.

For months before the last move on the Mountain, if I was not at work or writing, my focus was on packing, tossing, and donating. My internal chatter was pack, pack, pack. The day of the move, I was still not ready. Had it not been for friends and the moving crew, I’d still be in my old place. After the dust settled, I felt disconnected. I was in new surroundings. My cell phone was my only means of being in touch. Texting was not my strongest suit, so I was forced to slow down my chit-chat and my distractions. Gearing down was not quick nor easy, but my brain appreciated the break. I got in touch with myself. Rest and quiet were what I needed, and I think you might too.

During this end of summer, let’s shift gears and take another look: who are you? The chattering voice in your head? Or are you something more? The quiet and peace deep within you is your essential nature, your authentic self. Without the real you, there’s no perception, no thoughts, no world.

But how to get there from here? Let me share a few suggestions I’ve gleaned from my life.

Start small. 

When you’re taking a hike or sitting on the porch, simply be with Mother Nature. Be aware of your physical sensations: the way your feet feel on the ground, the breeze gently touching your face, the feeling of your clothes on your body. Focus on where you are at that moment.

Take a break from electronics and television.  Distraction can beguile, moving to the next diversion, adding to your mental clutter. Turn off your phone. Get away from the computer. Tuck away the Kindle. Just be for a while.

Slow down, then silence the voice in your head. Ever noticed when you’re running around in circles with tasks in the future and heaviness from the past, your inner voice speeds along, barely taking a breath. Take a disruptive sentence (I need to call Aunt Martha) and slow down the words. Or scatter the words into nonsense. Or toss them into the sky and watch them float away.

The voice that actually matters is the silent, kind voice of aliveness and awareness. Ready to venture into an astonishingly serene place? Or are you satisfied with where you are now? Live unstuck.

With over 35 years of experience, Joan Courtney, C.Ht., is a clinical hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner. Writing for Outdoors Southwest and other publications on the Mountain, she also ghostwrites biweekly posts for Lil’ Toot, the Canine Executive Officer of Unstuck Living.