Life flows, day after day and mostly we go along with it, don’t we?
I know I do. I go with the flow, become complacent, and forget that I always have choices. I listen to my lizard brain whispering seductively, “Don’t rock the boat, Sandi. Just relax.”
But what if I did rock the boat? What if YOU did?
What if one day, we stood up and intentionally put our weight into rocking the hell out of the boat?
What might happen and what’s going to be the wake up call to do just that?
For me it came early one morning.
I awoke to a sound, both familiar and not. Kind of musical, a bit of a chirp.
Was it my phone announcing a text message?
The fire alarm needing new batteries?
I listened in the silence, and realized with a start that it was birdsong.
A smile spread across my face, and delight flowed through my sleepy body.
In a word – joy – pure joy in hearing such an unexpected sound.
In a busy neighbourhood, in a metropolitan city, I awoke to birdsong – it seemed impossible, surprising, surreal.
Why hadn’t I heard it before?
In the busyness of life, in rushing from task to task, from one commitment to another, I had missed it. I’m pretty sure the birds have been there many other mornings, but I hadn’t been listening.
I found myself in awe at this wake up call. What would it take to hear that birdsong more often?
In Raising Your Emotional Intelligence: A Practical Guide, Jeanne Segal says,
“Our emotions are the key to self-awareness and self-preservation. They connect us to our inner selves, to the people around us, to nature, and to the cosmos.”
Through a series of techniques and exercises outlined in the book, Dr. Segal lays out the path to emotional intelligence. As a coach, I’m familiar with this work and use it often with clients.
But here’s the thing. . .I was floating along in my boat, lulled into forgetfulness. Life has a way of distracting, and I’d stopped rocking my own boat.
From the book, 10 Steps to Emotional Wisdom:
1. Make care of your body a priority; rest, sleep, exercise and eat well.
2. Search for feeling in your body, not your head.
3. Build emotional muscle daily by taking time to focus on emotional experiences. Practice living in the moment.
4. Be accepting of all that you feel. Stay out of your head and in the physical experience; acceptance melds your IQ with your EQ.
5. Open your heart to others. Bring all that you are to love, work and family relationships – share your feelings with others.
6. Take action. Do things that make you feel useful and relevant. Allow your feelings to influence your choices and inspire your actions.
7. Listen with empathy. Listen to the feelings behind the words, listen with your eyes, heart, ears and intuition.
8. Tell people how you feel. Deep feelings are a source of strength; heart feelings shared can get past intellectual barriers.
9. Use change as an opportunity to grow. Passion gives you the energy to keep growing.
10. Take a dose of humor with you wherever you go. Laughter instantly balances head and heart; belly laughing gets you out of your head.
When I was younger, I thought I was too emotional; that crying was a sign of weakness. Now?
I believe the more I am in touch with my emotions (including my tears), the more likely I am to hear the wake up calls. That joy I felt as I listened, eyes shut, to the birdsong?
I want more of that in my life. I want more of that in your life.
This week I’m going to commit to just one of those steps and practice. Hearing more birdsong in my life is worth it.
The birds ARE singing and this is your wake up call.
What step would make the biggest difference to your life right now?
I’m listening.
I too have had a little bird, who comes to my balcony with her cheery wake up song.
Thanks for the reminder.
Mich
Mich the Dish…
Isn’t it great to have your own cheery little wake up song?
xoS
I too have had a little bird, who comes to my balcony with her cheery wake up song.
Thanks for the reminder.
Mich
Mich the Dish…
Isn’t it great to have your own cheery little wake up song?
xoS
Hey Hon,
Finally I made it on the blog, as always you have a wonderful way of writing. I really hope that you will have the courage to ROCK the HELL out of that BOAT……rock it till it flips because your right we do go with the flow and get complacent. Yesterday I practiced being the “RED WIRE” and what a difference it makes and people appreciate it as well. Rock your boat baby!!!!!!!! you have nothing to loose.
I love you and know that I am always here for no matter what.
ALWAYS
P
Love that “red wire” conversation. Maybe I’ll write about that next!
xoS
Hey Hon,
Finally I made it on the blog, as always you have a wonderful way of writing. I really hope that you will have the courage to ROCK the HELL out of that BOAT……rock it till it flips because your right we do go with the flow and get complacent. Yesterday I practiced being the “RED WIRE” and what a difference it makes and people appreciate it as well. Rock your boat baby!!!!!!!! you have nothing to loose.
I love you and know that I am always here for no matter what.
ALWAYS
P
Love that “red wire” conversation. Maybe I’ll write about that next!
xoS
My way of gaining some perspective on my place in this world and life is to look up into the sky at least once every day. It instantly shifts your balance and makes you feel grateful to be part of something much bigger than yourself. Not to mention all the cool stuff going on in up there: yesterday when I looked up I saw cluster of about 30 balloons tied together floating by. And so my day was laced with whimsy.
xoxoxoxox
Great practice and lovely image Inge! Imagine if more of our days were laced with whimsy…
xoS
My way of gaining some perspective on my place in this world and life is to look up into the sky at least once every day. It instantly shifts your balance and makes you feel grateful to be part of something much bigger than yourself. Not to mention all the cool stuff going on in up there: yesterday when I looked up I saw cluster of about 30 balloons tied together floating by. And so my day was laced with whimsy.
xoxoxoxox
Great practice and lovely image Inge! Imagine if more of our days were laced with whimsy…
xoS
Step # 10
Take a dose of humour wherever you go would the step that would make the biggest difference in my life… So incorporating some laughter yoga in all my classes will be my goal to see how many belly laughs I can have and help others to have !
Try it right now… just smile and think of something funny and belt one out!! hahahahahahaha !
Just read this recently…
Laughter connects both sides of the brain.
Step # 10
Take a dose of humour wherever you go would the step that would make the biggest difference in my life… So incorporating some laughter yoga in all my classes will be my goal to see how many belly laughs I can have and help others to have !
Try it right now… just smile and think of something funny and belt one out!! hahahahahahaha !
Just read this recently…
Laughter connects both sides of the brain.
Great post Sandi! I’m going to print that list of steps to emotional wisdom and pin it up somewhere in my home. Love it! Thank you for the wake up call 😉
Love A.
Great minds think alike!
xoS
Great post Sandi! I’m going to print that list of steps to emotional wisdom and pin it up somewhere in my home. Love it! Thank you for the wake up call 😉
Love A.
Great minds think alike!
xoS
I’m going with #4. Being accepting of all I feel. Just read “Ask and It Is Given” – so I am now well-equipped to not stay stuck anywhere I don’t want to be. But first, I’ll need to tune in and have it be OK the way it is.
Great post – again!
Love that book (also have the CD’s) and I read it whenever I need a lift!
xoS
I’m going with #4. Being accepting of all I feel. Just read “Ask and It Is Given” – so I am now well-equipped to not stay stuck anywhere I don’t want to be. But first, I’ll need to tune in and have it be OK the way it is.
Great post – again!
Love that book (also have the CD’s) and I read it whenever I need a lift!
xoS
I heard the birdsong again today. I think my ears woke up before the rest of me 😉
I heard the birdsong again today. I think my ears woke up before the rest of me 😉
So…in order to shut down the lizard brain I assume staying in the boat in spite of sea sickness is the way to cross the river?
With you,
Shea
ps just looking at the birdie picture made me happy. It’s apparently oblivious to the barbed wire…
So…in order to shut down the lizard brain I assume staying in the boat in spite of sea sickness is the way to cross the river?
With you,
Shea
ps just looking at the birdie picture made me happy. It’s apparently oblivious to the barbed wire…