Listen Here:

Overwhelm and Stress:

Do you feel overwhelmed and stressed that you don’t have enough time?  What is your relationship with time?  Do you have enough time, or do you perceive that you have too little?    

We all have 24 HOURS a day — 168 hours per week.  That’s 1,440 minutes OR 86,400 seconds per day!  WOW.

Time Spaciousness:

Why do some people have a spacious relationship with time while others have a limiting relationship?  Have you ever NOT done something because you thought you didn’t have the time?  Is this true?  Or is it a thought that can be changed?

How is it that some people live as if they have all the time in the world (which we all do, of course); yet others feel like there is not enough time to go around?

If Only I Had More Time:

“If only there were 25 hours in a day, then everything would be okay.”  I used to think.  

Have you ever had ‘If only…’ thoughts?  If only I had more time… If only I had more money…. If only I had a partner….  If only I….  The list is endless.  How in the world does the topic of time even relate to our theme this month, Grace? 

Grace is Timeless:

Grace is timeless.  As such, Grace, I imagine, has plenty to share with us about time.  Let’s Explore!  

“I feel like I’m sinking.”  I spoke.

“Then feel yourself sink.” my guide replied.

Feeling the Overwhelm and Fear:

I kept breathing, feeling the overwhelm and fear.  How do I fit it all in?  How do I find the time for my commitments, my to do list, my business, my writing, my family, my self-care, being of service to others, all the seemingly contradictory intentions….

I continued consciously breathing and feeling my deepest feelings.  Within minutes, I was still sinking, yet I noticed I was beginning to relax and feel okay.  I pictured myself in the deep blue ocean, being at peace with all I was feeling and where this experience had brought me.

Freedom:

I spoke “I feel freedom.”

“Sink beyond freedom.”  my guide said.

Now comfortable with the feeling of sinking, I sank into the timeless void of nothingness, the endless depths, beyond words, beyond thoughts, beyond feelings.  We sat there together for a moment, an eternity, forever changed, and yet more timeless and changeless than ever. 

Permission to Feel My Feelings:

In that experience, I got a taste of the freedom and timelessness that comes from feeling my feelings in the moment.  Today when I feel something I don’t like feeling, I am excited that I get to explore what I feel inside! 

A few months later, again feeling pressured by my perception that I didn’t have enough time to do all I wanted to do, this happened…       

Feeling Off:

“I feel off.” I said to myself.

“Take a moment to feel this off-ness.”  my inner voice replied.

“Yes, Carol, feel what you are feeling.”  I reminded myself.

Resisting My Feelings:

Feeling my feelings is truly one of my top commitments to myself.  Even as I was resisting what was coming up, I sat down with my journal to gain clarity, by sifting and sorting my feelings.

Not Good Enough:

“I don’t feel good enough.” I wrote.

“I don’t feel authentic with myself.”  I continued writing.

“I notice that I am not doing what I say I will do, especially around taking good care of myself.”  I added with a slight grimace. 

Feeling Through Resistance:

“Keep feeling what you are feeling.”  I reminded myself.

“Where do you feel this in your body?  I wrote.

“My head and gut.”  I replied.

“What age did you first feel it?”  I wrote.

“Fourteen.”  I replied.  “I was going into the ninth grade.”

“Who was there?” 

“Me.  My Mom.”  I remembered.  “My principal was there too.”

“Honor what comes up.”  I reminded myself and kept writing.

Being Held Back:

I began feeling the pain of having my mom hold me back from participating fully in the high school Honors Program.  The principal of my new school had just extended the offer to me, and I was excited for the opportunity!  My mother was fearful that I would be taking on too much. 

“Mrs. McNulty” the principal spoke.  “Based on her grades from eighth grade, I feel certain she can handle the entire Honors Program.” 

Being Overlooked:

“NO.”  Mom replied.  “It’s too much for her.”  She then negotiated with the principal for me to be on the Honors track for Math, History, and French, but not English and Science.  She did all this without asking me what I thought or what Honors track I might prefer.  

I felt left out of my own future!?  Mom ignored any effort I made to comment; I silenced myself into feeling not good enough, not smart enough, and thoroughly inadequate.

Proving Myself:

My reaction was to feel like a split personality — good enough here, but not over there.  In my remaining high school years, I became determined to prove myself, my worth, and my intelligence.  I overloaded my schedule, especially in my senior year.  With six hours of homework every night, I couldn’t keep up, even when I limited my sleep to four hours a night. 

Impacts of Stress:

I didn’t gain all the benefits (that I could have) of learning valuable material in these classes.  My response to being overloaded was to do only what I needed to do to get by with a good grade.  I also missed out on electives like Art and Music that might have added balance and joy to my life.

“WOW.”  I said, with wide eyes.  “These intense feelings are deep and powerful.” 

Releasing My Deeper Pain:

I was becoming aware of the incredibly significant impact this experience, and my response to it, had been having on my life, even though I thought I had released this trauma previously.  I kept breathing and releasing my deeper pain.  

Freedom, Timelessness, and Grace:

I breathed into the freedom, timelessness, and Grace of the present moment, grateful for my inner guidance, and the physical guides in my life, showing me the way.    

Limiting Beliefs About Time:

As many of us do, I had created a myriad of limiting beliefs about time as I was growing up and experiencing life.   

Unwinding Limiting Beliefs:

It wasn’t until I felt the constraints of time more deeply that I began to explore my relationship with it.  I began to unwind my limiting beliefs and the Grace of timelessness found me.

Would you like to sink into the timeless void of nothingness, the endless depths, beyond words, beyond thoughts, beyond feelings?  Would you like to feel eternity in the present moment?

 These four action steps may support you on your journey within:

Action Steps for Creating Ease & Grace with Time

1) Observe, with compassion, how busy you are.  Depending on your stage of life, your busy-ness may be essential.  For example, if you are the parent of young children, you are likely very busy.  Being open and willing to observe may open space for things to change.  Making peace with busy-ness is possible.  Grace ensures that you have the time to do what is yours to do. 

Observing what is and being present to what I am doing in each moment helps me tremendously.   

2) Notice (become aware of) what feelings come up.  Do you feel angst about your busy-ness or your lack of busy-ness?  Reflect within on the source of that angst — beyond the external things to which you may attribute it.  Be willing to let any, and all, feelings of resistance dissolve.

I find that when I am present to my undesired feelings with compassion, they begin to unwind with Ease and Grace. 

3) Feel what you are feeling.  As you dissolve any resistance / angst that shows up, a deeper level may arise.  Be open and willing to feel whatever shows up in the moment, including undesired feelings.  The timelessness of feeling what you are feeling is Grace in action.  

I am a ‘work-in-progress’ around time.  I am grateful that I am now aware of how to shift out of limiting beliefs about time.   

4) Be present to the moment.  All Power is in the present moment, not in the past, with its hurts, disappointments, and memories, nor in the future with its hopes, dreams, and Visions. 

Clarifying Vision:

While we may hold a different Vision for the future, being present to its moment-to-moment unfolding is valuable.  Whatever thoughts and/or feelings you have about your future are a present moment manifestation.  Using this currency of the present wisely will ensure your overall artful use of time.

Remember, Vision is one of three keys to living with Ease and Grace.  A summary of the three keys is found below.*

As you are present to the moment, your decisions on how you spend your time will be more reflective of your True Self.  Say ‘good riddance’ to the stressed-out-being operating from outdated beliefs! 

In my life, I have chosen to change the word ‘busy’ to ‘full.’  I choose to express the fullness of Life.

I’d love to hear from you!  Do you have any experiences to share about Grace guiding you to a more expansive and timeless place?  What works for you to shift your encounters with time to a better outcome?  Please share in the comments section below. 

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

I invite you to continue exploring The Art of Ease and Grace with me in future blogs.  

• If you would like to get an email notification when future blogs are posted, please click HERE to join my mailing list.  At this time, my audio blogs are available by email OR by scrolling to the top of this web page. 

 

---

~ Carol McNulty-Huffman,

Best-Selling Author & Inspirational Speaker

 

artofeaseandgrace.com

 

•            •            •

A Peek at My Next Blog Post:

Topic: Vison, Vibration & Grace

• I have been guided to fold all three steps into our next blog.  The title has yet to reveal itself!  Please know that I will likely publish the next blog in December; in November my blog project is to post the audio files for all previous blogs on the website!   

• The three steps to living with Ease and Grace are powerful in so many ways.  I look forward to seeing how my words flow around this topic in the weeks ahead.  😊   

*Summary of the Three Keys: 

• The three keys to living with Ease and Grace are Vision, Vibration and Grace.  Vision is about setting a Vision for the long-term or an intention for the short-term.  Vibration is about stepping into the Vibration of that Vision, so that it can easily manifest.  Grace is a wind that is always blowing — a Power flowing through our experience more and more as we open to receive it.  

• The fact is these keys are already at work in our lives, whether we are aware of it or not!  Noticing these keys allows us to access them more consciously and use them to create a life of greater Ease, Grace, and flow.

• To learn more about Vision Click HERE
  
  

• To learn more about Vibration Click HERE
  
  

• To learn more about Grace Click HERE
  
  

• To learn about the Birth of this Blog, and releasing regret, click HERE

We are continuing our conversation about The Art of Ease and Grace, between blog posts, in my private Facebook group (Art of Ease and Grace).  Click HERE to request entry.  You can also email me at carol@theartofeaseandgrace.com or send a message through Messenger to make that happen.

If you would like to get an email notification when future blogs are posted, please click HERE to join my mailing list.  

Listen to the Full Blog at the Top of this Web Page.