On Steve Pavlina's blog yesterday, he asked, "What would you stop tolerating if you suddenly had tons more energy flowing through you?" This question is designed to show where you are "resisting a more energetic state of being". This hit me right between the eyes. I realized how much I settle for things in my life. And (this is hard) how much my lack of energy and depression serve certain aspects of my life.
Is this a hard question for you to answer?
23 comments:
When I left the workforce, one of the first things I realized was how much I tolerated toxic "stuff" into my life. Toxic dynamics, toxic environments and a toxic culture, none of which it seemed I could escape. I was getting sicker, physically and emotionally, by the day.
I do tend to "settle" in some respects because I don't want to spend my life craving and desiring what I don't have but would rather make peace with what I do have.
I don't think "settling" is inherently wrong. It only becomes that way if someone is living a life that is not authentic. If values and behavior don't match... That's all internal work as opposed to external circumstances.
Not to say that we should accept external circumstances.
One of the things I can no longer accept in my direct environment is bombardment of US cultural values. When I hear too much, it becomes like hearing too much filthy language.
Seriously. It makes me sick - so I really block as much out as I can and have found that I'm much happier that way.
~*
Wow. What a thought provoking question. Yes, it is very difficult for me to answer.
Last week I began a daily energetic Yoga practice again after 12 months of patchy attempts at practicing. My energy levels have sky-rocketed in the past week and everything is better. There is clarity, not fogginess.
The first thing I ditched was a daily glass of wine with dinner - I just can't tolerate it any more. This clear-headedness is so good I don't want to spoil it! I feel at peace again and closer to being 'me' than ever before.
I can't settle for the way I felt before ever again. My health is too important to sabotage.
Lori-Lyn, Me, too. I didn't really answer it either, as I'm still ruminating about it today! Sacredness today,
O
xxoo
Patti,
Hello, how I have missed you! I'm very impressed about the difference both yoga and total abstinence from wine has made in your energy levels. Boy would I like to have that feeling. I'm so glad that you've chosen not to settle in this area; what an example for me. This is very brave as well. I am going to take this all in, Patti. Sacredness to you, O xxoo
Chani,
What a good distinction to make with respect to "settling". Sometimes it is a healthy knowing and accepting rather than a settling, I think.
If I want something else and I feel like I have no choice, and I resist what I have and then feel badly about it---I think that's settling.
I, too try to withdraw from US cultural values now more than ever. I try to isolate myself from media, and that's a big help. Not to say I never watch tv, but I minimize it and do not watch commercials. I spend much of the day in silence, which is a luxury, but because of familiarity has become even more important to me.
I too am much happier this way.
Thank you, Chani, and I wish you sacredness today,
O
xxoo
O,
It is a hard question, but I can tell you some things I've stopped tolerating even without having a lot more energy: rude and disrespecting landlords, bosses, lovers and friends. The more I move away from what feels like very negative energy to me, the more energy I do have for things that matter. So for me, I guess, it seems to work the other way 'round. Thanks for making me think about it!
I'm visiting via our new page on Authentic Beauty & Positive Posting...so glad to have found you!
I love this question. Something I have stopped tolerating are relationships where I feel people try to use my energy to benefit themselves without respecting or valuing me in the process. I am so done with pleasing people at the expense of my self-respect. Done!
my answer is starting to feel like a broken freakin' record: i'd quit my job, i'd quit my job, i'd quit my job....blah, blah, blah. it's a good thing the place is closing down. i hate to think how long i would stupidly hang on otherwise.
Angela's answer resonates with me more than the question, itself, does.
For me, it is more about what turning away from that which I find to be an unauthorized draw on my energy--I consider it a forged energy check--allows me to regain, as opposed to some sudden spurt of energy which provides the impetus to resist those energy suckers.
Energy is not mysterious, at least not in my opinion. It is available to us because we need it for a purpose toward which we have either consciously or subconsciously requested it. Yes, we do the things which cause the energy to emerge, such as a better diet and better habits, but the source is our desire.
Our expression of the desire makes the taking of the steps (diet, exercise, rejection of negative energy) so much easier, as the universe nods her head to our request.
So, for me, it is also a backward question. The energy doesn't appear as if by our actions alone, but in response to our own desire to have it (which prompts the actions in the first place).
On a very practical level, if I found myself with lots of energy, there are areas of clutter (attic, under the stairs) in my home that I would clear out. I would not be tolerating its presence.
I've been very absent lately, and I see you've been having a hard time. I hope things go well for you this week.
Wow, what a great question. I would not tolerate clutter and busyness.
If I had boundless energy, I would have gotten off my ass and found an apartment by now. The thought of making all those appointments to go view a lot of potential places to live fills me with dread. I have the energy for about one viewing a week, which isn't moving things along very fast. Grrrr.
Angela,
You're welcome! Moving away from negative energy...this is an important topic...when do we move away (always?) when do we tolerate it (ever?) and when we cannot move away or will not move away, how then do we handle it? Thank you for leading to another provocative question. And as always, for your comments; I miss your blog presence :) Love, O
Staci,
Yes, and it seems that many people (at least to me) think that this is AOK! I wonder if it's "nice-seeming people" that get this or if such folks try this with more abrasive types as well?
Welcome to the happyluau :)
Blessings and Aloha, O
Jessie,
Sometimes I love when the Universe chooses something for us that we want to choose for ourselves but don't. Then I wonder if it's really as external as we think! Another good something to think about, yes? Love, O
Rick,
This is provocative and I wonder about this. I had CFIDS for 11 years...I strove for energy, did everything I could. But at the same time I wonder what I resisted. And how I resisted things unconsciously.
Boy, this post certainly collected quite a collection of absolutely wonderful comments, and many more things to think about. I feel incredibly, stunningly blessed that I NOW HAVE THE TIME AND SPACE TO THINK!
Love, O
Imelda,
Much healing energy sent your way by me to you. You have been absent here but very necessarily present in your situation, and present in my (and our---us, the blogging community) thoughts and prayers.
Love,
O
Kelly,
I wonder why the resistance and the ambivalence? Your comment brings up a good point which is when we want something and want to direct energy that way, but have obstacles, how to break through. I am hoping that perhaps Rick will pick this up, as it touches on his comment as well.
As you can see, I love this discussion.
I will be thinking of you (even more)...
Love, O
O--my feeling is that there is a balance of power between desire and inertia which is always wavering in one direction or another, and the delicacy of that balance means we have lots of influence available to us with very little effort needed to exert it.
If I were Kelly, I would simply stop looking for now. It is very clear from her comments that she is not interested in (or, more-accurately, not invigorated by) the prospect of finding her own place. I am not about to speculate as to why that might be, only to note the indication from her comment that it is so.
I can, though, comment upon my own day today. It is a very hot day in Denver, and our air conditioner is not up to the task. It's not a health risk at all, just not a system which keeps things at normal indoor temps when it is 100 degrees or more outside.
Regardless of the heat, it is the day to reorganize my wife's office. I drove to my sister's this week (90 minutes from here) to retrieve a desk and two large bookshelves which are ideal for enhancing my wife's storage and organized space. Today, we are moving out the old, small desk and replacing it with a larger, more suitable one.
The bookshelves, we discovered, will require more effort than we thought, as they won't fit through the doorway of her office. No worries, as we have a neighbor who believes he can help with taking the shelf units apart so we can reassemble them in the office.
(yes, I realize I have now passed the length of the average novella)
I am not excited about this whole project, but I am glad for my wife to have a better setup in her office. So, I took most of a day off of work to go get the furniture, and I have spent several hours today working to get things in place as best we can.
It's not my desire, but it is clearly my intent to be a big help to my spouse in completing this project. So, I leaned hard on the "give me energy" button even though it was not something I was excited to be spending my Saturday afternoon taking care or.
Easy to talk about now, as it is a done deal. Take of the story what you will!
Rick,
Yes, it seems as though forcing is a bad thing. Leaning in a certain direction and opening more towards it is perhaps better.
Anyone else?
xxoo,
O
PS Good for you for helping your wife with such a huge project on a HOT day!!
Olivia, your question really made me think, and I'm amazed by my answer.
This summer I've been drifting along in the wake of the kids and Richard, wanting to spend time with them while they're off. Nothing wrong with that, except for the fact that I'm not consciously choosing actions that will let me be me. (Example--I normally do not watch any TV. This summer I've watched a LOT of TV)
And I do have the energy for this change, so I'm going to take Dinah for a walk and then head out to the studio!
Thank you, Olivia!
You're welcome Karen! It's funny how we can not even notice things until we get a question that makes us stop and reflect, eh? I'm that way as well. IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO CHOOSE THINGS THAT LET YOU BE YOU! I have found this out as well. If you don't you lose yourself, bit by bit. Thank you for your comment, Karen; you have my support! Love and blessings, O
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