Reflections

Today is Mother’s Day. Happy Mother's Day!

It was just 2 months ago today we were in Barcelona. I remember our trip fondly. Memories of our trip still bring a smile to my face. Nick was the happiest I’ve ever seen him. We all felt very close.

To be fair, we are a close family here in the US, too, but stepping out of our daily trance really helped us get to know our family system better. We probably could have had this experience anywhere, but Spain was our choice. And it felt good.

Moving in the World
Being three kinetic beings, the pace of life in Madrid and Barcelona seemed to help us see the world from a different perspective. Sometimes it can be hard to notice things within a familiar daily grind. I think all of us would agree that the miles we walked and all the subway trips we took were good for our bodies.

We were very much in our physical bodies there because, well, one has to be. Living spaces are smaller. Subways are wobbly and fast. It is easier to walk to a bakery than to drive.

Being in body, embodied, is good for the soul, too. We all enjoyed the physical challenge. I felt strong and kid like in Spain. I know this type of activity can also promote positive change. I see it all the time in my profession.

There is simply something magical that happens to clients when they become embodied, a lot of them call it “being grounded”, and it helps them shift bad habits and old patterns more easily.

Being grounded in the body helps one feel and see the world differently. Being active physically helps one gain access to more information in the environment. I know this from my professional life where I help people gain access to their neurology and physiology via the physical body.

Experimenting
So I liked the way we experimented in Spain because it fits what I know. At this moment I am reminded of the NLP presupposition that states, (I am paraphrasing), “everyone has all the resources they need for success, they may just need access to them.” So in a nutshell, I feel we connected to the resourcefulness we naturally have as a family more easily during our trip because we were more physically active.

So it will be interesting to see what will happen to us when we move there. What will we notice (or not notice) the longer we live there? How will embodiment change? Will we become different people because we are so embodied? Will this way of being become a natural state we take for granted over time?

I don't know yet. Today as I watch the bees hover around our lavender tree all I can do is ponder our future. I look around in gratitude for what we have. It is a good life.

Why Are We Doing This?
We aren't moving to Spain because there is anything wrong with our lives either. In fact, things are wonderful. Nick is in a good school and is doing well academically. John has a great job. I have wonderful colleagues and amazing clients here. Our little rental space (it's about 900 square feet) is similar to the small European spaces we visited, a direct result of our 2016 down-sizing project.

So, yeah, we are purposely throwing away a life that works well just for the sake of experiencing something different. Wait, is that what we are doing? That seems a bit crazy, but it is the way we roll in our family...

But before I judge myself too much, I remind myself that I have lots of experience with trying something new. And deep down I know that some of the most rewarding times in my life have come from my willingness to release what I love whole-heartedly, (I regularly teach this process to my clients), without reservation and without expectation. And life usually gets a lot better.

As my eye is drawn to the messy living space I am reminded that it is time to get busy. Tomorrow we will begin building a to do list for the week. We hope to get more clarity about the project timeline, too.

So much to do, so much to figure out.

One step at a time, Self, one step at a time.