Creating an Upward Spiral in the Midst of Change
During times of change—as I’m in right now—it’s easy to get off-kilter & off-course. That’s why it’s important to regularly bring ourselves in for “tune-ups”. So, we can return to balance & alignment.
As if it wasn’t enough for Lisa and I to move across the world to Europe—restarting our lives in a new place—I’m also in the midst of reinventing myself occupationally. As I work on becoming certified in spiritual direction, as well as in life coaching, I’m also gearing up to start teaching yoga online. These are the “vehicles” I’ll use to guide people along the path of radical love and healing light, into flourishing.
And that’s not even getting into how, here-to-date, I haven’t been successful at online business—where I’ll primarily direct, coach, and teach. So, I’m also diving into how to set myself up for success there for all three. Whew, talk about a full plate! But, what can I say, I’m an Enthusiast! Yet, while I wouldn’t have it any other way, all of “that”, does sometimes leave me feeling quite untethered!
That said, something that is helping me ground and align are three simple words:
Being. Doing. Becoming.
A few weeks ago, as I was grappling with how to best juggle everything I’m doing—or plan/need to do—like a gift from heaven, I got an email from Trace Bell. In it, he wrote about how social philosopher Daniel Schmchtenberger (say that three-times fast, LOL) has a helpful framework for living life. Specifically, that we all simultaneously live in The Domain of Being, The Domain of Doing, and The Domain of Becoming. The “key” is to bring these different orientations into alignment.
What I love about this concept is the way it succinctly captures what it means to be human.
To be a person, is to simultaneously have an unchanging essence (being), actively shape and participate in the life we share together (doing), and to be on a journey of transformation (becoming).
I also really dig how being, doing, and becoming are both nouns and verbs—just like humans! Each one of us is concurrently a once in the history of ever miracle, and, a masterpiece in the making.
Naturally, each of these domains is brought to the forefront by certain endeavors. When we practice meditation, contemplation, and prayer, or spend time in nature—for instance—we channel the calm, grounded nature of being. Likewise, when we relate with others, write, do our jobs, work for social justice, and so on, we change our lives and “worlds”—in big and small ways—by the “fire” of our doings. Finally—and please note, there is definitely overlap between these three categories—by working on ourselves via therapy, journaling, reading, contemplation, yoga, etc., we heal and grow.
Of course, the ways we choose to be, do, and become, will—over time—move us either deeper into, or further away, from the love and beauty we’re here to experience and co-create. In a very real way:
Who we believe ourselves to be, shapes what we do—and vice versa—which, together, form who we become.
The key, as you might imagine, is to use our views and actions for love and beauty. What is more, although all three of these energies are important aspects of being human—it’s important for us to balance and harmonize them to match what’s going in our lives. I was not. And was struggling because of it. Recognizing this …
I took some time to contemplate these aspects of life, to hold them up to the Light of the Real for clarity on how to better align and harmonize my being, doing, and becoming. For the Spiritual Direction program I am in, one of our assignments is to practice contemplation for 30-minutes every week. So, this week I went for a walk with the words, “being”, “doing”, and “becoming” echoing in my heart, mind, body, and spirit. They were like a lullaby for my soul. As I offered them up to the Light of Love, this is what came to me:
The tricycle of life: Being, doing, becoming. All in harmony. Balanced, but shifting emphases as circumstances and seasons call for. Led by the foundation and guidance of being—the domain our wisdom and wholeness comes from. When we’re asleep at the wheel, pulled by a bias, dragged by culture, and such, we go in circles.
Be TO be, do TO do, become TO become. I’ve been mixing them up to my detriment.
You know how cars need to have regular tune-ups, oil changes, and alignment adjustments to perform optimally? We are much the same. This contemplation session was like all of those, and more, for me. Since I’m a yoga teacher, and devotee, going into it I figured I was off-balance because of either my doing or becoming. As “being, doing, becoming” became my mantra—rocking my busy brain to sleep—it became clear that my practice of being was where I was misaligned. As I opened my heart and mind to Wisdom, I realized I had turned my practices of being, into doings. They’d become things to check-off and get through, instead of times to simply be and breathe.
I only fully realized that Wednesday. So, while I can’t declare I’m “all better” or anything like that, I can say: I feel SOO much more at peace and at home. And, I’m super curious. How does this reflection speak to you?
Hugs & Love,
Lang (aka “Dr. Love”)