Vision Activation Coaching Program Step #6 Vision Balancing
Finding our footing as we navigate change is a balancing act, that invites us to have a good amount of grace for ourselves and the process of learning how to bring all of ourselves into our desired reality.
As we head into the Vision Balancing Step part of the process, we take a moment to recognize that we are part of an interconnected system of humans and that anything we dedicate ourselves towards pursuing has implications and impacts on different aspects of our lives.
When we were in our 20s, perhaps we could get a wild hare, and take off on a road trip across America with a friend on a week’s notice, but as we get into our 30s and 40s, we have often developed a lot more responsibilities and are juggling a few different priorities that can often feel they are competing with one another.
It is important that we exercise a bit of wisdom by taking a moment to acknowledge and consider the moving parts and pieces around our dreams or visions, and give them their due, and attempt to thoughtfully bring them along for the journey.
I also acknowledge that I am not always the best role model when it comes to this aspect of bringing a vision to life, as I often need to explore the extremes before I come to the middle of the pendulum, and find my way forward. And yet I also realize that my own lessons learned from wobbling my way through transitions are probably more valuable to pass along than stories of where I “nailed it.”
One example that I reflect upon in light of this is my decision to move across the country to Seattle from Nashville. I had been in Nashville for nine years at the time and was growing restless.
I was in a job that paid well but demanded a lot of energy, and did not feel aligned with my passions or values. I was living in an apartment complex close to downtown with access to the growing party scene, and saw that I was getting drawn in with a crowd that did not resonate because I was struggling with loneliness.
I decided to seek out a series of retreats to look within and sort through how to move forward in a way that would feel good in my heart, mind, and soul. Travel has given me the distance I need from my life to re-evaluate and re-examine, while also gaining fresh perspective.
So it is no surprise that it was on a train from Seattle to Chicago, as I looked out the windows at the passing landscapes of snowcapped mountains and rolling plains, that my heart gave me my answer. And it clearly said it wanted to move to Seattle.
It was a city I had been drawn to for a number of years, based upon having visited a college friend a handful of times, and greatly enjoyed the natural beauty that was in all directions.
After my heart made the decision, my mind started crafting all the rational reasons it made sense to make the move, so that I could be fully prepared to explain this leap to friends and family.
It had a thriving economy, work cultures that valued organizational development, a high value of intellectual curiosity and growth, and progressive politics. As I evaluated my options for making this move a reality, I felt drawn to taking some risks I had not taken before.
This included quitting my job, taking some time off, and starting my job search after a couple of months of settling into the city. I knew I wanted my career to take more of a back seat in my next chapter, and it felt important to take this approach so that I allowed myself to set-up my life and then incorporate my career, vs. jumping into a job right away.
Through the lens of the Wheel of Life, I was taking some time to communicate to myself and the universe that fun and recreation, physical environment, health, and personal growth were priority areas for me in this new chapter.
Initially I made some sacrifices in the area of finances, career, and relationships, but in due time, those came back into balance, as well. Taking these leaps into the unknown when we are pursuing a new vision is often full of uncertainty, and we don’t totally know how things will shake out.
But I found that as long as I was honest about the values that were driving the decision, and recognized that I was courageously pursuing what felt true and honoring to me at the time, I was able to stay committed and see through the rebalancing act.
So, as we prepare to make some shifts and changes in order to activate your vision, I want to use our time together for this session to talk through how we can consider your various priorities, values, and needs in balance with what we are creating.
In advance for our time together, I encourage you to journal through the following questions:
What has historically helped you feel grounded when you are in the midst of a transitional time?
How can you prioritize those activities as we move into action and consciously choosing some changes that will lead to expansion?
Based upon what we have defined as your vision, which values do you feel realizing this vision will allow you to express or share with others?
As you look at the wheel of life, which categories do you think your efforts to realize your vision will be impacted in a positive way? Which categories do you think your efforts to realize your vision will be impacted in a negative way?
If what I am sharing resonates, I encourage you to find time for a virtual coffee here. If I am not the right resource, I would still love to learn a bit about your story, and see if there is another connection point I might be able to point you towards that might help you find your way forward.
