A key awareness in conscious living and conscious leadership is direction—what direction are you moving in a situation, in a project, in a conversation, or in your life? Are you moving forward or backward; towards greater freedom or happiness, or towards a direction that does not serve?
When we understand that life is energy in motion, we understand that movement and change are constant. There is never a complete standstill. Even when it appears that nothing is happening, underneath the surface, there is movement in some form. Whether we’re looking at a situation, a project, a conversation, or the bigger picture of our lives, some parts or aspects are likely to be expanding or opening up, while other parts are contracting or losing energy. That’s the nature of life.
Observe without Judgment
As you consider your life or situation, it is important at first to practice observing and gathering information without judgment. “Observe” in this case means using all of your inner or intuitive senses as well as your outer, literal, tactile senses. When you are able to observe and sense with no judgment, and treat everything that you observe and feel as information that can inform your choices going forward, it is easier to step beyond emotional attachment and find greater clarity. Rather than making a quick judgment or an assumption, ask, “Is this serving me/us, or is it getting in the way?”
Awareness of the quality and direction of movement is a key to living and leading with intention and clarity. Once you have a sense of the current movement patterns, the three questions that I wrote about back in February can help you stay in an objective attitude, gather information, and make choices about how to proceed:
- What is important for me/us to pay attention to right now?
- What is the learning that is available to me/us right now?
- From this awareness, what do I choose?
So let’s look at how you can use this in your life and leadership starting right now.
Practical Application
Consider a situation, personal or professional, that is asking for your attention and focus.
- As you tap into the energy of that situation, what feels like it is expanding or moving forward?
- What is contracting, or moving backwards, or perhaps even fading away?
- What is important for you to pay attention to right now?
- What is the learning available to you now?
- From this awareness, what new insights emerge? What is your next step?
Consider a project you are working on.
- As you tap into the energy of what is happening (or not happening) in the project, pay attention to what is expanding or moving forward.
- Notice what is contracting, moving backwards, or fading away?
- What is important to pay attention to right now?
- What is the learning available to you because of what is happening in the project now?
- From this awareness, what new insights emerge? What is your next step?
Consider the bigger picture of your life or leadership.
- What parts of your life or leadership are expanding and growing or moving forward?
- What parts are contracting, losing energy, or perhaps even dying away?
- What is important to pay attention to?
- What is the learning available to you right now?
- From this awareness, what new insights emerge? What is your next step?
One Last Powerful Question
Recently in my own life and work, I’ve been collapsing those questions even further into just two do-not-kid-yourself questions:
Is the direction I am moving right now
holding me back or
setting me free?
What do I choose now?
Or another version of those same questions:
Is the direction I am are moving right now
feeding me energy, inspiration, and passion,
or draining me?
What do I choose now?
Those questions bring me face-to-face with the reality of what is happening, especially when I sense that something isn’t working. I gain clarity around my choices and can often shift my direction quickly, putting me on a track that serves going forward.
All of the questions and processes in this post are equally powerful with a team or organization.
Awareness of direction coupled with simple yet powerful questions—essential skills for conscious leaders in today’s rapidly changing world.
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