I had a cute little occurrence this week. On two occasions, I was surprised by little roundish dime-size bugs I’d never seen in my house. In each case, I discovered them sitting quietly in a very obvious place. It struck me as odd since bugs usually run or hide, but these were in plain view. They didn’t move when I approached, making me wonder if they were dead. Nonetheless, I got the bug jar and asked them kindly to crawl in. Lo and behold, in both cases, they cooperated marvelously, and I was able to carry them to freedom. It reminded me of how all of nature receives an impulse to do what it needs in order to receive the help it desires. The Creator knew I wasn’t going to kill them and that they would be best served by not scaring me!
It reminded me of an incident years ago. I was hiking knee-deep in the creek when I heard a voice in my head, “Can you help me?” I looked around to see who or what was transmitting that vibe. There in the middle of the creek, on a two-foot branch sticking up out of the water, was a wooly caterpillar. “How on earth did you get there?” I wondered. The little one gave me a picture of being blown off a tree, floating on the water, and finding the stick in the middle of the creek to crawl up. I gently held out my hand. He crawled on my finger and allowed me to put him back into the forest, where he gratefully crawled away. Again, nature gave him the impulse to save himself, and he gave me the impulse to help. It was a beautiful interaction.
Thankfully we get our impulses too! As I mentioned last week, I tuned into things I “couldn’t stomach” and screwed up my stomach last week. Happily, I know how to refocus quickly. I looked back and realized that the angels must have seen this coming. The natural impulses I had prior tried to help me avert the pain. That failing, they prepared me adequately and got me through it.
For example, a few weeks prior, I started having the natural urge to work less and meditate more. I didn’t 🙂 Oops. I had the natural desire to stop drinking coffee. It just stopped tasting as wonderful as usual. I had a sudden taste for coconut water and the urge to stock up. It ended up that was exactly what my body needed. When I got sick, I had the natural desire to drink ginger and green tea and apple cider vinegar in water. I later read that these were all things recommended to heal the condition. I hadn’t “known” in any traditional sense. I didn’t freak out and go on a mad search for cures. I just started paying attention to my feelings and natural impulses once again. Had I started sooner, I wouldn’t have been sick at all.
Luckily, even when I slip out of my good vibes, I have enough presence of mind to refocus on something good – in this case, the blessing of getting sick on my office day, my cozy blankets, the beautiful sky, and a whole other host of pleasant thoughts. That always plugs me back into my guidance and helps me recalibrate.
This week, a Wim Hof Interview appeared on my youtube feed, and I felt like watching it. For those who don’t know him, Wim has proven in scientific studies that we can control our autonomic nervous system. He has a protocol that involves a specific breathing practice and cold showers. It alkalizes the body, reduces inflammation, and offers many other fantastic health benefits. I had slacked off my daily practice. The video reminded me to return to it. After only three rounds of his breathing method, I felt a surge of energy! I’m back to craving cold showers again. I still marvel that spirit guided me to something as far removed from my comfort-seeking reality as ice baths a few years ago. I never dreamt I’d get in cold water voluntarily, let alone enjoy it!
These were all natural urges, not things I researched or wracked my brain to find. Even when I get off kilter, as soon as I start paying attention to my feelings again guidance comes quickly.
Guidance even helps with the little fun things in life. I did four hours of yard work Saturday and discovered that my eggplant plant had gone wild. I picked 24! I didn’t have time to call friends, get on the nextdoor app, or run around, so I sat and imagined that God could find me a quick way to find them all a good home. I started craving organic sweet potatoes, so I called the local grocery to see if they were in stock. While on the phone with the manager, I had a sudden urge to ask if her employees would like free organic garden eggplants. “Sure! Bring them in, and we’ll divide them up.” So off to the grocery I went to buy my sweet potatoes and donate my eggplants! It took ten minutes.
Like the little bugs in my house that had the natural impulse to wait for help, as well as the caterpillar in the stream, we get the impulse to do what we need to do to receive the help we need when we need it. We are part of a natural flow and dance of creation that seeks always to bring our intentions to us, correct our problems, and help us move towards our dreams.
It is a beautiful dance that has nothing to do with being controlled by the outer world and everything to do with creating from within.
Here are a few tips to help you pay more attention to your natural impulses…
1. Notice and Care about your Feelings
Start paying more attention to your feelings. Care about how you feel. If you want to do something but keep putting other things first, recalibrate. Either choose to find the positive in what you’re doing or do what you really want.
If you find yourself thinking about things you don’t like, notice how bad that feels. Life is vast. There are a gazillion wonderful things going on. It makes little sense to punish and abuse yourself by thinking about the things you don’t like.
Seek the good, see the good, and let yourself feel good about the good.
2. Become a connoisseur of your own thoughts…
Most of us would spit out spoiled milk, stale food, or things that taste bad. Yet we put up so easily with thoughts that feel bad. Try to “taste test” your thoughts. Which ones do you like? Which ones do you want to savor? Which ones do you want to spit out?
Go for the ones that feel better as often as you can. Like eating a piece of fine chocolate slowly and deliberately, savoring every bite, try to savor life’s happy thoughts. Imagine the good things in great detail. Let yourself relish a beautiful thought. Just as we have physical food, our thoughts can be soul food too!
Savor the beautiful thoughts!
3. Pay attention to the natural inclinations that feel good
If you watch kids or animals, they live and move naturally. They squirm, stretch, nap, and move without much thought. They let their natural impulses guide them. While we may not be able to get up and leave work when the urge to do so arises, you can take note and make yourself a promise to do what you want at your earliest opportunity.
Likewise, pay attention when you resist doing what you feel you should and ask yourself, “What do I really want to do?” Again, do that at your earliest opportunity.
No matter what the world is doing – no matter which politicians are shouting at each other, no matter who has gone mad, or what the weather is doing, or even what is challenging in our own lives – we are always impulsed with ideas, thoughts, and actions that will bring us back into balance, solve our problems, and guide us to our dreams. It is far better and much more pleasant to dance with the Creator’s harmonious guidance than with the world’s chaos!
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