One of the most powerful shifts I’ve experienced in this mid-life season is an elemental shift in focus from doing to being.
I used to think that a focus on being meant rest, self-care, connection, fun, play. Then, for a season, I saw it as a different approach to productivity. I focused intently on the question: who do you need to be in order to achieve your goals? There’s nothing wrong with either approach, but both felt incomplete. At 40, I’m starting to understand that being encompasses all of the above, and more, and I wish I’d understood this sooner.
Over the past few years, this concept has been coming into my consciousness and taking root:
- How you think leads to
- How you feel, which leads to
- How you act, which leads to
- The results you experience
As I have surrounded myself with support this past year, it seemed like a very subtle but important tweak took shape:
- How you think leads to
- How you feel, which leads to
- Who you’re being, which leads to
- What you do, all of which lead to
- Your experience of life
There was one practice that helped all of this click and changed the way I show up in my life: a new morning routine. I didn’t realize it could be so simple. I love it because it keeps my mind and heart clear, it is rooted in the present, and it directs my focus toward what I am creating.
If that sounds good, let’s dive in! These are the components that make up my new morning routine for heart, mind and soul:
Morning Meditation
Take a few minutes to sit in silence, opening your heart, breathing deeply, and beginning to tap into gratitude. Allow your thoughts to come and go, just keep returning to your fresh start. If you have spiritual practices, this is a great place for them; I often practice centering prayer or breath prayer during these first few moments.
Gratitude
Begin to list and visualize the people, pets, places and things you are grateful for. Allow this exercise to root you deeper into love. Practice directing your focus toward that which fills you. Cultivate awareness of all that is going right.
Release
Now that you are rooted in love, set an intention to release everything that is weighing you down, or getting in the way of the person you intend to become. This could be a specific emotion or thought pattern, or it could be something more general like a fear or limiting belief. Write about why you want to release this, and what it’s holding you back from. By acknowledging what you need to let go of, you can create space for new growth and transformation.
If it helps, visualize yourself releasing any negative emotions or thoughts that no longer serve you. This can help you start your day with a fresh perspective and a clear mind. You’ll be surprised at how quickly this intentional morning release becomes your default throughout the day when you catch yourself grasping frustration, anger, or doubt.
Once you’ve done this a few times, it will get easier and easier to recognize what you need to release.
Becoming
Now that you are rooted in love and clear on what you are releasing, spend some time journaling about who you’re becoming. What are you looking forward to? What are your goals, dreams and aspirations? What steps are you taking to get there? How are you growing?
If you get stuck, it may be helpful to return to release. You may need to release the pressure to have all the answers. Or you may need to release an old story to start living into a new one.
This is a beautiful process of following the clues and paying attention to what resonates. As you go along, the picture will become clearer, your focus will sharpen and the words will flow with more ease.
Stay in the Energy of Inspiration
What has surprised me the most is how naturally this process has helped me shift in ways I’ve wanted to for a long time. Our words matter. The stories we tell ourselves matter. The way we see ourselves and speak to ourselves matters.
So follow the clues, friends! Dive deeper where your heart is calling you to. Dwell on the things that support your process of becoming. And be patient with yourself – there is magic unfolding, it’s okay if it takes some time.
