Living In Alignment
This year, our monthly themes are taking us on a journey. A quest of self discovery and of unlocking our truest, most authentic selves. This month, we continue our expedition and seek to understand how our alignment affects how we are living.
But what does that really mean - living in alignment?
The wheels on your car. Your spine. Your teeth. The photos and paintings hanging on your walls. Maybe the shoes lined up in your closet or the books on your shelf. For many of us, having these things properly aligned gives us a sense of calm. Of order. Maybe even of peace. And, in the case of your car, spine, and teeth - a sense of safety, comfort and health.
And guess what. The same is true for you.
Think about it.
If the wheels on your car aren’t aligned with each other, it becomes harder to steer your car where you are going - you need to grip the wheel more tightly and fight against each bump and curve in the road.
The same can be said for when you are not living in alignment with your true, authentic self.
When your values and actions do not match up, it can be harder to follow your authentic path, and each bump and curve in the road of life can send you into a tailspin of hurt, confusion or chaos.
Here’s the complication. Your car, your teeth, your home decor… alignment for those is measurable and observable. Adjustable through external measures. Unfortunately, we have not yet come up with a tool to accurately measure and adjust our own personal alignment because it’s just that. Personal.
So what do we do?
One suggestion as to where to start is to make a list of your highest priorities. The things that are absolutely most important to you. Maybe even the legacy that you want to leave for future generations.
Next, take a look at your day to day routine and list out where most of your time is focused.
Now comes the hard part - compare these two lists.
I’m willing to bet that they don’t line up exactly.
And… let’s be real - in today’s world, where we have to work and take care of our families. Where there are expectations hurled at us from every direction which we feel pressure to meet. Where time is not only limited, but being demanded by everyone and everything around us… we have to make choices.
But how do we know which choice is the right one?
Think about those priorities you listed before. What are they telling you? Consider what they really mean, and use them to identify your core values.
These values are your road map. Your guide. Your co-pilot. Your navigator.
Sometimes they speak in whispers that are drowned out by the noise of the world around us - by the demands of work, family and friends, by the messages hurled at us from news outlets, movies, and magazines.
Sometimes you can feel the misalignment in your gut - as a nagging unease, or even as physical discomfort somewhere in your body. Other times we only know later, as we continue making choices and following through on the results or consequences of those decisions.
Our paths are in a continuous state of flux, constantly changing and adapting as we learn, grow and discover who we are. Between the dynamic nature of our lives and the omnipresent external pressures, have grace and understand that you won’t always know what’s right, no matter how closely you listen or how in-alignment you are trying to live.
Our goal this month, then, is to tune in and listen - to our bodies, to our hearts and to our thoughts. Notice what feels right. Pay attention to the messages being communicated in voices, feelings and nudges both loud and quiet. When we trust our bodies, minds, and souls to show us the way, we can relax into the process of aligning our actions, decisions, goals and relationships to build a life of authenticity and fulfillment.
It’s a lifelong journey, an iterative process, but one that leads you home to you. In true alignment.