Get Clear — 3 Steps on the Path to Clarity
Get Clear: 3 Steps to The Path to Clarity
Newsletter 2: The views in these newsletters are from my own experiences and learnings and are focused on practical insights and actional tips for creating meaning and purpose in work & life.
Over the past 15 years, I have been on a personal and spiritual development journey. During this past year, I’ve been in Wisdom School. I have learned many fascinating tools, methods, and deep insights that I’d like to share with those that are open. I wish I would have learned these insights much earlier in my life. Over the next few months, I will use this LinkedIn Newsletter to share — take what resonates with you and leave the rest. Enjoy the journey. I have.
CLARITY:
Clarity is defined as the quality of being clear and easy to understand; easy to see or hear.
Have you ever noticed that when you desire clarity and you strive, think, and push you don’t achieve it?
Have you noticed that when clarity arises, it does so suddenly, seemingly from out of nowhere, and subtly — when you aren’t trying to find it?
Clarity is the end goal. When you have clarity it’s like floating downstream, no struggle, you can move forward, understand your purpose, decide if you should stay in that relationship or even leave your job.
But, how does one get to clarity?
PATH TO CLARITY:
- DON’T LISTEN TO THE VOICE IN YOUR HEAD.
I have become aware that I have 2 voices in my head.
The voice coming from the left side of my head I call my ego. This voice tells me that I’m not good enough, I could never accomplish that, why am I writing this newsletter, no one cares, I don’t know enough… You have that voice, too.
I have learned that the voice on the left is not my friend. It has its own agenda. I am aware enough to know that I can let that voice go, softly, I just say, next. I don’t fight with that voice anymore.
Are you aware enough to know that the voice that tries to make you small and control you is NOT YOU? You are NOT this voice.
The voice on the right side of my head I call my ESSENCE, my soul. This voice is a loving voice. I hear it say things like: I believe in you, you were made for this time, I trust you, I have your back, let’s try it together, you got this…
This is the voice that I try to listen to. This is the voice I’d like you to play with, to communicate with, and to allow to speak to you.
REAL-LIFE
Many clients will come to me with low self-confidence after losing a job. This is a very vulnerable time. They continue to replay messages that they received from their boss, negative words that their folks may have said to them, or even negative messages from their spouse.
I remind them that they are not the thoughts in their head. We determine which side the negative thoughts are coming from. Then which side, the positive thoughts are coming from. Once they become aware that those thoughts aren’t their own, they can stop those thoughts and reframe them.
JOY WORK/ACTIONS:
1. Sit still and ask yourself a question that you want to be answered about your work, career, a relationship, or maybe about a book you want to write.
2. Listen to which side of your head responds first. Is it a positive message of encouragement? Is it a negative response?
3. Write down which side responded first and what it said. Work on becoming aware of the voices and which one you choose to listen to.
Clarity, Lovitude Soul Painting by Anne Pryor
2. QUIET YOUR MIND.
After you realize that you have thoughts in your head that aren’t yours then you need to quiet them. I’ve been practicing quieting my mind for more than 30 years. There are many approaches.
· Sitting practice. I sit in stillness and silence for 20 minutes each morning in a sacred space that I created in my home.
· Walking practice. I take a walk-in nature in my local park. Some days, I say thank you with every step I take. Sometimes I just walk and notice my breathing, in and out slowly through my nose.
· Breathing practice. I have found that I can change my thinking, calm myself, redirect my situation just by changing my breath. There are many breathing techniques that I use. The biggest idea is for you to be aware of your breathing. According to James Nestor, in his new book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, he has researched and found these are the most important techniques because how you breathe matters:
· Shut your mouth.
· Breathe only from your nose.
· Exhale slowly through your nose.
· Chew your food.
· Breathe more, on occasion.
· Hold your breath when you breathe in.
· Painting practice. Perhaps take water, paper, and some ink, watercolors, or markers and just blurt on paper. No judgment, no thought, just move the medium and water together.
Integrating your practice is key. My situation is that after my sitting meditation practice I feel very calm and I move into my day. If I don’t get my mediation in each morning, I feel off-kilter.
In reading Eckhart Tolle’s book A New Earth, he suggests incorporating quieting your mind into everything you do. It could be as simple as when you’re washing your hands, feel the temperature of the water, smell the soap, feel the touch of your fingers, and the texture of the drying towel. Or when you cook, take time to smell the ingredients, feel the bowl and the utensils in your hands.
REAL-LIFE
My friend Pam had a nervous breakdown. It was so hard to see her in a ‘stupor’, she literally just sat in shock, hour after hour, day after day. She had been overwhelmed with family issues, not sleeping, and on top of it, a tornado damaged her home. Her family and friends tried everything to get her to the doctor, but she wouldn’t go. She said it was hopeless, that she’d never get better.
When I asked her why she thought that, she said that she thought that they would put her in a psych hospital, strap her down, drug her up, give her shock treatment, and a lobotomy.
These were the thoughts in her head that she jumped to. They were not true but she couldn’t get past the thoughts. Then a friend got her to go to a psychiatrist and he was able to talk with her. He helped her realize that the thoughts she had weren’t true and put her on a path to recovery.
Now, two years later, I’m helping her celebrate her 70th birthday in FL and she is enjoying life to the fullest. I asked her how she got clarity about her life and how she wanted to live. She said that her negative, old thinking thoughts controlled her. By not listening to the thoughts in her head, getting quiet, taking appropriate medications, and changing her attitude to be joyful and generous to others helped her.
JOY WORK/ACTION:
Try just for today a sitting, walking, breathing, painting, or another example of quieting that voice your head. Record what happens, how you feel, and what has changed.
“Believe” Lovitude Soul Painting by Anne Pryor
3. BE STILL.
It’s important to make room for clarity to arise. If you are always moving, doing, and thinking, if your ‘glass is always full’, then you have no room, you’re full, and maybe closed off.
When I just “be”, I am in an allowing state, and here is how that looks:
· watch the deer in my backyard as they sit on the south side of my house,
· observe the squirrels chasing each other around my bird feeder,
· watch the male robin peck a sunflower seed from the feeder and feed his mate,
· feel the breeze blow my hair,
· smell the sun on my face,
· watch the plants sway in the wind,
· sit in a comfortable chair and stare into space,
· watch the dog play with her new chew toy,
· feel the sand on my toes,
· watch the waves flow to the shore and back again,
· watch the pelican dive for the fish,
· mowing the lawn,
· washing my hair,
· watch the gecko scurry around the brick siding and sun himself.
Notice, I’m not reading, talking, singing, washing clothes, cooking, walking, writing, painting, etc. I’m in an open and observation mode; no thought, no judgment, no fixing and helping. Just being.
REAL-LIFE
Many years ago, my dad was the CEO of a savings and loan company and he knew that he wanted to expand. That was his ask; how do I expand the businesses?
My dad finds great pleasure in mowing the lawn at the cabin. When he mows, he doesn’t think, he enjoys the feel of the tractor, the smell of the fresh-cut grass, and the look of the stripes in the cut grass.
One evening while mowing he gained clarity. He had a thought that he should turn the company into bank status, and make it an ESOP (employee-owned), and he should rename the bank HomeTown Bank. The insight came to him just that quickly. He followed through on that vision and the bank grew. Years later he asked the same question while mowing. He had the vision to take the bank public, which he did, and it became very successful, hiring many employees, and serving new communities.
JOY WORK/ACTIONS:
· Find a space where you can just be still. Allow whatever you see in front of you to take your attention. The smells, sounds, feelings, etc.
· Notice what is around you.
· Enjoy with no judgment.
· Write down what you experienced after about 15 minutes.
“Be Here Now” Lovitude Soul Painting by Anne Pryor
When you experience clarity you will feel the qualities of presence, in the now, sharpness, focus, being, seeing, understanding, hearing, knowingness, stillness, and peace.
Try your best to do your “joy work”, this is what I call homework. I call it this because I am always filled with joy when I’m working on myself and I hope will be too.
In subsequent newsletters, I will be sharing insights, tips, and models that have helped me in the process to become clear, which may help you. Thank you for doing your work. If you liked this newsletter please connect, subscribe, share, comment, or reach out to me at anne@pryority.com.
Be,
Anne
P.S. Watch for our new 7-part series on The Shift Network on “Accessing Spiritual Messages for Creativity, Healing, and Transformation”, with Risë Severson Kasmirski and me starting Tuesdays April 12, through May 31.
Anne Pryor is the creator of Lovitude™ a Soul Painter, and a LinkedIn Expert. As a recognized top international LinkedIn Authority, she motivates audiences to action during her presentation sharing best tips and techniques for creating branded and search engine optimized LinkedIn profiles for thought leaders, sales, business professionals, and job seekers to achieve their goals.
LinkedIn Keynote speaker presentations include the National Association of Black Journalists, Project Management Institute, WBL, American Marketing Association, ACG, University of South Florida Black Students Association, Toyota Sponsored NABJ Inaugural Leadership Forum, GenesysWorks, Minnesota Officenters, and hundreds of corporate, community, government events, and meetings.
As the creator of Lovitude and a Soul Painter, her paintings have been called ‘visual blessings and are hanging in Mayo Clinic, a Pulitzer Prize Winner’s home, in galleries and licensed on products sold globally. She was a featured guest on the Hallmark Channel Home & Family Show, a keynote speaker and faculty on The Shift Network, and presenter at the International Association of Near-Death Studies (IANDS). She has presented at Mayo Clinic, Cargill, HGM CIO Forums, for corporate events, and demonstrates both online and in-person meetings.
She also motivates audiences by sharing “How to Access and Trust Spiritual Messages for Creativity, Healing, and Real-World Transformation”. She was inspired through after-death communications (ADC) with her friend to create vivid images to elucidate, awaken, and activate souls using ink, her breath, and essential oils, on plastic. Anne was not an artist before these messages, she now has 3,500 soul paintings. During her presentations, she paints live for audiences and they are moved and in awe by the colorful and meaningful messages that she receives from the audience’s energy. Lovitude images are available for licensing. Images grace products sold globally and proceeds go to charity.
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