I’m always telling my older son to focus. I watch him while he’s doing his homework and I observe my own frustration in response to the way he works. “He’s all over the place,” I tell my husband. If he’s writing a paper, he’ll write a few words, look up and play with something on the desk, reach over to the computer and surf You-Tube for a while, go back to the paper he’s writing for a few more words, reach for the phone and call someone, fold some origami, back to the paper he’s writing for a few seconds, then on to his iPod, then he’s up walking around… Exasperated, I tell him, again, “You’ve got to focus! How will you finish your work and make any sense of it if you’re ‘all over the place?!”
Aaah but he’s not the only one. Like mother, like son. I, too, can do things in a rather circular, multi-task, ‘all over the place’ manner. There’s nothing wrong with it, unless you really want to accomplish something 🙂 And I wonder, is this the creative process unfolding, or a major avoidance tactic? Am I resisting the task at hand, or giving my thoughts and creative ideas space to ruminate, organize and manifest in their own time and their own way.
I guess the barometer is in the results: is anything getting done? Sure, we may not need to produce results quickly all of the time, so this round-about creative technique may be suitable and appropriate sometimes, but what about efficiency and production. Where do these come in to the creative process? And how can we balance productivity with our creative wandering?
Ok, maybe I’m deluding myself. Creative wandering is a cute term but, really, it could accurately be called avoidance. And, given that I became most aware of this pattern while observing my son’s exasperatingly long homework deliberation, he could call it “I’d rather be playing video games,” and I could call it “I’d rather be done with this!”
Remember those bumper stickers, “I’d rather be…(fill in the blank)”?
How often do we, as souls, have that attitude toward our human incarnation? What is it we’d rather be doing? Do we notice how often during the day we think, consciously or unconsciously, “I’d rather be…”? How often does our mind wander away from the present, and what it is we are currently engaged in, and think “If only I could be doing something else, then I’d be happy or at peace.” And, do we even notice if we have the “I’d rather be” attitude towards our entire incarnation?
As souls, we plan our lifetime before we incarnate. We meet with a council of advisers, guides and spiritual friends who help us decide what experiences and relationships will help us learn, grow and serve the best way possible. We set this up from a place of neutrality, outside the time and space of incarnation, and, often, by the time we’re in the midst of our incarnation, experiencing the relationships and tasks we planned as a soul, we forget our high ideals of growth, learning and service, and would rather just hightail it outta here! It’s easy to think about doing something, but to actually do it can be a whole other matter, especially when confronted with the slower manifestation process in physical form, not to mention the karma we must confront and complete! As souls, we may think “It’s taking too long, This person will never change, No one’s listening, This place is Crazy!” And yet, we have a purpose to fulfill. Our incarnation is not random, and if we can focus and stay on task, there is much growth and fulfillment to be had.
Take a look at your greater purpose. What did you come here to fulfill or accomplish? What lessons are you learning, or avoiding? How much growth are you willing to have? Can you allow yourself to have more?
Because you are here, at this time, you chose as a soul to incarnate during the most growth inducing time in the history of mankind. There is more potential and support and inspiration and movement for spiritual growth, awakening and service than ever before. You chose to be here, to be part of the amazing transformation that the world is going through, so that you, as a soul, could also have that transformation. Are you staying focused? Is part of you saying “I’d rather be…” or are you fully here, committed to your purpose and the task of your soul’s incarnation?
Distractions can take many forms. It’s up to you to discern if any seeming wandering has a creative purpose, part of a gestational cycle, or if you’re spinning your wheels. If you are in competition with yourself or others, you are likely to distract yourself because your purpose cannot be fulfilled in competition. Be gentle on yourself, but don’t delude yourself. We are all here for a purpose. Outwardly, that purpose manifests differently and may appear big or small by the world’s standards. Yet, inwardly, each soul’s purpose is equally great, equally important, and absolutely necessary for the soul’s evolution.
Your freedom lies in being here fully, and giving everyone space to be here as well, right where you are, right where they are. There is nothing to escape, and nothing to out-do, beat or win. Ascension happens not by “rising above” the world, but by fully coming into the world, fully inhabiting your body-mind, with no resistance or attachment, fully owning your incarnation and your power and creativity as a soul who’s “been around the block” enough times to know more than the world may want you to. If there was nothing else you’d rather be doing, no where else to go but right here, how much freedom and focus would you have?
If you allowed yourself to be fully here in the chaos of the dream, your power and creativity would be unlimited, because you are unlimited. When you fully arrive here, you will see the limitlessness of you and your purpose will be fulfilled. And you will truly know your freedom.
