Step By Step

The Olympics are dominating my television viewing time lately, limited as it is. However, I never miss my favorite competition, Ice Dancing, something I always dreamed of learning.

The elements of Ice Dance that have always appealed to me are the carefully controlled and dictated techique requirements coupled with the athleticism. I was relieved when the drama elements popularized by the Russians were downplayed some years ago.

What's the appeal? Some might be asking that question right now. After all, there are so many extraordinary, extreme and exciting other options to watch in Olympic sports, why would one of the most heavily controlled form of expression appeal to me? It's because to me, Ice Dance is most like life. You have rules, structures, requirements and expectations that must be met, but within them, you have complete creative freedom in how you meet them.

Isn't that what many of us are looking for? Creative control within structure?

In high school, many of us studied Shakespeare. The language and phrasing is famously incomprehensible to the high school student who does not have a gifted instructor who can bring the language and meter to life. I was blessed with such an teacher (and he is still an English teacher at the same high school, all these years later). In challenging his honor students to compose their own sonnets, he exposed us to a new form of expression and we embraced it.

For those of you unfamiliar with the sonnet form, as employed by Shakespeare, I present the following information from Wikipedia. A Shakespearean, or English, sonnet consists of 14 lines, each line containing ten syllables and written in iambic pentameter, in which a pattern of an unemphasized syllable followed by an emphasized syllable is repeated five times. The rhyme scheme in a Shakespearean sonnet is a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g; the last two lines are a rhyming couplet.

Strict rules surrounding the structure. Absolute freedom of topic, of expression, and of implementation. It's no wonder that this is my favorite analogy for life.

My life, with all its ups and down, is a sonnet. How absolutely marvelous.

How about you?

Just for a moment, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and allow yourself to just be where you are right now, reading this newsletter. As you luxuriate in the freedom of not doing anything else at this moment, look back over your life. It, too, has had ups and downs, and it is uniquely yours. You, too, have had to follow rules, regulations, and restrictions that you might not have otherwise chosen, and yet you have carved out your existence within them.

Your life, in all its individuality, is a sonnet. How breathtakingly perfect!

Had you realized this, might you have made some different choices in the past? Can you make better choices for yourself in the future? Can you learn to love yourself in the moment, no matter what that moment is? These are among the many challenges we face daily, and each of us has varying levels of success in each and every one of those moments.

We can only live one moment at a time. Our growth and development as individuals are a direct result of those moments. Be present in those moments and live consciously.

Allow yourself to be patient and to be true to yourself. Remember to take at least five minutes every day to simply be by yourself and breathe. Allow yourself to indulge in a moment of thought, reflection, and planning when the mood strikes. It's your life, your choice. Allow yourself to simply succeed on your own terms, to live in peace, abundance, and joy. One day, one decision at a time, remaining aware of your choices and your feelings. You CAN get there.

And, as always, if you need help, I'm available. It's what I do, and it's what I love to do.

Sharon.

Hypnotherapy can help you to think healthier, happier, and more successful thoughts while adding the power of relaxation to your life. As you go through your day, you feel better and perform better.

Contact us to learn more about how hypnotherapy can you propel you toward a healthier, happier lifestyle.

Hypnosis or Hypnotherapy, in any form, does not diagnose, treat or cure mental or emotional problems, and is not a substitute for other professional help.