***Stress: What Kind of Busy Are You?

There are two kinds of busy. Forward busy and Away busy. One is a day filled with activities that move you forward in life and the other is keeping busy primarily to avoid having to be alone with our thoughts. One is a day lead by your Inner Wizard, the other is a day ruled by your Inner Critic. People to see, places to go, things to do. You have meetings to attend, phone calls to make, appointments to keep, deadlines to make and family and friends to love and spend time with. No time to pause and reflect. No time, no time, NO TIME!!! And when you do have time, some of you spend that moment looking for something else to do because you are afraid of stopping. Why? WHY IS THAT!?! When you're forced to stop, you're forced to think. Oh, no. Mustn’t let that happen. Must not think! Oh no. There’s no time for self-examination (says your Inner Critic). After all, when you think about where it is and where you are, it may not be a great thing. You can't keep running away forever. Sooner or later you’re forced to look at your self. What did all of those years of not being true to YOU, deceiving YOUR and hiding from others get you? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. You’re still stuck in your comfort zone. You don’t really like your comfort zone but it’s what you know so you’ll stay there, thank you very much. “Heck”, your Inner Critic says, “it could be worse!” If you think that you may be "running away busy" it's time to stop, take a moment and reflect. Who’s running the show? OMG it’s the Inner Critic! The sooner you stop running from your real self, your Inner Wizard, and address your real issues, the less tired you will become. Inner Wizard guided forward momentum flows 'with the stream'. Inner Critic lead away momentum pushes 'against the stream'. When you are flowing with the stream of life movement is easier, you have more energy and you'll see new possibilities - new opportunities that you wouldn't have seen traveling in the other direction. So, how does one stop and take a moment to reflect - really? I highly recommend jou aling. Inner Wizard members who journal regularly have experienced profound insights into themselves, their behaviors and perceptions through the process of jou aling. Jou aling is a way of getting in touch with that part of you that you've been running away from. What people have found through writing what ‘comes’ to them while jou aling are new ways of looking at their life and experiences to create new thought patterns that inspire actions that move them towards what they want - flowing with the stream - instead of away from. Jou aling is a practice of keeping a diary or journal that explores thoughts and feelings surrounding the events of one's life. Jou aling allows people reconnect with their Inner Wizard to clarify their thoughts and feelings, and gain self-awareness. It's also a good problem-solving tool. It is often easier to work through a problem and come up with solutions on paper. "The intellect has little to do on the road to discovery. There comes a leap in consciousness, call it intuition or what you will, and the solution comes to you, and you don't know how or why." - Albert Einsteinnn In the jou aling process you can ask yourself questions such as:nn· What am I afraid of?n· What would I say to my mother if I could tell her the truth?n· My Father?n· My significant other?n· My boss?n· Myself? Through jou aling you embark on an internal adventure to discover your fears, hopes, dreams, goals, and values. You get in touch and connect with your Inner Wizard - your authentic self. Your joy in life is in your ability to freely express your authentic selves. Let your Inner Wizard be your Guide.nn©2008 Valery Satterwhite. International Association for Inner Wizards™ All Rights Reserved.