I don’t care how woo-woo or non-woo-woo you are. It would be really hard not to admit that we’ve all been on a roller coaster of transformation right now.
Every day we have experiences mixed with a rising up of feelings that helps us to grow more toward who we are and what we want.
Many of us are entering into transition – even when we thought we already knew what we wanted.
And integrity is rising up within so many of us, no longer willing to be a stand for anything that doesn’t align with our highest values.
Just as one chapter closes, it seems that another one instantly begins.
So with all of this transformation swirling through our lives like a tasmanian devil, how do we stop and integrate all of the transformation we’re going through?
And then comes the fears and “what ifs”.
If we don’t integrate them, do we risk not getting all of the growth we were “in it” for in the first place? Do we risk having to repeat old patterns if we don’t get it this time around?
My advice: maybe yes, maybe no. But finding time to integrate will serve and support you in so many other ways, making it worth it nonetheless.
Who wouldn’t want more gratitude for what they’ve been through, more awareness of just how badass they are, and a feeling of rest, revitalization and rejuvenation before they head into the next phase?
So today I’ve compiled for you 5 ways to integrate your experiences, and get the most out of each tornado of growth:
1. Know when you’ve actually completed a chapter.
How do you really know that?
You don’t. Because life is full of spirals within spirals; chapters within books within a library. So who says you need to stop an integrate whether you’ve finished one chapter within a book? Can you even know whether you’ve finished a chapter versus a page of your journey?
Only you know the answer to this. You may have a sense of having just gone through a lot of transformation, or you may undergo a physical completion, like leaving a job, getting engaged, or moving.
Each portion of our lives serves us. There are lessons and growth in everything. Only you can know when you need to stop, take stock and integrate what you’ve experienced.
Taking the time to stop and integrate is wise with each sense of completion. And the best way to know is simply to be still enough to find that knowing within yourself.
2. Be still.
If the best way to know you’re hitting a completion and need to integrate is stillness, it only stands to reason that running around incessantly isn’t going to serve your needs. It may help you move quickly into the next chapter. But if you haven’t yet taken time to stop, breathe, and just be with what you learned form the last chapter, the point may become slightly defeated.
You know the story of the tortoise and the hare? Yep, another reason to take time to stop and meet yourself where you’re at.
The primary reason exhaustion is so common as we move through our lives? Because we don’t take this time to stop and be still.
So if you prefer to move into newness refreshed and back in your super-hero self, I suggest you stop, and just be for a while.
3. Create the container.
This is actually one that’s easier to do in the beginning of each chapter. But it can be done in retrospect – when you realize you were in a container in the first place, and one that now needs closing.
The word “container” refers to anything that can hold anything. We have a container for how much money we think we can hold (often on a subconscious leve), we have a container for things we do, projects we work on, intentions we set for ourselves, and for our relationships. We are also a container in and of ourselves.
A container holds stuff. It holds space.
When we’re intentional about our containers it gives us more capacity to know when they’re full, when we need to complete and be done with them, and when they just need some spring cleaning.
So with each new chapter of transformation we embark on, if we’re intentional about our container – noticing what is being created and noticing who we need to be to best support it – we can treat it with much more loving care.
So set intentions, be present, and treat each container of your life with the respect it deserves.
From there, when it’s time to close a container, it will be a much smoother process.
4. Make a list.
Upon the closing of the container, it’s important to take stock of what you’ve been through. Each chapter we move through is FULL of lessons, experiences, and awareness.
It’s like going into the grocery store without a cart, and leaving without bags to take your things home. If you just tried to pick up everything you need and walk out with it, you wouldn’t be able to bring home nearly as much sustenance, would you?
Making a list of what you’re processing serves the same purpose. Seeing on paper everything you’ve experienced will help you identify if there’s any other action you need to take for full integration. For example, maybe that lesson you learned about boundaries requires a couple of conscious conversations with people to be integrated into your life. Or maybe that new way of being you’ve gotten clear on, that works so much better for you, needs some practice, or maybe even a class on embodiment.
Getting it all out will give you space and even further awareness to integrate it.
5. Use gratitude.
Chances are after making a list you will notice many areas you have grown. For me this is the best place to stop and say to myself “wow, I really am a badass” (you can replace that word with “amazing” or whatever else resonates for you ;)).
Gratitude is the best way to bring our bodies and minds to meet our souls. And it’s the best way to embark on something new.
So often we go into something new with expectations and hopes.
What if those expectations and hopes were replaced with intention and gratitude? You’d be even more of a badass in the future, wouldn’t you?
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Well, this is where I remind you that you are already a badass. So go, take stock so you can know it. And I would love to hear your experiences as you’re integrating your latest chapters in life!
