When the sore throat started over a week ago, my first thought was: who gave me the bug?

Then I remembered both my external and internal environments contribute to the manifestation of diseases. I went on to examine my dominant recurring thoughts before the sore throat.

That reflection helped me connect with the tension I had about developing a new vision for my life. At its peak, the cold manifested as unrelenting coughing fits that felt like my heart was vehemently rejecting something in me.

By being present with the irritation, its intensity softened. As I listened further, I met the invisible part of me who couldn’t express herself because the conformist in me had been overpowering. Both could not trust each other.

Once I made the reconciliation between these aspects of me, it was amazing how much faster the cold symptoms subsided. The tightness on my back, which had been around weeks before the cold started, dissipated as well. 

As my voice and sense of smell gradually return, I notice the healing process reshuffled some of my daily routine. Although the changes seem insignificant, I can see how they are supporting the birthing and materializing of my vision.

With the energy of a new year, many of us get excited about setting new goals or visions. The excitement often loses its magic within the first few months.  Some forget their goals while others lose the motivation to see them through.

For us to be unwavering in our commitments, we need to get clear on the deeper why.

If we can feel in our bones the passion behind why we want what we want, it becomes the fire that fuels our commitments. Otherwise we easily get distracted by the next bright shiny object.

Nature reminds us to listen to what is truly calling us instead of being distracted by peer pressure, societal expectations or conventional wisdom. Winter is a great time for reflection.

If we set goals without deep listening, we might overlook the parts of us who are not on board. As a result, everything takes more effort. Even if we achieve our goals, we might still feel like something is missing.

When a deeper need is not met, we act like hungry ghosts constantly chasing after the next thing that feeds us, however temporarily or brief that satiation is.

Like nature, we are meant to honor the cycles of life. Different times or phases are conducive to different types of activities:

• Consider winter as the reflection phase; we integrate all that what we have learned and allow the right vision to emerge.
• In the nurturing phase (or spring), we nurture our visions by setting goals that align with our visions.
• In the growing phase (summer), we take aligned and consistent actions for our goals to come to fruition.
• In the completion phase (fall), we harvest the gifts and let go of what we have outgrown. 

Honoring each phase keeps our energy moving to support our unique journeys. Following the masses doesn’t help because it is often a hype that is not sustainable. Our resolutions are left in the dust if they aren’t founded on solid ground in the first place!

Sometimes we might like certain season of life so much that we organize ourselves and others to ensure we stay in that season. We don’t see ourselves resisting change or creating more complications that defy the natural law.

It takes a lot more energy to insist on how things should go than honoring the natural rhythm of life. Eventually our “effort” takes a toll on us, leading to more health challenges and complications in multiple areas of life.

Here are a few signs of not being in sync with nature:

• overcommitting oneself with less and less time for rest or relaxation;
• being excited to start projects but aren’t able to see them through;
• keep deferring passion projects thinking one needs more healing, certifications, money, time, and so on;
• accumulating so many things that create clutter at home or work

Our living environment is often a reflection of our internal landscape. That is why my clients often initiate decluttering, reorganizing or remodeling of their homes once we have worked together for a while. 

When we feel the beauty of harmony within, that sense of well-being enlivens us and shifts our perspectives. All the previous reasons for not taking on the daunting project dissipate.

We find the wherewithal to reorganize our spaces, including the home, office and even electronic devices. A harmonious environment in turn reinforces our sense of well-being and creates a positive feedback loop.

I am grateful for my harmonious home, allowing me to notice the early warning signs from my body before I went too far. Are there warning signs from your body you might have overlooked because you have been too busy forging ahead? 

If your answer is yes, I invite you to contact me for a 1/2- hour free consultation to identify the key to optimizing your productivity and strengthening your vitality.