Martha Beck Rabbit Hole

I mentioned I've been going down a Martha Beck hole lately (I think I mentioned it). She has a new book coming out and her name is popping up on podcasts and such. The new book is about anxiety and her thought is the opposite of anxiety is creativity. That sparked my interest.

Anyway ... lots of free stuff available on her website and I'm down the rabbit hole. 

I listened to a class on finding your purpose and it really hit for me for where I am right now. Lots of gems, but I want to mention one specifically. 

She says one path to your purpose is the Path of Mystery. Basically if something feels tense or icky, it's not aligned with your purpose. Notice it and then try to align it -- use your imagination (mystery) to see how this could feel like aliveness. Maybe that's not doing something or maybe it's about thinking of something differently.

Her example was going to the dentist. Instead of thoughts about how much she doesn't want to go, she asked, how could I look at this differently. Listen to an audio book. Learn a new route (she's in a new area). Take pictures on the drive for her landscape painting ideas. Now she feels excited, alive. Now going to the dentist aligns with her purpose -- things she's fascinated with, things she's curious about (this is another path BTW).

Anyway, back to me lol.

I asked this question about the hiking trip. (Yes, still in "painful" indecision.) I've been looking at this as a physical challenge. Hiking 3 days, etc. After a little meditation -- it came to me. What if this is a STILLNESS challenge? How to be unplugged for 3 day with some people I don't know (and some I don't like). How to tap into my creativity for three days. Sort of a mind wellness retreat. 

I really like this idea. I thought of a number of little ways to make this a mindful exercise and suddenly I'm excited about going -- like really excited. 

Of course, this is me, so now I'm worried I'm not well enough to go (back and recovery from COVID). But I know if I don't go, it's not BS and I'll try again next year. 

I love this exercise. I do something similar, but this is such a concise way to look at finding FS in everything. Things that align with who I am or who I want to become. 

This is a good rabbit hole. Later gators.