Shifting from Outer to Inner Focus

“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“Without a plan, you'll postpone living until you're dead.” – John Goddard

“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” – Alan Lakein

“To nourish the soul is to rest in being.” – Stephen Levine

“Plan your work for today and every day, then work your plan.” – Norman Vincent Peale

“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.” – Japanese Proverb

“If you employed study, thinking, and planning time daily, you could develop and use the power that can change the course of your destiny.” – W. Clement Stone

“Let the waters settle you will see stars and moon mirrored in your Being.” – Rumi

In the ebb and flow of life and in balancing our inner/yin and outer/yang focus over the days, weeks, months and years, we sometimes need to intentionally shift our ways of doing and being.

Here is a list of tools for moving from an OUTER focused cycle of activity to an INNER focused cycle of being more receptive and contemplative.

This is a time to step back and let in the bigger picture, longer term view, relationship considerations, healing energies and more subtle issues.

The Pause - Step back and allow integration to work for you.
Smart Questions - Allow questions to draw out your own inner wisdom.
Feeling Finder - Add more dimensions to your feeling nature.
Stream of Awareness - What are you experiencing, feeling, and thinking?
Intuitive Resonating - Give a voice to your unconscious.
Dialogue - Converse with whoever and whatever you want.
Duality Tension - Let your mind stretch and integrate two extremes.
Meditation Journal - Use meditation to open to more connection, insights and harmony.

Questions to consider are:

• Where are you vulnerable?
• What negative thoughts or emotions or tensions are affecting you?
• What values need to be honoured?
• What new ideas or urges need more definition?
• What would benefit from more imagination?
• What relationships need more attention?
• Who or what do you most appreciate?
• What do you want less of and more of to balance your life?
• Where does your life purpose need clarifying?