Unfolding

The Freedom of Not-Knowing

May 9, 2016 By Cara Lumen

There’s a freedom in not-knowing because there’s nothing to be done until something shows up. You can simply bask in the moment and savor what you have around you.

What would it feel like not to make plans?

Early man had no calendars. They used the sun and the moon and the seasons to suggest their next steps – like planting a crop or harvesting one, preparing for winter or embracing spring. They took their clues from nature. That was about as far as their planning structure went. Their life was very simple and in the moment.

Compare that with even the thought of the pressure of today and you feel stress.

I’m not suggesting we go back to planting by the light of the moon unless that appeals to us. But I am suggesting that we lighten up with our planning, that we relax into the moment and trust ourselves to respond appropriately to whatever shows up.

Not-knowing requires trust

You have to trust that you’ll respond appropriately and effectively to what shows up. You have to trust that the perfect opportunities will emerge and that you’ll recognize them. Other than that, you can enjoy being surprised.

In the freedom of non-knowing, nothing is required but the need step

Focusing on the next step is very simple. Wake up in the morning and decide which next step you’re going to take. Then just decide to take it. Take a break during your day, tune into what your body and mind need, and in that moment, choose your next step. Then take the step.

Stay in the moment and let life unfold

I asked a friend to write a foreword for my next book. She asked what the timeline was. I could truly tell her that she could have even more time than she asked for because I was not on a deadline. It was going to get up on Amazon when it got up there. How simple is that – for her and for me.

Honor the moment

When inspiration strikes, I act. If I’m reading a novel and a sentence suggests an idea for a post, I stop in that moment and go to my computer and explore the idea then and there. In the moment. No plan. Just the next step. As it shows up.

Allow things to untangle themselves

I was discussing a decision that needed to be made. The person I was speaking to offered the perfect solution and the problem was solved and the decision made. In seconds. With one idea, one person’s fresh viewpoint, the problem was solved. I did nothing but pose the question. And the answer appeared.

Be open to the moment

When we live in the flow of the moment, we are flexible and free to change directions. I was acting on a particular idea and in the process of beginning to execute it, and then an entirely different solution popped into my mind.

Because I am an in-the-moment, let-life-unfold person, I acted on the new idea – instantly, in the moment. And it was a much better solution that what I’d started out to do.

Not-knowing requires presence

You need to stay mindfully aware in order to recognize the next step. That means you have to know enough about yourself to understand what you want and need, how you like to work and play, and the kind of people you want to be with.

When you know yourself well, you can make choices that are aligned with your own desires and needs.

Be present. When the new circumstance arises, sit quietly and reflect. Explore the possibilities. Listen to your inner wisdom. Then make your choice. In the moment. It will be the perfect choice.

Look at a choice as an opportunity to explore

You don’t have to know the outcome of your choice before you choose it. You make a choice and wander down that path a little to see where it might lead. If it takes you in the wrong direction, you can choose another path.

There’s great freedom in not-knowing what lies ahead. You’re so mindfully immersed in the moment you instinctively know the choice to make, the path to take.

When you’re fully present, you also know when it’s time to take a different path.

Relax into the freedom of non-knowing. Feel your way through your day with your emotions and your body and your instincts and see where that leads you.

Get out of your mind and into your heart. Stay in the moment of not-knowing. You need only address the next step. That’s the freedom of non-knowing.

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:
Lose Your Attachment to the Outcome
The Power of Non-Action
Why Unfolding Works
Allow the Right Action to Emerge
35—How to Hold the Space for Change.
30 – The No Plan Plan

Why Unfolding Works

April 18, 2016 By Cara Lumen

For several years I’ve been cultivating an unfolding life, learning not to plan but to let things show up and simply shape them as they appear. I’ve put a lot of thought into things like a “no-plan plan” and I continue to see proof that allowing your life to simply unfold works.

Act only when the mood strikes

Recent evidence of the power of allowing life to unfold came in the form of some podcasts. Although I really like to do podcasts, for some reason I was putting off doing my weekly one. I actually thought I had recorded it but, when the deadline came, it turned out that I hadn’t.

And I couldn’t get in the mood to do it. The script was ready, it’s only a 15-minute podcast, but I simply wasn’t in the mood to record. So I didn’t.

However, the next day I was in the mood, the time was right, and I recorded two podcasts that were really, really good. My energy was high, I had added some good stories. They were the best podcasts I’d done up to then. All because the time was right, things were aligned and I had decided to wait.

Think about it until it’s time

I find that part of the unfolding process can be to mull over a thought for a while before acting. This can seemingly put things off a bit long, but when the time is right it all flows together.

Odd things kept collecting in my not-very-big kitchen. I didn’t have a place for some things and I had too much stuff. This semi-bugged me for a lot longer than I would have liked – until one evening, in about 15 minutes, I made huge strides in reorganizing everything. The decisions were easy, the plan was perfect. It simply unfolded in exactly the right manner.

What if there is a deadline and you live an unfolding life?

Sometimes you just let things go. I simply did not put out a podcast the week I couldn’t get aligned to do it. I’d made the decision to produce one podcast a week but, if I wished, I could change it for one week.

Sometimes you have to choose. You give up one thing in order to make room for another. That’s how life works anyway, but it’s definitely part of an unfolding life

Be patient and it will come

About the time I really needed a good philosophical conversation, one showed up. I didn’t know how much I needed it until it was over and I felt filled up again. Sometimes when something doesn’t appear right way, it’s because it’s waiting for something better to appear.

The Universe will surprise you

A member of the Deeper Song Community offered to proofread my work for me. That was a most awesome surprise. I needed it, as I’m not a good proofer. I’m an overview person. She saw a place to serve and offered.

Another member of the Deeper Song Community offered me strong technical encouragement and showers me with teaching videos and new places to connect.
Neither of those were consciously on a specific want list, but the Universe saw my need and provided it.

Trust the flow

Each day I open myself up to the flow of circumstances. I begin my day with meditation and Qi Gong and move immediately into something creative. I never know what that will be until I sit down and an idea pops up. I simply follow the nudge and write or create whatever emerges.

I listen to my body. It tells me when to take a break or go for a walk, or turn my attention to something else.

I trust the flow of opportunity, that I will select the right ideas to expand, that what I choose has meaning for others and that the suggestions and insights that come to me throughout the day are part of the tools I use to shape the circumstance of my life. In every moment. With every choice.

Letting your life unfold works. Begin anywhere and simply shape thing as they come.

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:

Unfolding an the Wu Wei of Not-Forcing
Unfolding an the Wu Wei of Not-Obstructing
Unfolding and the Wu Wei of Not-Interfering
Unfolding and the Big Bouder
10– What Will Change Because Of What You Are About To Do?
14- How Strong is the Foundation You Build On
How Not to Make Plans

The Power of Non-Action

April 13, 2016 By Cara Lumen

Non-action is a precept of Taoism. It goes with simply being – being present – being aware – being. But non-action goes against the grain in our busy world. I wondered how I could cultivate more non-action to my life.

Non-action goes with silence

When I meditate, I do nothing – except sit in silence. And a lot happens there. My body calms, my mind goes silent. At times I feel like I’m not even here. That silence, that non-action, is very healing and balancing.

Answers come with non-action

We’ve all had times when we had a problem we couldn’t solve. When we let it simmer in the background unattended, the answer suddenly came to us. Then we took action. But non-action preceded it.

We wake up from sleep with a full-blown answer. Or someone says something, and suddenly a whole new direction opens up.

We did nothing – except observe.

Non-action is part of an unfolding life

I love letting my life unfold. It contains just the right number of surprises and all the right answers. It’s a relief not to plan and worry and work with a lot of “what-ifs.”

An unfolding life still gets all the right things done. There’s simply no stress in doing it.

The great personal peace in non-action

When I learn to trust the unfolding process, a huge calm enters my life. There are no decisions I have to make, no actions I need to take. I trust that the perfect opportunity will show up at the perfect time and that I’ll recognize it and respond.

Is response the key to non-action?

I’m a take-charge person. I’m a leader. I get things done. But I’m now learning to do that in the spirit of going with the flow. I simply push the boat off from shore and see where it takes me.

It’s important to push yourself off from shore, to be willing to go on this journey.

It’s important to make yourself available – to the opportunities, the choices, the possible actions.

It’s also important to respond when things show up.

Simply shape things as they come

There’s something so gentle about the idea of shaping things as they come. It’s like working a potter’s wheel – a little pressure changes the shape. A release expands the shape. Your hands are all it takes – together with the spinning potter’s wheels of opportunity.

We might look at life as the potter’s wheel, spinning choices by us. We gently take what we want and shape it into our life.

How will you encourage non-action in your life?

Pause before you speak. Sit quietly and let your thoughts evolve. Simple “be” with someone. Sit in the sun and absorb its warmth. Watch the clouds change shape.

Non-action is to let your life unfold. Get out of your mind and allow life to come to you.

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:

30 – The No Plan Plan
31-The Power of Simplicity
Unfolding an the Wu Wei of Not-Forcing
Unfolding an the Wu Wei of Not-Obstructing
Unfolding and the Wu Wei of Not-Interfering ‎
How to Walk Beside Someone in Service

Can You Control Your Own Destiny?

April 11, 2016 By Cara Lumen

My friend was stuck in her mind, trying to figure out how to believe something hard enough to make it happen. With my Taoist leanings, I’m learning to trust things to unfold in the perfect sequence.

Can I control my own destiny?

What I have control over is the present moment – the words I say, the thoughts I think, the actions I take. The choices I make as I shape each moment influence my destiny – my experiences and my future choices.

Allow things to happen

It’s totally freeing to stop planning and simply allow things to happen. As these things are going to happen anyway, not spending time planning or worrying or expecting frees up a lot of time and energy.

A friend of mine has chosen to follow the philosophy that our thoughts create our reality and she was really working her brain to create a certain outcome.

I do believe that our focus affects what shows up. If we expect negativity, that’s what we’ll see.

But as for actively striving to draw things to me or make things happen, I’ve mostly stopped doing that. I’ve been working on letting life unfold for several years now. It gets easier. I continue to learn to trust that the right things will show up.

Trust is a huge factor

Besides trusting that the perfect opportunities will appear, I also have to trust that I’ll have enough sense and self-awareness to make choices that are in alignment with my passion and purpose.

I’m getting better at that. It takes both practice and a few successes to make a believer out of you.

Simply shape things as they come

I love the idea of simply shaping things. I can let the whole opportunity pass me by because the time doesn’t feel right. Or I can take bits and pieces to shape, or embrace the whole circumstance. I can work with it a while, try it on to see how it feels and keep what works and let go of the rest. Shaping is gentle and it’s about choosing.

Trust you own intuition and instincts

As you practice allowing your life to unfold, you learn to listen to your own intuition and instincts. And as you begin to get positive results, you learn to trust yourself as the shaper of your own life experience.

Let the Tao speak for itself

Part of trusting is to not just trust yourself and your own instincts, but to trust the Tao, the All-That-Is, the natural flow of life to continue to offer balance and wholeness. That is sometimes subtle, but when you look for it you can see it. Trust in the natural unfolding of life and circumstances

Can you control your destiny?

Your focus, your choices and your expectations all contribute to your life experience. All of those are within your own power to direct. Learn to trust yourself and the choices you make. Let the rest go and enjoy your life.

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:
Take The Path to Trust
The Desire for Freedom and the Road Less Traveled
How to Invite Serenity Into Your Life
Do You Know How Much You Have Going For You?
06– Unfolding And The Art Of Wu Wei
17 – Exploring The Village of Nothingness
18- How Your Light Illuminates Paths of Darkness
Unfolding and the Big Bouder
Are You Reading the Signs?

How to Find Your Sweet Spot

August 13, 2015 By Cara Lumen

My friend said we were both looking for our sweet spot, that smooth flowing place where everything is aligned. There are a lot of layers to move through to find it.

Know what you don’t want

The first place my dissatisfaction showed up was when I kept finding things I didn’t want to do any more. I even started to create new things only to find I was bored because I already knew how to do that. I wanted something different and challenging. I had no idea what. I could only see what was NOT working.

Know what you do want

What I did want was wispy. It was all feelings. I want to feel relevant. I want to be challenged. I what to learn things that will change the quality of my own life. I was searching for something new and had no idea what it was.

Hear what your intuition tells you

The mot powerful guidance you can get is from your intuition. I have several ways I access mine. It can be a poem that begins with one word, or a mind map that comes out of stillness. The past 24 hours I have felt like an incubator, with different small beaks pecking at my shell ready to be hatched.

Write it down

I asked myself questions – about my mission, who I want to serve, what I want to do for others. What are the most pressing problems I face that I want to solve. All of these began to relate to what was trying to emerge from inside.

Give it time

You can’t rush a realization. The idea will emerge when it’s time. But it still feels like I’m a tea kettle with the water on simmer.

Test how you feel about what shows up

When an idea peeks through I hold it up to the light. I see how it looks and feels. I might even try it on for size. But if it doesn’t nurture what I need, if it doesn’t fill that hole, it’s not the right idea for now.

What does you soul tell you to do?

My soul is telling me I want and need to go on an adventure. I need to go exploring. I thought I had started to do that until I realized that all I was doing was preparing for the trip. I had not started up any sort of incline. Once I focused on the part I didn’t know, the things I didn’t understand, my whole self started to vibrate YES! If I can figure that out. If I can apply those concepts to my life. If I can share with others what I discover – that will be meaningful to me. That will be meaningful to others. That will change lives. That will be my sweet spot.

A sweet spot is when everything is aligned. When I use my writing to figure things out like I always do, when I address topics that are hard for me to understand, when I can use the gift I have to explain the complex in simple, applicable terms, that will be my sweet spot.

I only have a vague idea what that will look like. I get inklings but I know that I must let it unfold. I must look at an idea and thoughtfully examine it before I make a decision. I must trust that my inner wisdom will outline the steps for me, will make sense of it all and will show me how to shape it and share it

That will be my sweet spot. What is yours? How will you recognize your sweet spot?

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:

06– Unfolding And The Art Of Wu Wei (podcast, 20 minutes)

07- How to Find and Express Your Distinctive Voice (podcast, 20 minutes)

Patience and the Unfolding Process

Practice Moving Your Gaze

What Does a Meaningful Transformation Feel Like?

If You Were An Arrow, Where Would You Aim?