Calling your authentic self forward…

Lilacs

Have you ever noticed that the main focus of most year-in-review or intention setting practices seems to be on what we will do? Or, what we won’t do again?

It may be my bias, but there seems to be less invitation to consider who we will be, or how we will identify ourselves. If you think about it, the names which we call ourselves carry significant power.

I’m not really talking about our birth names, though they certainly have a resonance of their own. I’m talking about the names we give to ourselves. For example, the names we give our primary occupations are often how others begin to understand where we fit into their lives and communities; names like Teacher, Counselor, Parent, Partner, Engineer, Volunteer…

Our names also carry the energetic resonance of who we are being at that point in our lives. They are intimately linked to our intentions and actions; supporting, limiting, obscuring, enhancing them depending on how congruent the action and the name are. An example from my own life is naming myself an aromatherapist and nature intuitive when the true nature of my work lies in midwifing people into a spiritual partnership with the earth and their own wisdom. Was I an aromatherapist and a nature intuitive? Yes. But those were limited versions of my name and using them definitely created some incongruence.

All this started me thinking…(No big surprise there, right?) What if we put some attention and intention into the names we are carrying into this coming year, as well as the actions we will be taking?

How might we increase the potency of our intentions by clearly naming the states of being that support them, and embodying the resonance of those names?

So I’ve got a process for you that I think you’ll enjoy. It’s based on an exercise I shared in the Radiant Leadership class I taught last spring, helping everyone to discover their names as leaders. Looking at these women now, I can see how embodying their unique name has supported the life changes they wanted to make.

Read on…and I’d love to hear what your name(s) for 2012 are! Just leave a comment below…

Calling your authentic self forward…

(inspired by Naming Myself from Margaret J. Wheatley’s beautiful book Perseverance)

Crocus

First I invite you to do the Elemental Connecting practice by listening to my Elemental Connecting 2 audio. Being deeply aligned with the earth and quite present in your body will help keep you grounded, centered and in your heart wisdom.

Then I invite you to take a few minutes and respond to these questions from your heart. (You might consider using unlined paper, bigger than 8.5 x 11 if you have it, and a crayon, marker, paintbrush… Using something that literally feels different from a pen/pencil and lined paper can help you to stay in your heart’s wisdom and out of your head.)

We all have names…things we call ourselves when we are speaking to others, and to ourselves. Sometimes they are names we have been given – Claire, Jonathan, Isa, Raj – and sometimes they are names that identify what we do – mother, teacher, student, manager.

Some are names we adopt because of who we have been or what we have experienced – abuse survivor, domestic violence victim, diabetes sufferer.

Often they are names that reflect what others think of us — or shortcomings we imagine define us – failure, fat, stupid, ignorant, not ______ enough…

• Take a moment to write down all the names you have that you can think of…..
• What names limit or restrict you? Is it time to let any of them go?
• What names bring a sense of freedom…strength…power…joy? Is it time to use them more frequently?
• Are there any new names that describe you more authentically or that support your intentions/habits/desires for this coming year?
• Take a few deep breaths and write, draw, paint the name (s) that you choose for yourself in 2012….

You might consider offering yourself, and any beings who assisted you, a little love and gratitude to finish.