The 12 bells of the clock are ringing.. tan tan tan… tan tan tan.. the new year 2018 is here!!! My heart and mind are full of wonder!!! On December 31st, I was checking a magazine and I came across the following title: “We are all works in progress”. This phrase kept me thinking in the truth in it, especially in a time when we are starting a new year, full of possibility.
The phrase “work in progress” is very much related to our human condition and to our potential, to the part of us that is full of possibilities; to the areas of our lives that need attention and adjustment; to the parts of us that are undeveloped and/or need refinement.
It is always a work in progress in the way that there is much space for growth and repair. In the long term, when we work to progress, we get fulfillment when we achieve to adjust the missing pieces of our lives. Therefore, a lot of work can be done! But of course, as always I like to say: “one step at a time” and let’s see what is most needed to get us where we want to be and how to explore the territory for us to be safe getting there and not get fully lost in unknown waters with such intent.
Starting this New Year 2018, I want to link this “work in progress” concept as a representation as life being a school. Following this thread, I like to =suggest that we are all learning students in this school we can call it "life." In this regard, the work of Edward Bach and the Bach Flower Therapy supports us to improve our grades and make conscious the material that we need to learn in a particular area or a class in particular. In this sense, the Bach Flower Therapy is a type of therapy that also embraces this learning approach towards life and living.
Stretching more this point, I must point out that all the 38 remedies and the qualities that each of the remedies make us to work at (like different mental and emotional states), they can help us to do the homework in our mind, bodies and souls. The virtue of each Bach flower essence is there to help us to do this meaningful work and be concrete and serious about it when we ask for their help.
Starting this new year 2018 (it can be like any day or beginning of a month, or a week, but it is a more powerful day for making resolutions, as it is a collective and astrological beginning), you have a new opportunity to reinvent yourself. And I want to highlight that there are no rules (it depends on you, your motivation and your creativity). You have to find the strategies that work best for you and find the support you need, plus a way of questioning and wondering about your life. In this sense, is is important at the end of this questioning to know what you want in life and what you want to change.
Some questions that can help us in this direction can be the following: What are the things that you envision the most? How these things look like when you imagine them in your mind's eye? And being more concrete on the inquiry: What is the map that can get you there? How can you cultivate enough stamina or motivation to get what you need and want? How to sustain it over time?
These days that I have been re-defining my big assignment to study to pass my second Licensure exam, I have been reflecting on the importance of having a study plan and how important is to follow the plan as much as I can, because I know that designing a good plan and committing to it will help me to get where I need to be = passing the exam.
Thus, despite that other times I followed the plan and in the long run I failed my final exam, I still dedicate time to create a plan and analyze what is needed for me to be able to focus on studying and go through all the material that I have to cover.
Sometimes, when I analyze my scores and performances at different times along this process of doing rehearsal exams, I have failed many of the questions, and it is totally fine, but I know that when I do not have the right attitude or a certain pattern blocks me or this is in the way for me to follow the plan, the exam formula or other remedies help me to attain the right mindset to follow my plan.
In case that the plan fails, as sometimes happened, I leave some room to reflect, re-learn and try it again. It is a part of the process... but certainly, having a coherent and achievable plan, gives me the parameters (tools) that I need to measure my progress and to track the variables that are at play for success.
It is also a way that I am taking what I do seriously (study in this case) every day, and little by little, at the end of the road, I know that it will arrive the time to sit down to rend the exam and put in motion all the knowledge I gained, and by then, hopefully, sucessfully pass the exam.
I am stretching this point here to illustrate that having a plan to work on is a crucial step to not get lost and put your energy in motion to attain a specific goal. It is also helpful to feel secure making a good use of your time. It also helps to respect your limits with others and give yourself the time to focus on one thing that you need or you want to work on. You make your plan alive for you in your life by making time for designing it and implementing it!! With the Bach Flower Therapy is the same!!
Thus, why not take a paper and pen and envision a goal you want to work on this year? The remedies are tools or resources that can help you along the process of improving your wellbeing and get you there. As I wrote in the 3 previous blogs, the oracles as well can help you to track your unconscious and know what is in the shadow (what you don’t see) that might need to be worked through for you to get you where you want to be.
For example, you can use different flower remedies to assert yourself and say “no” to what hinders your progress (Centaury). To connect more in-depth with your intuition (Cerato). To pay more attention to your experience to learn from your mistakes (Chestnut Bud). To be more patient with yourself and your neighbor, your colleague at work, your mom or your daughter… etc. (Impatiens). To treat your symptoms of depression if you have been overwhelmed and burdened by too many responsibilities (Elm) or to become a more caring and loving person by leaving behind any feelings of jealousy, revenge or suspicion (Holly).
Well, these are some remedies that can help you to improve your life and invest in your self-fulfillment and happiness. Overall in life, we all strive for many things and is of vital importance to sit down and talk it out loud, put it in writing or comment with a friend, or with your psychotherapist, etc.
As an example, I would like to highlight that one ideal that we all strive towards is to have a wide range of “freedom” and all its avenues or what this means to you. You can name it yourself and finish this phrase: “I would like to be free from…”. Most of the time, what is at play in this search is a keen search for "freedom of negativity" or from any sort of addiction or negative pattern we have or exhibit that holds us back.
We could say that negativity refers to "be free" of any negative emotion that holds us back from addiction, from a type of behavior or pattern that keeps our energy stuck or might block us from being or behaving in another way (more positive we must say) or that allows us to do something else.
In consequence, we don’t feel our reservoir of energy free of movement or that consciously, we have the desired range of decision making that we would like to experience at that moment we experience it. Simply, because life has rules, times, and restrictions we continuously suffer from (imposed by ourselves or by the environtment).
Freedom, balance, and happiness are all concepts that we all desire to attain. They are great references that help us to check in inside where and how we are at a certain moment in time. Having a parameter of where we are, invites us to measure our wellbeing and level of satisfaction. In this regard, I want to invite you this month to make room to identify an issue or problem that you feel stuck with (normal in everyday life) and write it down.
With all my clients, I always encourage them to make a use of a journal and keep track of their inner lives. When you work with remedies, this allows you to notice how you progress with your treatment and the conscientiousness that is revealed along with your process. This is really the treasure that you get for yourself. The flowers just help you with this process. And, arrived to this point, I want to advise you to not give up of a treatment until this is completed!!
You might have to undergo many different hurtles until you can fully see your pattern/s and where it/they come from (it truly requires to stay long enough to notice a meaningful difference) and later keep practicing what you need in order to stay at balance. Therefore, it is very important to stay with your treatment plan until you get a mastery of yourself and you are able to overcome what concerns you and get the results you most want and desire!!
My wish for me this year is to become a more evolved person and more conscientious person while I keep inspired by my work and by helping others to fulfill themselves. What is your wish for this year? Can we help?
May this New Year brings you the right opportunities for self-growth!
May PEACE and LOVE be with you!
Roser
