Don't Hit The Snooze Button!

Today is a Wake-Up Call

“Often it takes some calamity to make us live in the present.
Then suddenly we wake up.” - Bill Watterson

Have you ever had a wake-up call; that moment in your life where what you are doing or who you are being is called into question? The instigator can be many things: illness, lost job, grief or for many a milestone birthday. It is the moment when your denial is destroyed and you are faced with the truth of your situation. Wake-up calls are opportunities cleverly hidden under the pain and loss that inevitably accompanies their arrival. It is not punishment or bad karma, it is the possibility to begin to live your life fully integrated; in a way that honors the genuine you.

A wake-up call is really your awakening. Awakening to your life; the opportunities not taken, the dreams unexplored, the potential unexpressed. It is awakening to the truest sense of who you are. It is a means to becoming courageous; being lit internally with spirit and bringing that into your world. Freedom comes from your ability to be present to the experiences you are creating, to take stock and to make the necessary changes. The information that is reflected back to you during a wake-up call can be disturbing, unsettling and emotional but is often exactly what is required for you to change direction. It is like a large mirror that you cannot get away from. A direct reflection of the picture you have been painting. Many people are sleep-walking through life, consumed with surviving, oblivious to the thoughts, actions and reactions that are keeping them in a constant state of stupor. Numbed out by media, food or drugs, there is little variation, momentum or joy in the day to day. Think of the movie, The Matrix, when Morpheous gives Neo a choice between the blue pill, which reflects the dream; life as it has always been, the illusion of reality or the red pill which reflects the truth, the reality of the situation and the world as it is. When you opt for the blue pill you can remain safe but it requires you to repudiate who you are and the unique gifts you are meant to share, whereas the red pill can transform your life, allowing you to soar.

When I am coaching a client, I often tell them that when they are in the midst of a wake-up call, they are really in the sweet spot, and metaphorically I am encouraging them to reach for the red pill; the place where awareness and therefore possibility and potential live. Like a rebirth, the pain of the situation can be enough of a catalyst to drive an individual to take the biggest steps and to bolster the audacity it takes to come out from the shadows, to live in the light of day – fully awake.

“We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake.” - Henry David Thoreau

Wake-up calls are not always painful or difficult. You can choose to wake up right now, by utilizing awareness, evaluating your beliefs and taking moments of stillness. Tune in and listen. Where is there resistance? Can you hear a soft whisper? Is your inner voice encouraging you to change course, try something new or to let go? Can you let go of the illusion and live fully present, here and now?

Today Ask Yourself:

1. Where am I sleep-walking through life?
2. What part of my life am I ignoring?
3. What benefits could be discovered by becoming fully awake?

If you would like to wake up to the possibilities contained within your life please contact me at, www.onpurposelifecoach.com