Bridging The Gap Between Knowledge And Action

Neither way is wrong or right. Just different choices. You could for sake of argument take opposing viewpoints on the better, faster way to walk this path. You could discuss how those that follow you would make better speed with some type of bridge that you are building.  Or how scaling up each peak would define you and make you stronger. For me, rock climbing would be facing the fear of falling to my death.  It would test my faith in ropes, cords, carabineers, slings, anchors, and harnesses.

At the end of the day, the analogy is that each of us has our own path of divine destiny to walk.  There really isn’t a right or wrong way to walk the path.  The lessons will come to you regardless of what you choose.

The purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things – Rainer Maria Rilke

Some time ago I self-identified a pattern that I have.  I call it one foot on the brake and one foot on the gas.  It began with a childhood experience when I was four years old.  I was very motivated to the best in school and when I was an adult to climb the corporate ladder.  I was also very introverted and didn’t like to be seen and noticed.  This pattern of drawing attention to myself by being a master at my job, and then shrinking back when I got the attention used to drive me crazy.

I finally through years of self-improvement identified this pattern and started working to shift and transform it.  Every time I feel like I am walking in slow motion, or pushing a boulder up hill, I know that this pattern has reentered my life.  It is an energetic signal that I am being blocked in some way.

Have you ever had a project you wanted to complete and every time you sat down to work on it, you would remember something else you had to do?  It might be an email that simply must be written and sent now.  It might be laundry or dishes that have to be done.  You notice a spider web on the ceiling that must be removed.  You have to run to the store.  Your mind is looking for something to distract you away from the project.  Suddenly the whole day is gone, and you didn’t work on it at all.

Put gaps in your life:  moments to reflect, prepare, meditate and breathe – Jody Adams

For whatever reason your life pattern is trying to shift you away from the project.  There is something about this project that it wants to avoid.  In some manner, this project is pushing up against the boundaries you have set in your subconscious.  It sees a danger, and so it works hard to gently distract you away from it.  The completion of the project will in some way change and shift your life – it could be that you are aware of it, or it could be some unforeseen possibility that your subconscious wants to avoid.

In my case, I started shifting the pattern first by writing these blogs.  It felt safe because I am unseen and unknown to you.  Then I started speaking on stages about my transformational work.  This was also not too hard, because with the lights on a stage, it is hard to see the audience.

They aren’t up close and personal.  The hardest thing to shift was being able to walk into a room and not be terrified of meeting and having conversations with strangers.  Of not being judged as “not enough”.  Of feeling like I was an imposter.  Negative thoughts of self-judgment.  Places I was afraid of.  “Who was I” to think I had something to say you would want or need to hear?

Negative thoughts are like rotten or missing boards on a bridge.  It is scary to think of stepping out on this bridge.  What if I fall?

This pattern of “having a foot on the gas and brake at the same time”, is really great at camouflaging itself.  It has chameleon qualities.  When I started with this Facebook page, I knew that I needed a website for the blog posts.  Instead of 30 – 45 days it took me nine months and the hold ups were all from me.

t took me months to actually sit down and start writing my first book.  Every time I start something new, “Cami” my own personal chameleon puts the brakes on.  The good news is that it is taking less time for me to recognize what she is doing and shift her efforts at slowing me down.

I may not have gone where I intended to go. But I think I have ended up where I needed to be – Douglas Adams

Many teach that we came into this life to have a certain experience. Mine seems to be dealing with this pattern of foot on the brakes, when I am pushing hard on the gas to accomplish a goal. Now that I recognize it has chameleon like qualities, whenever I am not progressing towards my goals, I know to go looking for that sneaky lizard.

• Here’s to the space, the gaps, the pauses, the silence.
• Here’s to embracing five minutes of slow every day.
• Here’s to savoring that cup of coffee, tea, hot chocolate or glass of wine.
• Here’s to watching the wind in the leaves.
• Here’s to sitting in a swing and enjoying the feeling of flying as you swing up into the sky.
• Here’s to lying on a sandy beach and listening to the surf as the waves come into the shore and retreat back into the ocean.  To the smell of the salt air and the cry of the seagulls.
• Here’s to lake fishing along the shoreline, casting out the line and sitting in companionable silence as you reel it back in and cast again.
• Here’s to listening to the laughter of your children and grandchildren.
• Here’s to sharing a meal with new friends and old friends.
• Here’s to roasting marshmallows and making smores around an outdoor fire pit.
• Here’s to turning off your phones and having a conversation.

The best thing in life is to go ahead with all your plans and your dreams, to embrace life and to live everyday with passion, to lose and still keep the faith and to win while being grateful.  All of this because the world belongs to those who dare to go after what they want.  And because life is really too short to be insignificant – Charlie Chaplin

This life pattern is my GAP – Gods Area of Preparation. This is where you learn about new ways that your life pattern has shifted, and you learn new ways to build bridges to close that gap.

The winds of life will try and pull you off course.  The space between your values and behavior is called the Integrity gap.  It is the places where what you say you are doing and what actions are actually taking place, have a gap.  It isn’t that you are purposefully not living in integrity.  It is that sneaky chameleon who has disguised itself to put up roadblocks to the actions that you intend to do.

Go back to places where you feel like you might have had the brake and gas on at the same time.  Once you recognize the patterns, it becomes easier and easier to release the brakes and have your actions spring back into gear.

Can you see GAPs in your life pattern? Do you see where you need to learn to build bridges to close off the gap to get to your destination?

Don’t be afraid to explore and discover what the broken pieces of you are trying to say.  Mosaics at made from broken pieces, and they are a beautiful work of art.  All of life experiences come together to create who you are.  To expose the divine gifts you have, you rearrange the pieces to uncover the hidden treasures you have buried deep within yourself.  To show you just how every shattered dream, served to provide just what was needed to move forward in strength.