Saturday mornings

Originally posted on Blogger 18 August 2011.

 

I’d like to introduce you to my Saturday morning routine of the last almost two years. At 9am I ring a dear, dear friend and we chat for a couple of hours then I get on with the rest of my day.

Doesn’t sound like much does it? But it is the most important event of my week. If I don’t make this appointment my week no longer feels right. A couple of months ago I commented to this friend that I’d rather cut off my own arm than miss these calls – yes it was melodramatic but oh so true. No, I’m not about to cut off my arm, but equally I’m not about to drop these calls.

What is so special about these calls? They are with my Focusing partner.

She lives on the Pacific coast of the USA and I have a phone card that makes these calls incredibly cheap. 20+ years ago I lived in the UK. To call home it cost me £1 per minute. I’d go get £60 out of the bank so I could talk to my sister for 1 hour. I now have 2 hour + calls to the US and it cost around $2

So what is so good about doing Focusing sessions with my Focusing partner? Well everything really. Two weeks ago I got off the phone and looked at the furniture layout in my lounge/dining area and decided it was now time to get this all sorted. Just under a year ago I bought a new computer. I had been toying with the idea for over a year that I needed to vacate my study and bring the computer into the lounge. There were all sorts of logistical issues as to why I didn’t do this earlier and the new computer would allow me to make the change. But it happened slowly and in stages.

First the computer came out and sat on the dining table for about 9 months. I wanted to shampoo the carpets before bringing the desk out of the study, which required affording the carpets to be cleaned and the weather to allow the carpets to dry.

Then finally the desk was brought out (requiring the assistance of a good friend who could help me lift it). The desk had been sitting in the dining area for perhaps a couple of months before I got off the phone a couple of weeks ago and it just felt that the time was now to do something about this.

A number of hours and a number of furniture configurations later and I have my computer set up – it’s functional, aesthetically pleasing and a big plus is that my desk is finally set up the way I envisaged it to be when I had it made over 15 years ago.

After the last session with my Focusing partner I sat down and started to do this blog. Yep, that is some magic call!

Both of these things were on my list of things to do, but they didn’t have a particular priority of when they needed to be done.

Was I working on these topics during my Focusing session?

No.

That is one of the wonders of Focusing. I would really love to be able to say that I have had massive revelations after doing Focusing sessions but the truth is, at least for me, that I’ve had a lot of baby steps. I often can’t remember what I was working on during a session. I feel like what I am doing is clearing away some of the obstacles to having my life flow as it is supposed to. It shows how all aspects of my life affect other aspects.

I feel like I’m becoming more the me that I’m supposed to be. I have greatness in me – not like I’m going to cure cancer or relieve world hunger – I will make a difference in my life and those around me.

I described this to one of my mentors earlier like this:

In one of the Harry Potter movies, Harry receives as a potion as a prize that when taken brings good luck. When he realises it is the right time to drink it, once ingested instead of doing what would be the ‘right thing to do’, he heads off to something else. Ultimately it ends up the right thing because things work out, but it is done in a completely natural way: a way that has grace and flow.

Focusing is a bit like that, it can clear away the ‘have to’ and ‘shoulds’ so you can sense what is the right thing to do NOW, trusting that it will get you where you need to be in ways that defy planning.

Is it magic? Depends on your definition of magic.

Harry Potter type of magic? Sadly no.

Magic like serendipity? Yes, I believe so.

And it is way cool!