We gave ourselves permission to be wherever we were in our developmental process. Now that we’re grown up, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to know everything right now.
- Don’t expect yourself to be anywhere other than where you are. Accept your current place on the path.
- Anticipate the very next phase beyond the one you’re in, so you can be prepared for it when it arrives.
- Be compassionate and understanding to others, regardless of their progress on their own personal journey. I’ve described the five overarching phases below: We begin to learn that our experiences aren’t random, and we start looking for answers. We connect the dots and recognize that life is about learning and finding our true selves. We have a lot of realizations — both exciting and perhaps difficult to deal with. Awareness is not enough for transformation. We must change our belief systems and behaviors. We can let go of our old stories and upgrade our programming. Here, now, we do the courageous emotional work of healing old issues so they no longer define us or hold us back. We take the tools we have and the skills we’ve learned and put them into action. You might find yourself getting “do-overs,” or chances to respond to situations you’ve encountered before in different ways. This is the most powerful way to break a pattern. Do-overs are the way you integrate awareness and action. Does this mean we are totally evolved and never have anything to work on? No. We are still human. The only difference is that now when we get an expectation hangover, we can move past it and into acceptance. We stop fighting with reality and either accept it or change it. We are happy with ourselves and no longer slaves to our impulses. To reiterate, this is not a one-size-fits-all model, but it may help to lend structure to your unique spiritual journey. Every phase is rich with learning opportunities, so be grateful for whatever phase you’re in. Keep in mind that you may go back and repeat the phases multiple times, when an expectation hangover triggers awareness of a problem area, or new insight inspires further self-discovery. I’d love to hear if this structure resonates with you and which phase you think you might be in. Related reads:
[CH1]http://www.amazon.com/Expectation-Hangover-Overcoming-Disappointment-Work/dp/1608682412
[CH2]http://christinehassler.com/podcast/
