013: Cyclical Time and the Fear of Missing Out
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one,is what we are doing. A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days."
This past weekend Carolina and I were hosting a vip weekend with a client in Uvita, Costa Rica. One of our main intentions for the weekend was to help our client install new tools for maintaining focus and discipline on a day-to-day basis.
Having a clear vision is not the challenge.
His vision for what he will create in this world to support others is beautiful, expansive and strong.
The challenge for him is really getting anchored in how this vision aligns to his day to day work rituals, and in a way that can feed his inspiration to do the difficult and uncomfortable tasks that need to get done to bring his dreams into reality.
One of the activities we engaged in was a deep calendaring audit where we examined our his schedule from every angle, and brought it down to the basics again so we could build it back up with a better understanding of how his use of time will contribute to his highest vision.
The practice of building "your ideal week" calendar is a very common idea, however I would argue that its still not a common practice.
For so many of us, its a known "should".
Here's a quote on the topic by Annie Dillard in her book "The Writing Life":
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one,is what we are doing. A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days."
And yet, it can be difficult to pull ourselves out of the default rhythm of our days to get enough elevation and to be really honest with ourselves about what's working, and what really shouldn't be "on the list".
And at an even deeper level, sometimes our calendar isn't something we want to look at, because it feels so much enticing to stay in dream world, connected to a grand vision, and simply trusting that things will unfold just as they should.
There is also a real pressure that is reinforced by society as a whole to always be doing something new. In an age where all information and possibility is at our finger tips, this can quickly become the thing that holds us back from realizing our dreams.
And we've been trained by the world to constantly be seeking pleasure, validation, and minute-by-minute dopamine hits via our scattered attention.
Knowing this, it's important to acknowledge that sometimes the discipline of how we spend our days might not feel so exciting in the moment, and to connect with the fact that these "mundane tasks" are leading us towards our highest purpose and a life well lived in service to that.
It's a pretty common fear among many of our clients: the fear of missing out on their wildest dreams if they choose to focus on the small tasks at hand.
Something I've been thinking a lot about the past few days in relationship to this is the idea of cyclical time. A challenge to our linear perception of time, it suggests that everything in life, including our dreams and goals, moves in cycles rather than in a straight line.
Understanding and working with this concept can have big implications in how we plan our days, weeks, and even years.
In the realm of cyclical time, this fear of missing out is misplaced.
By focusing on the smaller tasks, you are not moving away from your dreams even if it means making sacrifice in the short term; instead, you are moving closer to them in a cyclical pattern.
The small tasks you accomplish today are part of a larger cycle that will eventually manifest your dreams. In other words, by focusing on what's in front of you, you're already bringing your future aspirations into your present reality.
Remember, in the cyclical flow of time, your future manifestations are already in your field.
Each small step you take today is a vital part of the journey forwards.
In the coming weeks, I'll break down the rituals we teach at Sacred Business Flow for organizing your days and weeks for doing exactly this.
But for now, I'd love to know - what questions do you have about structuring your time in a way that will most support your greatest vision of what's possible in your life and business?
What holds you back?
What challenges do you face with this?
With appreciation,
Phil
Happenings
The 9 Fundamental Frequencies of Sacred Business.
This past month, our main focus has been on codifying a HUGE part of what we'll be offering in our brand new coaching offering Be The Flow.
The 9 Frequencies represent the aspects of you, your business, and the divine that need to be developed and brought into harmony.
When brought in to harmony, this is when we achieve more clarity, confidence, and connection with our purpose.
You begin to experience a true abundance of time, money and freedom accompanied by natural, calm energy levels you could only dream of previously.
Carolina and I are excited to share more on this soon!
1 More VIP Weekend Opportunity in 2023...
One of our greatest joys this year has been helping people connect with the most powerful version of themselves that shows up authentically, creatively and powerfully in alignment to a plan for action.
We've been doing this over a 3-day weekend in some of Costa Rica's most beautiful locations.
We are holding space to do one more of these retreats in 2023, so if you'd like to close out the year strong with a powerful plan and vision for the next year in your business, simply reply to this email and we are happy to co-create an experience with you in one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Who We Are Celebrating This Week: Christopher Wallis
I've found Christopher's work deeply inspiring over the past few years as I've investigated and explored the world of non-dual Śaiva Tantra.
Christopher's expertise lies in his ability to bridge the gap between ancient wisdom and modern practice. With more than 25 years of personal practice, he brings an authentic and lived experience to his teachings. He has a special talent for translating complex Sanskrit texts and concepts into accessible wisdom.
His focus is not just on spiritual awakening but also on enhancing the well-being of individuals across various walks of life.
You can really feel his deep love for the tradition in his live teachings and the programs he offers. I am appreciative of the clarity he brings to his teachings, making profound and often complex ideas understandable and relevant.
Last week he released his brand new book, Near Enemies of the Truth: Avoid the Pitfalls of the Spiritual Life and Become Radically Free.
In this book, Christopher explores very common spiritual catch phrases like "You create your own reality", "Follow Your Bliss", or "Be Your Best Self".
He shares perspective on why working with these ideas can often become a trap or "near enemy" to our spiritual progress if we stop there, and don't allow deeper truths below the surface to reveal themselves.
Carolina and I have both been working with these near enemies as a source of inspiration for what we are creating, and I'm appreciative of the opportunity to look at some of these ideas from a deeper perspective.
You can check out Christopher's expansive body of work at Tantra Illuminated.
Things I'd Like to Share
Fun Website Fun (Click Here)
This website livestreams a random sunset somewhere in the world. Fun!
Klu.So (Click Here)
Are you seeking a smarter way to manage and search your digital information? Klu unifies Emails, Messages, and Docs effortlessly. Whether it's attachments in Gmail, wikis in Notion, messages in Slack, or documents in Drive, Klu provides seamless search across all your apps.
Message in a Bottle (Link)
NASA’s Message in a Bottle campaign invites people around the world to sign their names to a poem written by the U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón. The poem connects the two water worlds — Earth, yearning to reach out and understand what makes a world habitable, and Europa, waiting with secrets yet to be explored. The campaign is a special collaboration, uniting art and science, by NASA, the U.S. Poet Laureate, and the Library of Congress.
The poem is engraved on NASA’s robotic Europa Clipper spacecraft, along with participants' names that will be etched onto microchips mounted on the spacecraft. Together, the poem and names will travel 1.8 billion miles on Europa Clipper’s voyage to the Jupiter system. Europa Clipper is set to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in October 2024, and by 2030, it will be in orbit around Jupiter. Over several years, it will conduct dozens of flybys of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, gathering detailed measurements to determine if the moon has conditions suitable for life.
Here's a cool exercise to do that I learned about from Eleven Minutes to Mars:
Memorable Quote:
