Allowing

Allowing

Allowing is where we recognize that an extended Powerful Pause gives time and space for a situation to unfold, ripen, and clarify. Allowing is a natural state of being where energy consolidates and coalesces towards growth, further inspired action, redirection, or release.

  • Allowing is natural, a part of every biological system.
  • Allowing helps us feel we’re a part of an intelligent, co-creative process.
  • When we’re in a state of allowing, our intentions and role become clearer… and we’re able to focus more on future actions that are ripe and ready.

Is it RIPE yet?

Farmers understand the lifecycle of preparation, planting, tending, allowing, and harvesting. In our technology-driven world, those who are detached from the rhythms of nature often forget about allowing time and space for growth and ripening.

The co-creative journey is not one of task A followed by task B followed by C-D-E-F-G. Yes, that can be forced, and in many work worlds, people try to force it. But what happens? Projects fall behind schedule. The timelines are inhumane, so the humans doing them feel intense stress. Propelled by the primitive brain to push-push-PUSH, the work loses any connection to a person’s heartistry — what really matters.

Allowing a pause after an action is a natural act. We act, then pause. If we don’t, then we end up in the Do-Do Cycle, where we end up struggling for hours and days to “make it happen” when it simply is not ripe yet.

As you live more of a thriving lifestyle, you’re likely to learn how to discern when a situation might have some “pressure” to get it done, yet it is not ripe. You discover how “allowing it to ripen” might at first feel strange. You might accuse yourself (and others) of procrastination, even!

Yet, when a situation ripens, the inspired action feels… natural. It feels like the next step — whether a baby step or a big step.

Practicing allowing leads to easier, more satisfying actions that feel right, whether the powerful pause is minutes, months, or even years long.

We invite you to ask yourself, “Is it ripe?” If not, let the green banana ripen before you peel and eat. You’ll probably enjoy it a lot more.

Calming Impatience

Allowing is a part of the natural cycle of life… of relationships, of our work, and of our dreams. Yet, we’re taught to PUSH.

Push forward! Drive to the finish!

Impatience often arises from such cultural attitudes. When we’re waiting, it’s judged as laziness or lack of decisiveness. Is it?

Once you embrace the state of allowing, you discern that before decisions, there is a healthy state of allowing clarity to come (like allowing a muddy pond to settle to become clear again after being stirred up). After an action, there’s a natural pause — for a moment, an hour, or even a month — to allow our effort to reverberate and inspire our next action (when it is ripe).

Impatience can also arise out of intense yearning. In a “go for it!” culture, as soon as we have a yearning, we expect to DO IT NOW!

Allowing calms impatience. We allow ourselves to yearn — even to feel the uncomfortable activation of our deeper desire. When we allow this discomfort and are unrushed to “get rid of it,” we’re bringing forth a devotional energy that is much more likely to get us through the disappointments and detours along the way to meeting our yearning.

Impatience is not an empowered state of being. Allowing ourselves to be with whatever we’re feeling and then calming our body and mind, we also get to build confidence and the energy to activate ourselves towards inspired action… unrushed.

Divine Timing

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” — Ecclesiastes 3

Spiritual practices help us feel for the season and the moment when nature, our state of being, and the cooperative energies come together. It’s a felt sense. Natural.

Those of us who live in zones with four distinct seasons can feel the vibrancy of spring, the growth of summer, the harvest in fall, and the stark contrast of winter.

Projects have seasons, too, although not always so clear. Relationships change through the day, the month, the seasons of the year, and the segments of a lifetime.

Allowing as a practice helps us listen and feel for such rhythms. The Rightness becomes palpable when there’s alignment. When there’s not yet the sacred readiness we seek, we feel that, too.

Yes, this kind of divine timing can apply to Big Things — like having a child, moving to a new location, or writing a book.

It also applies to the mundane — when to shower, go for a walk, drive in the country, do the accounting, and when to nap.

Allowing helps us to become more fully Aware.

Useful Questions

  • Is it ripe?
  • If this situation were a banana, what color would it be?
  • Can I allow myself to feel what I’m feeling right now, even if I’m impatient?
  • Am I pushing? Rushing? What would being unrushed be like right here, right now?
  • Would my clarity benefit from allowing a little time and space?

Resources

Related Concepts

Powerful Pause, Inspired Action, Re-Perceive, Awareness

Links

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If I am actively choosing Allowing as the stage I’m in… isn’t that a “doing”? Feels like WORK sometimes… to Allow and not force.