{"id":816,"date":"2013-01-10T19:42:42","date_gmt":"2013-01-10T19:42:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/marniepehrson.com\/unplugged\/?p=816"},"modified":"2013-01-10T20:04:36","modified_gmt":"2013-01-10T20:04:36","slug":"remember-who-you-are-conquer-amnesia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marniekuhns.com\/unplugged\/2013\/01\/10\/remember-who-you-are-conquer-amnesia\/","title":{"rendered":"Remember Who You Are: Conquer Amnesia"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’ve been in a bit of a funk for the last few days. I recognize it as the “Rest Phase” of The Creative Cycle<\/a>. The typical symptoms are: I start to doubt myself, think negatively, and develop a good case of “amnesia” about who I am and what I’m here to do. In this phase I tend to procrastinate things… the smallest details can overwhelm me.<\/p>\n

I’m coming out of this phase, thanks to<\/p>\n

a) Time.<\/strong> Remember when you\u2019re in a funk, \u201cthis too shall pass.\u201d In fact, what follows the Rest Phase is a Flow State. So the best part is just around the corner! Look forward to it!<\/p>\n

b) Relaxing into the rest.<\/strong> I took a 3 hour nap yesterday and watched 3 episodes of one of my daughter’s favorite series (Merlin) with her.<\/p>\n

c) Implementing a few tools I use to “remember who I am” when amnesia sets in.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s these tools for overcoming the amnesia that I\u2019d like to share with you.<\/p>\n

Dream Work Profile.<\/strong> Back in August 2012, I had a Dream Work Profile session with my friend Anastasia Montejano<\/a>. I came away with crystal clarity about my strengths, what I\u2019m here to do in the world, and how I can choose to show up in life. Specifically I had a clearer understanding of where I am right now and how the last year and this year fit into my overall path. Anastasia recorded our session, and anytime I start to feel the amnesia coming on, I listen to this audio and \u201cremember who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Laura<\/a>A Vision Map<\/strong>. Monday evening I came home from my daughter\u2019s music lessons to find a cylinder container in my office. Inside it was the Vision Map my friend Laura West<\/a> made for me a few months ago. I\u2019d already seen the digital copy, but she just mailed the physical one to frame and put on my wall. Its arrival could not have been more serendipitous. The amnesia had begun and this gentle reminder was just what I needed to remember my big vision.<\/p>\n

Meditation.<\/strong> When I\u2019m in the Rest Phase, and I\u2019m starting to forget who I am, I like to take time to meditate and ponder upon my life and where I\u2019m heading. I\u2019ll be honest with you, most of the time, all I get from meditation in the Rest Phase is a peaceful assurance that all is well. But when your mind is prone to negativity and self-doubt, that peaceful knowing is priceless. I get my best inspiration and answers from meditation when I\u2019m just coming out of the Rest Phase and cycling back around to Flow. I might add journaling in conjunction with meditation is extremely powerful.<\/p>\n

Gratitude.<\/strong> Even though I don\u2019t feel particularly grateful in the Rest Phase, I force myself to go to gratitude. I\u2019m grateful for my warm, dry car with a toasty heater on a dreary, rainy morning. I\u2019m grateful for my children, for a roof over our heads, a warm bed, food to eat. The basics! A lot of people don\u2019t have these things. When I\u2019m prone to get into a gripe fest, I count my blessings and the negativity stops.<\/p>\n

Read a Book That Reminds You Who You Are.<\/strong> For me, it\u2019s Tribes<\/em> by Seth Godin. This morning I was reading it on the elliptical at the gym and I could feel myself starting to remember what it\u2019s all about for me. One line in particular resonated so strongly, I felt like an amnesia victim with a flood of memories returning, \u201cLeadership is the art of giving people a platform for spreading ideas that work.\u201d<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 Oh yeah, I remember! That\u2019s who I am! \u00a0Find a book that helps you remember who you are and read it often!<\/p>\n

Music.<\/strong> Sometimes I feel I chose to come to earth in this time period just because I wanted music on demand! I shudder to think what my life would be like without music! Yesterday, I was in the gym and a Kelly Clarkson song came on. I used my Shazam app to discover the title, \u201cCatch My Breath\u201d and clicked to go to iTunes for her Greatest Hits album. After listening to a few songs, I felt a strong impression to buy the album (for only $8.99). I rarely buy entire albums. I\u2019m more of a this-song-that-song kind of gal.<\/p>\n

This morning as I was driving home from the gym, listening to \u201cBreakaway\u201d I felt myself shift out of the Rest Phase and into a Flow State. I instantly remembered who I am, why I\u2019m here and what\u2019s possible when I step into my highest, best self.<\/p>\n

So there you have it, my tools for combating amnesia. I\u2019d love to hear what you use to remember who you are!\u00a0 Please share your thoughts below while you enjoy Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway.”<\/p>\n