Goodbye Procrastination, Hello Progress

Today we usher in the potently fluid energy of Gemini. We are all highly affected by the planet that rules this month – even those not born under the sign of Gemini are able to utilize the powerful gifts that this month and new moon bring. Every month has a unique energy and in order to make the most of it, we want to understand the gifts as well as the challenges that specific energy represents. The first day of each month is always the most powerful so what a perfect time to begin.

A little about Geminis (I consider myself an expert with two daughters and a part-Gemini husband): They are quick-thinking, bright, fast-talking, and charmingly persuasive. My best friend is also a Gemini and since my arrival in New York three years ago, I have made friends with five new people, all Geminis. They are magnetic. They have a penchant for information, humor, efficiency, and novelty. A Gemini will grasp all sides of a question, integrate a standpoint, and make a decision all at once! What’s not love?

Well, I’m about to tell you, the challenge of this month is movement and as you just read, there is no other month where the energy supports action quite like Gemini. We are all here to grow spiritually and fulfill the potential of our souls. To achieve this we must be growing constantly and thereby, constantly moving. But what keeps us from moving? What keeps us from answering our soul’s unique call? What keeps us from finishing what we start? While you may be thinking of a thousand different things I can sum it up in one word: procrastination!

Confession: I am a recovering procrastinator.

Procrastination is very tricky. It gives the illusion of planning but never actually executes the plan. Instead, it finds hundreds of other “more important” things that need to be done first. It is simply another way that fear shows up in our lives. We have all experienced putting off that one project or task, especially when it seems tedious. But it isn’t actually the tedious task that gets put off – it is the one that is actually the most important.

This is where I had found myself. I put off the projects most dear to me out of a fear that I wouldn’t succeed. Putting it off meant not failing, but it also robbed me of any success or joy. When I realized this, I never procrastinated again, which meant facing the fears that created my procrastination. I’d rather fail and try again (as many times as needed) than not try at all.

Our fears, negative thoughts and beliefs are rarely, if ever, true. Kabbalah teaches that every situation in life has an internal and an external aspect. The external aspect is life. It is everything you see, everything you can touch, the interactions you have. It is our physical world. When we are dealing with procrastination, the outward expression seems to be holding us back from all of our dreams and success. Then we have the internal aspect, which is the connection that we all have to the Light of the Creator. It is within that connection that we find our true selves and our highest potential. When we are aligned with this energy, we have certainty beyond logic that no matter the outcome, the process is the true purpose. With this consciousness, we gain strength to keep connecting and revealing our deepest aspect of our souls, which is not limited by anything external.

If you find yourself procrastinating, dig a little deeper and uncover the fear that is driving it. If your dream is to write a novel but you are afraid that you aren’t talented enough, examine that fear and where it comes from. Remember that all fear is an illusion. Therefore, the fear “I’m not talented enough” is an illusion. And if it is an illusion then what’s the truth?

You are talented enough.

By facing your fears and turning them around, you uncover the truth. That you are capable, deserving, and worthy of accomplishing everything you dream of doing. Things that are true about you whether your first novel is a success or not.

There will be times that we try something and we fail. But our successes are built upon our failures. As children, we had no fear of failure. We fell and got up over and over before we learned to walk. As adults, we have an expectation that when we try something new for the first time, and if we put in all of our efforts, we will succeed but that is not always the case. It’s an entirely unrealistic expectation. While failure isn’t fun, Kabbalah teaches that no energy is ever wasted. The energy you put in is bound to manifest later on and possibly in a completely unrelated manner.

There is a kabbalistic teaching that everyone is given the entire wisdom of the universe before they enter the world. But before they come down an angel touches them just above their lip and all is forgotten. The reason that we are given all the wisdom and then have no recollection of it is so that we can spend our lives earning the wisdom that was once given to us. In essence, the purpose of our lives is to rediscover all of that wisdom. To rediscover all of our inherent gifts, Light, and potential. The way we rediscover is by growing spiritually, by transforming ourselves and waking every single day with the intention of being a force of blessing and Light in the world.

This month, I invite you to use the forward-moving power of Gemini to release procrastination and face the fears that keep you still. Our purpose is to move, grow, and spiritually transform and we’re never going to do that if we keep putting it off until tomorrow. All we have is right now.

 

THOUGHT INTO ACTION

Take action! What is one thing you can do today to get you moving in the direction of your dreams? If the urge to procrastinate arises, try to find the fear that is underneath it and turn it around.