Some of my athlete friends have described to me what it's like for them when they're "in the zone." They say it's those times when they just know they're going to make a basketball shot, or they know their bat is going to connect perfectly with the pitch that's coming toward them. It's those rare times in their sports career when they know they can run or swim faster and more effortlessly than ever before.
I think you don't have to be an athlete to get "in the zone." Students know it when something they have been struggling to learn all at once comes clear and the answers flood in. I had that experience when I was a little kid, flummoxed by mathematics. Those numbers were meaningless until that moment of understanding when the whole realm opened up like a sunrise at daybreak and math suddenly was revealed to me. I've lived more than a few years since, but I can still remember that experience of freedom and expansion... and joy.
So when was the last time you felt yourself "in the zone"? When did you last experience the sure-fire possibilities of the moment -- those times when you reached into the hopes, dreams, and even the innocence you had as a child -- into your true self? I have been thinking about that state of being, the one when I am at peace with myself, when everything is in order and success can't be denied.
Could these be moments of the Soul? I've heard athletes say that -- that their moment "in the zone" was a moment of Soul Awareness. I've been there and I bet you have too! I can also remember times when I have been so far out of the zone that I might as well have been in a different universe. At those times, I had to work to recapture that inner experience of connectedness, ease, and flawless timing.
It may sound strange, but I have found that loving appears to be a key. Loving -- that experience that seems to be getting more and more scarce these days as people compete for fame, fortune, and connection with others. I've come to see love as the greatest single hallmark of the Soul -- that spark of the Divine within each of us.
So here's how I practice getting myself "in the zone": I keep choosing love, no matter what. What am I talking about when I use the word "love"? One thing I could say about it is that in the face of annoyance or pain or embarrassment, "love" comes in when I choose to see what's happening in a positive light, even if it would be hard at that moment to be positive! I work on choosing the positive qualities of joy, peace and compassion in myself or others. And once in a while, I find myself "in the zone." When you see me, you see someone workin' on it!
If you're interested you can access A MOMENT OF PEACE: THE HEARTBEAT OF GOD here.
And this is the way to source my book WHEN ARE YOU COMING HOME?
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