"I never dreamed that I would climb Over the moon in ecstasy But nevertheless, it's there that I'm Shortly about to be
'Cause I've got a golden ticket"-
Grandpa Joe (I've Got a Golden Ticket- Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory)
When I was a little girl Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was one of my favorite movies! Back in the day, long before Netflix and movies on demand, you had to WAIT for movies to be aired on your local stations. As memory serves me, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, The Wizard of Oz, and the like were only aired once a year!
So many things captivated me in this movie, but the biggest of them all was THE GOLDEN TICKET! The “golden ticket” represents our wildest dreams and imaginings. How was it that Grandpa Joe, stuck in bed in his pajamas, barely able to move, could make the quantum leap to jump out of bed, ditch his cane, and dance around by the thought of what might be?
In your wildest dreams, you cannot imagine the marvelous surprises that await you!- Willy Wonka
What do you feel like when you are stuck? I feel heavy, uninspired, anxious, and lethargic. It usually takes me a minute to figure out that my stuckness is rooted in worry about something in the past or the future. Of course, we all know that worry doesn’t change anything! So, once we realize that we are stuck how do we throw off the shackles and get moving again?
Awareness:
Noticing that you are stuck in the first place! This awareness allows you to come back to the present moment. Meditation is one of The Four Seeds of Self-Care for the powerful impact that it has on bringing us back to center. Practicing meditation on a regular basis is a “golden ticket” that frees you from the incessant thoughts of daily life and shifts you back into the present moment.
Aha! Moment:
When we are in the present moment we are tuned in to the “possibilities” that are around us and available for the taking! That light bulb moment or epiphany is not reserved for special occasions. Tune in to the greater intelligence and all of the ways that the Universe is conspiring to help YOU! Once you are rooted in the present the energy lightens up and thoughts and ideas come to you naturally. Just like tuning into a radio station, pointing your antenna in the right direction allows the information to flow to you naturally. Willy Wonka sings of this in the song Pure Imagination:
“Come with me and you'll be
In a world of pure imagination
Take a look and you'll see
Into your imagination
We'll begin with a spin
Traveling in the world of my creation
What we'll see will defy explanation”
Action:
How do we even know what to act on until we’ve gotten clarity? We can certainly jump on the hamster wheel and start running, getting nowhere fast! I know there are plenty of times that I do! Until I realize that I am literally getting nowhere. That’s when Brittany Spears starts singing to me...
”Oops, I did it again!” No real action is happening until you get clarity. Just take this blog for example. I have spent the last three days “trying” to finish writing it only to be stuck on the idea. There was no action happening because I was worried about my in-laws' health challenges, managing a household on my own while my husband was away, trying to console my son who was injured and missing out on a trip to the beach, helping my daughter cope with the anxiety of applying for college and choosing a college, and I could go on….
I spent three days stuck until I realized that I needed to take a breath for myself. After taking some time to meditate and focus on all that is going right I was able to free up space so that I could get back to taking action.
Our next 30 Day Self-Care Challenge begins on May 1st. We offer these challenges quarterly because they help us to deepen our self-care practices of eating well, sleeping well, meditating, and exercising. We know it is easy to get off-track. Because just like you, we sometimes get off-track ourselves. These challenges nudge back towards being self-centered. They remind us that once we consistently practice self-care we CAN tap into that world of ‘pure imagination!'
This week I challenge you to notice where you are stuck. Ask yourself this question: In what area of my life am I stuck? Set an intention to come back into the present moment. This is where the magic happens! This is where your golden ticket awaits you! And as the song says:
“I've got a golden chance to make my way
And with a golden ticket, it's a golden day!”
With Love and Gratitude,
Kinda and Rachel
