Working wth Mixed Messages

Dear Soul Sisters:

Here is my situation: I think I am getting mixed messages from my spirit: I wake up in the middle of the night, write in my soul time and day-dream on my commute of leaving my job, but while I am at work I see the possibilities and ways I could grow. Am I missing something? I guess the question is how do we know what is the right next step?

"Once in awhile what you do for work is also what you do for love. And when that happens? It's heaven." Toni Colette as "Tara" in "The United States of Tara"

Dear Mixed Messages,

Thanks for your question! Sometimes the path ahead is not as clear as we'd like it to be even when we are trying as hard to listen to our guidance as you are. Hang in there and don't lose faith! We are happy to help.

First of all, we'd invite you to take a few deep, cleansing breaths wherever you are. Often when we are looking over and over at a "problem," we get confused and constricted. By letting GO, we enable the FLOW! While you're at your current job see if you can quiet your mind from monkeying about what's next. Practice taking deep breathing breaks and bring your consciousness to the present moment and your daily tasks as much as possible. Repeat as necessary throughout the day.

Know, in the root of your being, that there is no such thing as the "right" answer. Whatever choice you ultimately make the Universe will support you and bring forth whatever is for your highest good. How freeing is that? Then, be gentle with yourself as you work to figure it out.

Often that stuck place - I DON'T KNOW! - can be a mask for what you do know, but are afraid to know. Spend some time in quiet meditation. Ask yourself: What am I afraid of here? Then listen carefully to your heart. Sometimes focusing physically on your heart center can help to drown out the messages of your head so make sure to put your focus there. Take notes as you listen to what comes up for you. Trace the roots of this fear. Does it belong to your past or your present? Or is it a fear about the future? If it is a past fear, are you ready to let it go? If yes, do so through creative visualization. Imagine your fear as a ball of energy and watch yourself release it to Source, freeing yourself of it once and for all.

If this is a present fear, or a past fear you are not yet ready to let go of, ask yourself: What do I need to do to move past this fear? Make a list of all the things you need to do to work through this fear and then do them one at a time. Once you are done with the list, check in with yourself and see if you are ready to let it go. If not, ask again, make a new list and keep working on it until you are ready. While working on your fear, allow yourself to put decision-making on the back burner for awhile and come back to it once you have dealt with your fear. If you are not sure what you need to do, get some help from a trusted counselor or friend to see if you can get to the heart of this fear and discover what is needed for you to be ready to let it go.

If it is a future fear give it to Father, Mother, God, Spirit, Source or The Universe. The future is not ours to worry about, but Source's. Turn the question over and trust that Spirit is working for your highest good at all times. When you feel anxiety about the future come up again, remind yourself gently that this belongs to Source and release it once again.  There's no need to go it alone and feel like you have to find all of the answers yourself. After all, you were led to and placed in the current job by the hand of the DIVINE! That same support that took you there - and is now urging your soul on - will never leave you. We love this New Living Translation of Matthew 7:7: "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you." We know it to be true and see Spirit prospering you!

Once you have worked with your fear, you are ready to try and get to the bottom of the mixed messages you are receiving. Our heart speaks to us clearly, but there can often be (many) conflicting messages coming at us at once and sometimes it can be difficult to know which of these is our heart speaking. It sounds to us like your heart is speaking pretty loud and clear to you through your dreams and your soul time, but when you get to work the other voices (those of your mind, your Ego, your co-workers, parents, teachers, and other "authorities") start to take over and drown out the messages from your heart. Ask yourself what outside messages may be at play here and silence them one-by-one.

When you have some time, sit quietly in meditation and take an inventory of the messages you have received during your soul time over the past few weeks. Are these messages consistent? Are they full of love and light? Do they make your heart soar and want to sing? Then these are the true messages of your soul, pointing you in the direction of your highest good. Trust in that. And we congratulate you for being open to the Divine in your life!

Return now to the reality of your life (that is, after all, where you have to live....) and look at the possibilities that are presenting themselves to you. When you think about staying in your current position does your heart soar or sink? Are there other opportunities out there right now that you are letting pass by or saying no to because you are stuck in this place of indecision? Often we are not quite ready (or think we are not anyway) on a physical level to make the leaps that our heart is nudging us towards. So, what do you need to get ready? Start working on those things today!

Once you have taken a full and objective inventory, make a decision and stick to it - for a time anyway. If you decide to stay, choose a period of time during which you will give your current job everything you've got and then reassess at the end of the time period. Make the "test period" long enough for some positive changes to take root, but not so long that you will start to despair if things aren't improving. We would recommend somewhere between six weeks and three months.

If you decide to leave, starting taking steps in the direction of a new vocation. Read the classifieds, check Craigslist, ask friends for referrals, or put all of your "free time" into your new business venture. Maintain your professionalism and a minimum level of investment at your current job, but turn a good portion of your mental and manifesting energy towards the new. If after your chosen test period something new and exciting has not arrived yet, see where your heart is pointing you now. Are you still excited about seeing what comes next or does your current position seem to have more energy for you now?

If you do ultimately decide to leave your current job, you may find that you have some work to do around the issue of guilt. Often when we think about leaving a job in which we have become invested, it can feel like we are letting our co-workers, customers, or clients down, that things will not be able to continue without us or that our leaving will cause others harm or discomfort. Despite the fact that employment is a two-way agreement (your employer can let you go at any time if they feel you are not doing a satisfactory job or cannot afford to pay you anymore), many of us who take pride in doing a good job can start to feel over-responsible for our position and feel as if we do not have a choice to leave when the job no longer meets our needs.

Remind yourself that you do not owe anyone anything other than to do the best job you can do while you are there and adequate notice to find a replacement. Notice where you may be taking more responsibility than belongs to you and let go of what is not yours. If necessary, forgive yourself for the ways in which you may be letting people down. Colin Tipping's worksheet for self-forgiveness can be a wonderful tool in a situation such as this. (On the same page you will also find a worksheet for Radical Manifestation that you can use to manifest your new career opportunity!) For more on how to quit consciously see our previous post.

At the same time you are doing all of this work, tend to the garden of your deepest dream. Do what you can where you are to move in the direction that your soul is calling you. What ways can you birth more of this vision into your current role? Can you be more authentically YOU where you are today? What after-work/weekend activities can you participate in to be playing in the space that makes your soul sing? Go there, be there and dance there TODAY!

Stay focused in prayer and communication with Spirit every step of the way. If you come to a place where you feel confused and uncertain again, ask for help in getting clear guidance, listen to your heart and watch for signs that point in the direction of your dreams. Whenever you're faced with a fork in the road, ask what would JOY have me do? Which way would JOY have me go? In the words of Buffy Saint-Marie, "You have to sniff out joy. Keep your nose to the joy trail."

Peace, oneness, love and light as you trust the process, honor your guidance and follow the path of your heart!

Lara & Jennifer

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