An interesting exercise

I did an interesting exercise yesterday, that I recommend anyone to try.
I've been feeling low lately (for quite a while!) - as work pressure gets to me, working long hours and often not getting the results from it. To be honest, it's been going on for a long time.
Quite often, I just feel bad, like there is something wrong, and it's difficult to put your finger into it. And quite often, I just get my head down and go back to work, push onward and forward!
That can be ok, and sometimes problems just go away. But also sometimes, you just start to allow inside you the space for a bad feeling - which if not addressed, can become bigger and really drain you.
I can be quite bad at reading myself and understanding what's happening and why, why I am feeling such a way, etc.
So yesterday, with a friend, she suggested for me to do an exercise: for 7 minutes, just talk. Keep talking and don't stop. Let it all out, the thoughts that are coming into your mind. Just let them out as they come, don't think about it, just speak them.
What did that do?
- first it did give me a feeling of relief, just throwing all those things out! you feel good about taking them out, even though some of it is probably quite critical of you! but it's good to put it out. I guess maybe a bit like the 'big mind, big heart' (see post here) approach - you have different voices inside you, all they want is to be listened - in that sense, by speaking it out loud, you are reassuring those voices that they have been listened to. Don't get spooked, it's not that crazy, read the post and it'll make more sense!
- second and most importantly... it was really interesting to having someone listening to it! My friend was able to provide me with a detached view and see through what I was saying - eg the key topics and issues coming out. It can be really difficult for ourselves to do it, as we are too involved in the thoughts. but listening from the outside, sometimes it is really visible what are the real issues.

This definitely does not solve the problems! But starting to get them out in the open is hopefully a first step to understand the issues and therefore - giving clues on how to address them!

Big Mind, Big Heart

Just yesterday, as I was heading to the office, I made an effort to be aware and conscious of the voices in the 'chatter box' (as Susan Jeffers calls it in her books), or the voices of advice/criticism/fear/etc inside our heads.
Making the effort allowed me to see that it was expressing fear and anxiety, for what I had to face that day at work, the ammount of tasks, an underperforming business, a team still storming and forming...
Having realized this, I acknowledged it. I said to myself that I recognized this feeling. And just this fact, just recognizing and aknowledging it, made such an impact! The voice basically almost disappeared - as if the voice was previously shouting to be heard, as it was in fact heard, the need to shoud disapeared.

I know it may sound strange, but it's hard to put into words. It clearly reminded me of a conference I attended (there's a post on it) - Big Mind, Big Heart. Here's what I wrote:
'Recently though I have been to a workshop called Big Mind Big Heart. It's a process, based on meditation but very practical. It's more like a game where you recognize all the 'players' or voices inside you and you acknowledge them and thank them for doing their job. You hear the damaged self and understand him, he´s there to take the hits and suffering that life will always throw at you and the only thing he wants is... to be recognized and thanked for his work, that he does so well and always will. But most of us, what we do is... try to protect him! To keep him from doing his job. And there is the Controler or the Critic or Fear or the Ego... each with their job.
And if we all recognize them, we mature and get closer to full awareness and enlightment. What was great was that we spend a couple of hours seeing all these 'voices or players' and as you spend time listening to them and acknowledging them they mature and become less restless. And you get closer to your true self, to enlightment, to your Heart or whatever you want to call it. And in the end of the process we realize that we are one with universe. These voices represent everything that exists in the universe. and everybody and everything has them. And we are one with the universe.'

Meditation and Life purpose

In the last year or so I have attended a meditation course and have dabbled at meditation. I like it quite a lot, for me personally the most useful part is to listen to myself more. Be more aware of the voices I have inside me and the impact they have. More awareness and living more in the moment.
It's been really useful, it also helps me to know more. And sometimes in the middle of meditation I just get random thoughts that are kind of wow moments. Either self knowledge or some solutions or things that I can do.
Recently though I have been to a workshop called Big Mind Big Heart. It's a process, based on meditation but very practical. It's more like a game where you recognize all the 'players' or voices inside you and you acknowledge them and thank them for doing their job. You hear the damaged self and understand him, he´s there to take the hits and suffering that life will always throw at you and the only thing he wants is... to be recognized and thanked for his work, that he does so well and always will. But most of us, what we do is... try to protect him! To keep him from doing his job. And there is the Controler or the Critic or Fear or the Ego... each with their job.
And if we all recognize them, we mature and get closer to full awareness and enlightment. What was great was that we spend a couple of hours seeing all these 'voices or players' and as you spend time listening to them and acknowledging them they mature and become less restless. And you get closer to your true self, to enlightment, to your Heart or whatever you want to call it. And in the end of the process we realize that we are one with universe. These voices represent everything that exists in the universe. and everybody and everything has them. And we are one with the universe.
And then in this state of greater awareness and closeness to the true universe or the true self we realise that we are an encarnation of the Universe, we are divine. And then we can ask ourselves: why was I put in this body? What specific gifts do I have to give the world? What are the unique strengths that I can offer? And also what is my passion? What makes me go wow?!
And then we can understand what we can give the world fulfilling ourserlves! Reaching our fulfilment and therefore contributing to the world's fulfilment.

This is the way I took it, personally, obviously each person can read it and take it differently. But at this stage in my life, these were the learnings for me.

What I really liked is learning and seeing how I can use meditation better and to help me better understand my purpose! The big question that has always been on my mind for the last couple of years.