Who is pulling the strings?

Bringing the subconscious into sight, even for a minute, can happen consciously or unconsciously. An example of how to do it consciously is if I say, “Stop. What just happened? What or who sent me that message? And what is it trying to tell me?”

I can choose to stop and examine this and then say, “Okay, I have a choice to make…” Sometimes, I have the self-awareness to have these conversations with myself and other times, my coach enables me to see what I cannot or choose not to. 

What was that about? What made me react? What is going on inside of me? What is going on around me? All important questions that can unlock choices. 

“Why did that affect me? What is it revealing to me about myself?”. Something always shifts for me when I dare to find the honest answers.

The pushes and pulls of life often send me here and there and everywhere. If I stop and ask, I often see that I have a choice to make. What do I want to do? Who do u want to be? In this moment and going forward. 

Self-limiting beliefs. Unconscious biases and all sorts of other strings are tied to me. Am I the puppet? Or the puppet master? That is a choice you get to make. Who is pulling the strings?

The world is connected by invisible strings. That if you stop to listen show themselves. I was inspired by Celine Harleux who I heard on insight timer and this post is my way of internalising and passing forward her wisdom. This is how we touch the world, one person at a time. No strings attached. 

I can either live life lost in experience and reactivity or I can seek to see the strings that tie the universe together. Sometimes a conversation with another allows me the space and grace to view things afresh. Other times I can gift myself the opportunity to view things from a distance and not get tied up in the strings (or reflex) but instead choose reflection. Choice opens like the petals of a flower when I ask myself the right questions. 

A page, a person, or a pause can help me reach in and really listen to what needs to be heard. Sometimes a walk in nature allows the emotions and thoughts to run around off the leash and play and when I can see this with fresh energy, I let myself off the leash and I too can press play again and often a new song emerges. 

“You can’t heal what you don’t allow yourself to feel” Edith Eger from her book The Gift. A good coaching conversation often helps me get in touch with what matters most and presents me with choices. Go ahead pull a string and see where it takes you. 

Nikhil Dey is a certified ICF coach and founder of soul2solecoaching. He is the first recipient of the ICF India coaching excellence rising star award.

Photo by Wall Mamouth on Unsplash