Is the Support You Get Holding You Back?
Today I want to address something we know is important even if we don’t think about it much. And it’s the issue of support in our lives, or what we call ample support on the path of active authenticity.
For those following along in Chasing the Wild Authentic, the concept of ample support is introduced in Part II (Zone 2): Expressing Who You Are, but it really is one of those core concepts that’s relevant to every aspect of life. Let me just share the section of the book I’m referring to.
“Improving your experience of life—acting to go from where you are currently to where you want to be—requires effort, courage, and clear thinking. And while your goal is at a distance, improving your situation will also require ample doses of vision and faith.
Persistent effort, continuous courage, clear thinking, and faith can sometimes be in short supply, especially when the road to a goal is long. Limited or depleted stores of energy for the journey can have a real impact on how far you make it, or if you make it at all.
But there’s a great way to stack the odds in your favor, expand your possibilities, and increase the likelihood you’ll get where you want to go. And it’s as easy as doing with support what you could not do alone. Better actions are made more sustainable by charging them with the energy of ample support.”
And how do we define ample support on the path of active authenticity? It’s support that does two things:
keeps you moving forward, and
keeps you moving forward with balance.
Support is meant to make us feel better, but if it stops there, it’s not really what we call ample support.
Because a significant part of real support is having things change, and change in the direction you want them to go.
If we’re not careful, we can use support as a “codependent fix” – use it to keep us idling exactly where we are.
And while it’s appropriate at times to linger and absorb an experience, too much lingering can lead to avoidance of the next thing.
So ample support is support that moves us forward. The second part of ample support is moving forward with balance.
Now what does that mean?
If we’re moving forward, but moving forward with too much stress, as in white-knuckling it, or if we’re moving forward but at the expense of other things we value, then we’re not moving forward with balance.
If we’re moving forward, but we have too much doubt, or resentment, or resistance, then we’re not moving forward with balance.
If you find that you’re making progress, but that progress is exacting a stiff price, it may be time to review your three-channel experience (your mind, emotions, and physical sensations) to get a sense of where your distress lies.
What exactly is causing the distress, and what supports can you bring in to help remedy it?
Do you have adequate beginning and ending support, and support every step of the way?
Are the supports timely, and geared to what YOU need?
Do you need physical support, emotional support, or mental support? And will the supports you imagine move you forward?
Ample support is not a luxury. It’s one of the ways we exercise our power to give ourselves what we need to succeed.
It’s also how we enjoy the journey, or put more broadly, how we can bring more enjoyment to life.
Explore Zone 2: Expressing Who You Are posts below.
