This was a total experiment.
I did not want to shoot this video…but I did.
It was the first day of my cycle, I was tired and crampy, and I just wanted to sip some tea and take a nap.
But I wanted to see what would happen if I kept my commitment, shot my weekly video, but did it in a way that honored how I was feeling and see if I could bring some ease and joy to the moment.
Shooting this experimental Awaken TV episode gave me an a-ha about what to do when you really don’t want to do something that you’ve committed to do. It might help you this week.
Check it out here.
Let me know what you do when you don’t want to do something you’ve committed to. Leave a comment below the video. I’d love to hear from you.
Much love,
Rachael Jayne
I can completely relate. I filmed my weekly video today with a burning throat and feel like crap. So I did it anyway because I committed to do a video each week. I filmed it outside because it made me feel better to be outside in the warm sun. I think it turned out ok.
I love that it is just you, Rachael Jayne. More real than I’ve ever seen you. I often don’t want to do what I “should” be doing to move my business forward. Sitting in the middle and pondering will serve me well. Thank you for this!
Love it/ I agree presence trumps “shoulds” I don’t should on myself! Also giving up judgments, expectations& agendas 🎉🎉👍Anne
Thanks so much Ashara. Feels great to hear that it came across real. I wasn’t feeling that great.
This! What a perfect example you’ve just provided to me by keeping it simple and still offering something SO immediate and relatable. AND the timing of it is so auspicious as I am playing with my ideas of how to re-commit to blogging and getting what I have to offer out there. I’ve been resistant to video and it’s more and more clear to me that there is simply no avoiding it.
Its so competitive out there in the video market I feel like I cant just show up and be myself when Im having “one of those days”
So I usually push through it. What a refreshing thought that I could show up in whatever energy I have going on. Thanks I enjoyed this.
Yes you can!! Especially with your level of presence Kate.
Good experiment. You look anything but tired, just te opposite your look relaxed and full of energy. May be the postive energy flow of being in front of the camera did it. I frequently have times when I am so tired that I have no desire to ignore what my body is is asking for- usually sleep. I can’t be creative. On the on the other side of the coin, next time that I face a similar situation to yours, I will be tempted to try doung a recording,?and learn jow it affects me. Thank you
Thank you Rachael Jayne for being you, as you are, as you feel right now. It is so easy to just feel sorry for ourselves and not do anything, but allowing ourselves to “carry on” with our lives and work when were not quite “with it” shows others how dedicated we are to our journey’s. Enjoy that cup of tea. Thank you
I love how real this is. It is so relatable, that you don’t always feel upbeat, it’s ok to feel a bit off, but if you relax about it, things can flow. Thank you
An encouraging and affirming message to hear Rachael, thank you. As I’m sure you already know….”Moon times” are a time to lay low, but also a time to experience your full feminine power. 🙂 I’m in the midst of moving out of a home I have lived in for 30 years due to a mold invasion that happened while I was away in Colorado two weeks ago. I wrote a newsletter today and last week, even in the midst of the chaos. While throwing items out that are no longer useful to me, I’ve had time to ponder the many obstacles I’ve encountered on my life path and career path. I’ve also had time to assign different meanings to why two people that I’ve hired to help me with my career, have presented themselves to me in a positive and helpful light, only to show me (through self interest and outright theft) their darkest shadow side. I truly hope that my move to the new home will set the tone for some new energy to flow into my life so I can also create new movement in the outer world of my career as well. Much love, Candia Lea
As Ashara said, very real – being so true to your self. In fact a huge insight into how authentic we are, when we share our vulnerability and show up and BE who we are. No facade, A beautiful sharing, thank you, Rachael Jayne
Great- enjoyed this and get the message loud and clear- thanks Rachel Jayne, I do enjoy your videos and learn from them each time …enjoy you nap and cup’o tea !
You continue to amaze me.
A powerful teaching, emerging from simplicity and truth.
Thank you for keeping it real the way you do.
Great exploration of commitment, feelings and following through. Thanks for sharing your perspective.
You are such an angel!
Thank you Rachael Jayne for your honesty and sweetness!
Thank you for your “middle ground” a very good way to see it!
RIght on! It seems like it would be so easy to sit down and do a raw video from the comfort of your comfy chair, but for me, it’s harder than it looks.
And it was brilliance exuding from you!
Thanks for the modeling!
Thank you! Great supportive insight for us – and timely – enjoy your tea:)
This feels like the energy of the moment. The balance between outward and inward integrity.
Thanks for sharing this with us.
Rachel Jayne – if you are interested in writing another book, this could be the basis for it. Your presence is potent in this video. I learned the power of what you’ve demonstrated here from a group of elementary school children in Bhutan in 2014. It left quite an impression upon. I integrated what I learned and discovered that it is a form of self-care that translate powerfully into group-care.
Makes sense. Good idea to find a different way to do something so that it still gets done. Will explore with my grandson and his not wanting to do his homework. Thanks for sharing.
Rachel Jayne – if you are interested in writing another book, this could be the basis for it. Your presence is potent in this video. I learned the power of what you’ve demonstrated here from a group of elementary school children in Bhutan in 2014. It left quite an impression upon me. I integrated what I learned and discovered through experimentation that doing what you’ve done in this video is a form of self-care that translates powerfully into group-care.
The most inspiring video so far! You’re so relaxed, authentic and likeable just being you. It’s not even what you’re saying, its how you’re being…up close, personal, friendly and gentle. I believe you. Thank you Rachel-Jayne. I’m feeling truly inspired. 🙏🏼
I loved that you showed up today. Thank you for being vulnerable. I felt your calming presence come through on the video. Your words encouraged me today because it helped me shift in my mind & body how to go into that present/being state (middle ground as you referred to it in the video) & still move forward with my commitments. Thank you!
Thank you yet again for your warmth, honesty and for giving us another tool to be present with who we truly are in the moment. This will be very helpful for me!
beautiful loved it
The message for me was slow down, listen, honor how I feel while moving easily also honoring my goals and commitments. Pushing is rarely the answer but that does not mean stopping.
Excellent summary Nancy, thank you!
Best one yet Rachael Jayne. Love the authenticity 😍👍😍. Yea!
Loved it! Great message for me at this time – when lately my “commitments” feel slippery enough, because I’m not fully clear what I’m actually doing. Having a few things that I’m solid on is good, and I like the idea of just changing up HOW I do them, rather than whether. Thank you for showing up!
“Go with what is true for you.”
Rachael Jayne, you are so spot on!
Go with what is true for you applies to whether I want to do something or not.
You lead with such beautiful example, Rachael Jayne <3
Thank-you for doing this experimental episode of Awaken TV.
I needed to be reminded to go with what is true for me as I launch my new business. <3 <3 <3
Loved your gentle energy, realness and authenticity. Inspiring and motivating.
Thank you
I really enjoyed this blog video for your authenticity, the calmness and point about staying with where your body is at. I felt nourished just by watching you talk about this. All helpful and re-iterating the importance of we come first! Thank you…
Hi Rachel Jayne, Sitting in the middle and pondering, while still “doing” the actual work sounds good to me. We cannot always give 100% of 100%, but we can give 100% of whatever percent we can do. Thank you for sharing your honesty in a vulnerable moment. It was very helpful for me.
Wonderful and Perfect timing! Your video , I felt , was relaxing, affirming, giving permission, encouraging to GO WITH THE FLOW! You kept with your commitment to post, and yet projected, to me, warmth, calm, peace, authenticity, delightful YOU! Not trying to be or feel something that contradicted where you were for today! I have 7 children, 4 still at home and a total of 10 in our household. Today was a particularly ‘wild ride’ and I was ready to QUIT parenting, leading , nurturing, etc. GIVE UP was on my mind. However, I refocused on the higher purposes of my mission , hour by hour, prayer by prayer, commitment by commitment, stayed in peace, sought wisdom for the moments – despite others yelling, high drama, overwhelming crisis. It felt like someone had released a truth serum and things were brought out into the open in this home. Air was cleared, just as you spoke your mind with honesty. At this moment, all here are going about their business, the ‘hurricanes’ have ceased, some hugs and kind words were exchanged and the atmosphere contains a sense of renewed freshness and peace. Tomorrow is a new day. Love your idea of a ‘ cat nap’. Meow for now and thanks for being the REAL YOU!
Rachael it was so refreshing to see your honesty and peace with yourself and what you want to do right now
I’m one of those ultra-committed, “I will keep my commitments no matter what.” Last week I was scheduled to be on a tele-summit and because of circumstances beyond my control, I was probably at 10% of what I usually deliver. I didn’t deliver on everything I promised and the host reflected that back to me. Ughhh! On one hand, I’m glad I stepped up and kept my commitment. On another, I do wonder if there would have been a better way. I just don’t see it because it was a live event and I doubt she could have gotten someone on such short notice to fill my place, plus all the promotion we had both done.
How could I have known how it would unfold? I have shown up MANY times when I wasn’t 100% and in the moment, I stepped into presence and it things turned out great! It just didn’t happen this time. 🙁
What would you have done?
So timely! Seemed like your presence was magnified ten-fold because it was coming from your core. Love that you found a creative way to show up — one that honored both sides of the situation. A big thank you for beautifully modeling this middle way.
Beautiful!! More like these pleeease 🙂
I loved seeing this softer side of you. Thanks for the reminder of finding a middle ground xx
Hi ! I agree we all go through those situations in which we had committed to something, sometimes a request from someone else, other times even planned it myself! And then the day comes, for whatever reason, I would just rather not do it!
What I do, for a while now is:
I remember that what makes me feel the best, is to Be the Light and Love that I truly am. I think about the glow of what I am about to follow through with (for myself and the other person(s)), and the warm feeling that I feel after. Then, like you said Rachael, I think of what nice thing I can do for myself to better prepare me for it. And I do it!
Sometimes during the activity, I have to remind myself why I am doing this. That shifts my energy Being mindful of what I am feeling, and addressing it in a loving way, works for me.
Great question Susie. Whenever I don’t feel like it, I usually bring that into the space and talk about it a little A bit like I did on this video. Being in non-resistance to how I am feeling allows me to feel better and more present and then with each passing moment I feel more engaged. My art of feminine presence practices help me to stay present and generous with my spirit no matter what. If I don’t do those right before a speech or summit interview I’m not giving my all.
Ahhh yes. The beauty of moving from “either or” to “both and”! And you did it beautifully – you honored yourself, and your commitment.
Thank you for not “pushing through”. We shortchange ourselves by “pushing through”. In working with the Red Tent Global Movement, we learn, and teach other women, to honor the flow of our bodies. Women are cyclical beings and by learning to nurture and be gentle with ourselves, we are able to fulfill commitments in a more honest, vulnerable and impactful way. We are present and we are heard.
I love your video! It was so real!
Thank you so much for this gentle reminder of continual flow Rachael Jayne. I find that I have began slipping into the habbit of internalizing depression, avoidance, and general moodiness to a degree that has been making me ill lately. Internalizing my issues has been affecting my health lately and only highliting the argument of the mind-body connection (head space vs. womb space)!
The more I avoid/delay completing my commitments to honor my true (and very temporary) momentary feelings, the more guilt and shame I feel about not being responsible. It makes me feel a bit childish to be blunt and it is as if I trigger a gut reaction that triggers anguish between my body and mind. I am well aware that I am not perfect and that I will make mistakes from time to time. At the same time, if my sole excuse for not tending to my responsibilities due to my feelings (no matter how valid), then I have regressed in maturity. As a responsible adult, I do have the right to own my feelings, but my mood should not dictate my participation in life. I would not accomplish very much in life if I only did things when I felt like it.
I loved your post… I believe authenticity is gold and that is what you were authentic. You could feel the vulnerability in your post and in that vulnerability there was strength even though your post was very gentle. Being in your truth and sharing this post showed how much you value your audience, I felt cared for and honoured. Thanks
I have noticed that when I really don’t want to do something I must do, and I go ahead and do it anyway, it has a way of sorting things out: If it makes me feel better at least three times in a row, it’s probably a keeper. If it wears me out, I’m not in my purpose and it gets thrown out.
P.S. I also meant to say that I liked you video and enjoyed seeing you in a relaxed mode. Your ‘presence’ was every bit as effective as at other times. Perhaps even more so.
Loved this video. When I need to do something but don’t want to do I will try to connect that thing to something bigger or something that I am really excited about – it becomes less about the undesired task and about my bigger goal. The other thing I do is think about how I will feel when I accomplish it and compare that to how I will feel if I don’t make the commitment, which is crappy. Then I do it.
Thank you so much for this video!! I have also become so committed to only doing what feels good over the last couple of years that I have not followed through on a commitment that, if I’m honest, is actually really important to me. I struggle with feeling like I need to be in a certain frame of mind and full of energy in order to be able to follow through on this one particular thing. Maybe it’s time I just got on with it in a way that feels good in the moment, rather than having an idea in my head of how it should be, which I don’t seem to ever be able to live up to!! Thank you x
I was missing so much your sweet energy like the one you exude in this video!… Honestly I resonate so much more with your feminine state of being here than with any of all those blog posts you’ve been doing by now and many couldn’t listen to till the end because they were talking to my rational mind… This is sweet, true, authentic, feminine and I love it!…stay with it!!!! The tone of your voice here speaks straight to my heart! Thank you!