Drawing A Blank

How are you with blank spaces?

A fresh sheet of paper

An empty Word document

A canvas

A wall

A room

Your mind???

I have a different feeling response to each of the items above. A blank sheet of paper or a document are a little intimidating to me. An empty room or wall is like an invitation to a decorating party! And my mind? Well, that’s another story altogether. I work to keep it “blank” during meditation, which is always a challenge even though I’ve been meditating for over 10 years.

I’d like to make the case that blank spaces are actually a beautiful gift, one that we can easily create at any time. It’s easier to empty a space than to fill it; which is why every year after I put all my Christmas decorations away, I leave all of the walls, bookcases, and decorative spots empty for at least a week.

With all of these spaces left empty, I find it allows me to think about new possibilities. At first, seeing everything empty feels off, weird, and unfinished. However, the more I look at the emptiness, the more I’m likely to get creative about what could fill those spaces. What else could go there? What do I already have that can be reimagined into something new? Do I need anything there at all, or would I benefit from more open space?

When it comes to our minds, we most often fill them with the exact same thoughts, day after day after day. Nothing new can be created when we are feeding ourselves the same thoughts, especially when our thoughts tend to be limiting, maybe even toxic! It’s been estimated that humans have between 60 and 70,000 thoughts a day. And 90% of those are the same as yesterday! It’s no wonder we feel stuck in a rut! We are literally creating deep grooves of sameness in our brains every single day.

We can, however, feel more spaciousness in our own minds. And could is a great way to get there. Could is a much better mental status than should. Could is light, spacious, creative possibility. Should is heavy, dense obligation, and likely came to you through culture and not through your true nature.

If you want to make some changes in those deeply imbedded thought forms, the first step is to notice them. You can’t change what you’re not aware of. Shining the light of awareness can show you where those limiting beliefs are holding you back.

The best ways to become aware of your thoughts? As I said earlier, meditation is one method. Another is breathwork. Breathwork takes you out of your analytical mind and moves your awareness into your body where you can be free of any thoughts whatsoever. After every breathwork session, participants report feeling clarity, spaciousness, and peace. In other words, space has been made for “could.”

Could is an open-ended invitation. How will you RSVP?