What’s between you, right now, and feeling that things are flowing for you?

Certainly there may be external obstacles on your path. Can’t pretend them away.

But you have an inner GPS.

At the deeper level of your non-conscious mind (what I call my Pathfinder) you are always figuring out where your flow is, which is your best path forward.

Your Pathfinder streams that inner guidance to your brain, moment by moment, all day, all night.

But your brain doesn’t always listen. Often it’s too distracted by the negative thoughts it’s having.

Some people call the brain Monkey Mind because it never seems to settle down. It’s always jumping from one thing to the next.

Some people call it the Inner Critic because it is negative, afraid of everything, critical.

I call it my Inner Champion, because no matter how misguided, or negative, or fearful it is, my brain means well.

It is trying to protect me.

I call him Milo and imagine him as a separate person.

Which may seem a bit strange to you until you try this little experiment:

Observe how you feel when you say to yourself:

“I feel lost. I feel afraid. I feel frustrated.”

Now observe how you feel when you say to yourself:

“He (or she) feels lost. S/he feels afraid. S/he feels frustrated.”

That is the power of what psychologists call “distanced self-talk.”

It can change hopelessness into compassion.

You need your brain to be aware of his/her flow of inner guidance from your Pathfinder in order for him/her to find your flow in your daily life.

So in Pathfinding, I become the mindfulness coach to my Inner Champion, Milo.

Whenever I notice that Milo is upset, anxious, frustrated (or whenever something in my life sucks) I know Milo has lost his flow.

So, as his mindfulness coach, I help Milo reconnect to his flow of inner guidance by using this path I call STOP!

S tep back from the noise Milo, in whatever way that makes sense to you.

T ake a deeper breath...and then just let go, of my jaw, my shoulders, my seat, my stomach.

O bserve. What springs into your awareness when you ask Pathfinder:

“Where is my flow here?”

P roceed with the path given by Pathfinder.

That’s basically it.

By asking my brain, “What springs into your awareness when...,” my brain pauses its inner monologue, and pivots its attention to see what will happen next.

It’s not unlike the experience of trying to remember something. Try this...

Notice what you do when you ask yourself:

“What did I have for supper last night?”

You probably paused in what you were doing, or thinking, and pivoted your eyes to a different direction, and then...waited, expectantly, to see what would spring up.

Whatever comes up...a thought, an image, whatever it is, that is the path given. It may be filtered, or distorted, but it is the path and I have Milo proceed by triaging it.

Unless it produces some sensation or feeling of flow (however Milo interprets that), I coach him to not hold on to it. Let it go and look again.

Whatever comes up is cool. Whatever comes up needs to be expressed. But wait for it...flow is coming.

Sometimes flow will come in the form of a sensation: excitement, confidence.

Sometimes flow will come in the form of insights, inspiration, impulses to act.

Sometimes Milo won’t notice anything right away. That’s okay. Just like when you are trying to remember something, sometimes the answer comes to him a bit later.

I don’t know what will happen when you try this, but I am more than willing to talk with you about it at the online private Facebook group, The Pathfinder’s Conversation.

If you want to jump in on the Conversation, see what I’m talking about, talk to me about what’s going on with your Pathfinding, do join in.

I get that this short summary of how I use Pathfinding may not be enough.

That’s why I am writing the book.

And even that might not be enough.

That’s why I encourage you to join in on The Pathfinder’s Conversation.

Try it for a month, see if it works for you.

Only $8 - no contract.

Start anytime. Stop anytime.

PATHFINDING

The New American Mindfulness

“Connect with the Flow, maximize fulfillment.”

Text me at: 914 - 275 - 8238

Email me at: petermfellows@gmail.com

This is Mindful Pathfinding.

This is what I do.