A Little Alignment
In "A Little Alignment," we pour our hearts into conscious conversations about the things we love to geek out about -- psychology, philosophy, optimal health, art, science, mysticism, spirituality, success, relationships and more.
We live for those priceless "aha" moments that have the potential to awaken creativity and curiosity, and remind you of your beauty, power, and presence.
Our intention is to help you realign with your most whole and exceptional self.
Tune in as we navigate the beautiful path to self-discovery together. 🎙️🥂
A Little Alignment
Tuning Into Your Focus | Aligning Energy with Intention
In today's episode we contemplate the invisible force that moulds our reality: focus. We delve into the profound influence our thoughts and physiological responses have on our well-being as a reminder that the emotions and energy we project in the present are the true catalysts for the life we aspire to cultivate.
Are you aware right now of where your energy is going and where your focus is going, because that is actually shaping your life. It all starts first with the awareness of like where you currently are and whether or not it's where you want to be.
Speaker 2:Welcome to A Little Alignment. If you enjoy what you hear today, if you gain some value from our episode, please leave us a good rating and review at the end. Every single review counts. It really does make a difference. We would appreciate it with all our hearts. We're so glad y'all are here with us, helping us create a little more alignment in the world.
Speaker 1:Ready Bear Okay, let's do this baby. Ready Bear Okay, let's do this baby, okay. So today's episode is going to be a little bit of a back to basics, but it's also one of those things that's just so important to check in on that we're doing it, we're talking about it, and what it is is the fundamentals. Of your energy goes where focus flows or hold on. I got that backwards focus goes where energy flows and the sort of like frame for today is wait, wait.
Speaker 2:Did you get it backwards?
Speaker 1:say it again focus where focus where focus goes, energy flows there we go.
Speaker 1:Yay, I'm like wait we did it okay, but really to the core. I think that it would be good to just start with a question, because what our intention is is for you to get clarity on where your energy is flowing right now and how it is shaping your reality. So the question is are you aware of where the majority of your energy is going currently, like on the day-to-day level? Where do you think it's going? And the reason this all comes up is because we were you know, kendra and I discussing what are we going to talk about on the podcast.
Speaker 2:Let's set the scene, because it was really lovely. We went and sat outside and it's a beautiful spring day and we're sitting in the sun with Barry.
Speaker 1:Yeah, with my little bear, we were just chatting.
Speaker 2:Anyway, I feel like that. It was so nice I just had to share. Yeah, it was a lovely moment.
Speaker 1:And we always want to talk about whatever is like on our heart and most you know, present for us.
Speaker 1:And Kendra was talking about how, for her right now, it's sound and learning about sound and vibration and how it's intertwined into so many things you know science, spirituality, just everything and how that's just super front of mind for her and as she's talking about it like I can hear the passion like coming through her voice and she's getting excited and I'm thinking, you know she's totally in alignment with what she loves and it sounds like all of her time and energy right now is going towards learning and like immersing herself in this world of sound and it's landing.
Speaker 1:I mean I could see it's like landing you in a place where you're just super happy. You know, how often do people like revisit and have a lot of awareness around where their energy is going and where their focus is going? Because I think I mean based off of so many you know, like experiences and hearing things and statistics and all of that, unfortunately, I lot of us get caught in patterns, you know, and it's just like the day-to-day. We become so accustomed to these patterns that things become subconscious and we get caught in loops yeah, it's the dr joe he puts.
Speaker 2:It is the, the familiar past and the predictable future. Right, that's the pattern, is what we've seen and what we assume will happen, based on what we've seen or experienced before.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so there's no room for creativity or newness right and that's where people really thrive is, like, in the novelty of things and so, yeah, and in creating, too. Um, and his other quote that we've talked about multiple times is just like he always says 90% of your thoughts are the same as the day before. So you better be having some good thoughts, because that's where your focus is going and your energy is going Right. So, like then, are you aware right now of the day today, of where your energy is going and where your focus is going? Because that is actually shaping your life. And if we're here to live the most fulfilled, happiest lives, there could always be room for shifting right, especially if you feel like you're just caught in a pattern or if you're unhappy, then it's like, okay, well, how do I shift it? But it all starts first with the awareness of, like, where you currently are and whether or not it's where you want to be yeah, what are you focusing on?
Speaker 2:I mean that question alone. I feel like it's it's immediately um stimulating it to the uh, you, in the present moment, right, suddenly, you become more aware of what it is that you're focusing on yeah instead of just just letting the unconscious or the subconscious drive completely, because they're always participating. It's a whole participation of self. Yeah, just taking a moment and just asking yourself what am I focusing on right now?
Speaker 1:or what's the majority of my focus, because obviously you're going to be focusing on different things throughout the day prominently right.
Speaker 2:What's the prominent theme theme, yeah, what am I focusing on most often? And I mean I would be willing to bet there's a lot, of, a lot of us out there focusing on money and paying bills and, um, or maybe the lack of lack of money. Uh, yeah, about your kids parenting. Am I doing a good job? Yeah, about something that's coming up Time.
Speaker 1:Time or the lack of time.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm. Yeah, and if we don't take the initiative to wake up to the present moment, then we respond to all of those things based on time, the familiar past or the predictable future, instead of choosing what it is that we want to focus on and, in in so doing, choosing where we want energy to flow. And, yeah, I think that's nice. That's a nice question, because it's so easy to ask what am I focusing on right now, especially if you catch your, if you're like, am I? I'm not really feeling very happy right now. I'm feeling I focusing on right now, especially if you catch your, if you're like am I? I'm not really feeling very happy right now. I'm feeling, right, generally unsatisfied or unhappy. Yeah, if you find yourself in that state of being, a quick diagnostic could simply include that question what am I choosing to focus on right now?
Speaker 1:yeah, and that's not to say that like you can't think about your bills or that you can't focus on. You know, focus some of your energy on making sure that the timing of things is correct or whatever. You know we all have to plan, but is it taking up the majority of your energy Right? Are you living in a place where it's like starting to consume you and that's like where all of your focus is going?
Speaker 2:that's leading you to a state where you don't feel good, yeah, or even because you can focus on your financial situation. Um different aspects of your financial situation, I should say yeah so you could focus on your bills in. In terms of frustration and not wanting to have to pay the bills, or worrying you're not going to have money to pay the bills, and something that is really as profound to me is this truth that worrying is praying for things that you don't want.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Because when you worry, you're taking a thought and you're holding onto it until it becomes an emotion, and emotions carry a vibrational charge and that becomes your experience and that becomes the waves that come off of you. And like attracts like, and so it creates your environment.
Speaker 3:So true.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, worrying is praying for things that you don't want. But I have a really good friend who I just thought this was the coolest thing she has a little ritual, a little thought ritual. Every time she has, uh, you know, sits down to do her bookkeeping, her bills, and she sends out gratitude to everything she's paying for. So if she's paying her electric bill, she's like I am so grateful that I have electricity.
Speaker 2:She's paying her car bill, her car payment. I am so thankful for my car, like I'm so grateful that I have electricity. She's paying her car bill, her car payment. I am so thankful for my car, like I'm so glad that I have, you know, the ability to get from you know, to work and also to go hang out with my friends and think, you know. Just invites herself to imagine and really visualize all the ways that she utilizes these things. That makes her life better.
Speaker 1:I love that. That is so amazing, cause that's like such a positive spin on something that everybody hates doing. It's true, but it's.
Speaker 2:The reason you have the bill is because you have the thing, and that thing might cause you stress, but it also probably blesses your life, and so that's the focus right. Are you focusing on how it's a stress or how it's adding responsibility to your plate, or are you choosing to focus on how it's making your life better, how it's adding to the quality of your life?
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, and it's even just like. Another take on this is your thoughts are occupying your mind, and so you're going to be seeing everything through the lens of those thoughts, or the energy that those thoughts hold, and so like I'll even use myself as an example is so Rob and I are having a baby.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, that's the first time you've said this on the podcast.
Speaker 1:I know isn't that wild.
Speaker 2:Special announcement.
Speaker 1:Just knock that one in there.
Speaker 2:Congratulations, yay. We're celebrating that wild special announcement. Just knock that one in there, but um congratulations, yay oh, thank you, I felt like that was. We needed that needed to be a moment, okay, okay. Celebration, okay, anyway, for sure yeah, so, so that's happening.
Speaker 1:And, um, we're about to go on our baby moon and there's all these things that have popped up around like, oh, I got. Like you know, my body is different Now. Moving is a lot harder than it used to be. I don't feel great all day, like I feel good first half of the day and then the second half is a little questionable. Um, I have to leave my dog behind and usually bear goes with us everywhere. So leaving bear behind is really sad.
Speaker 1:There's just so much I need to do because my best friend's also getting married. We're throwing her bridal shower this weekend. I need to drive to San Antonio. Before I do that, I need to make sure I'm packed for Mexico before. Like, there's just all of these like thoughts, right, they're taking up space. And, to be quite honest, I thought about all of these things enough yesterday and I also, physically, was feeling enough like feeling enough like pain and discomfort due to pregnancy that it got me into a state where I was just full on, like not happy, I was struggling. I mean, were there hormones in the mix? No doubt, but I completely put myself into a state where I was unhappy about a situation that is me going to freaking Mexico for my baby moon? Okay, we're going to this resort.
Speaker 2:You BFF too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean it's it's going to be my husband's birthday, like there's. You know, we're taking the safest route. We're going to a place that we like, fully trust, like we, you know, we've been there before. We absolutely loved it. I got the clear from my doctor like everything is good, right, but I was putting enough energy and focus into all of these like logistical things and, you know, still holding some fear around, like well, what if this and what if that? That I was able to completely shift my mood into something shitty around, something that is really actually incredible'm so grateful for. And I mean we're going there to celebrate, like I said, you know, rob's birthday, which is fun. We're going there to celebrate the fact that we're having a baby. That's fun, you know, and even if we were going for nothing, it's still fun that we're just going, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it's like I was able to completely shift something that is so that I I really am so grateful for into something, like you know, that made you not feel good, right, and and this is something that we can I mean we can all do yeah, we can switch back and forth based on the things that we allow. So that's like kind of what I was talking to. You know what we were even talking about kendra. Like when we're outside, thinking about this is like it is such a beautiful day outside right now, literally like this is what, the third day of spring in Austin, texas the sun is shining, the grass is so green and so, like vibrant, it rained.
Speaker 1:I think last night, so like everything is very fresh rained, I think, last night, so like everything is very fresh. There's legitimate little like blue bonnets and flowers springing up all over Texas. There's little butterflies in the air, and somebody could be having an experience where they don't see any of that because they're so locked in on something that is not good right, or their energy or focus is going in a completely different place than even what the present moment holds.
Speaker 1:And then the person next to them could just be like oh my God, this is the most beautiful butterfly I've ever seen, like this day and the way the sun feels on my skin, right.
Speaker 1:And so it's like this is the choice we have every single day and the power.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's so empowering to know that we can switch this, but it's also like it's it's just something that you want to become aware of because it's it is so easy to subconsciously get locked into a pattern, and so it's like literally all of this is just to present the question of where's your energy and your focus going, so that you can become aware of where it is and also give yourself the opportunity to think about, like, well, where do you want it to be instead?
Speaker 1:Right, and I think it's beautiful that Kendra's like I want my attention and energy to go into sound and music and learning about this, because what it's doing is exactly what I think we're all meant to be here for. It's helping her evolve and enjoy this beautiful life and this human experience that we all get to participate in, and it's it's so in alignment with Kendra, it's so in alignment with what she wants and loves, that she's made that decision and it shows on her. So that's amazing. We all have that opportunity. I mean, like you know, I am not going to say like I'm always drowning in sorrow for my you know upcoming vacations.
Speaker 1:Right, but like no, but that was like a moment Right Cause I'm human too, yeah, but you know, I think it's important to know like is it? Am I in a pattern that I've been in for a while, you know have? Is there just a little like spurt, kind of like what I had last night, of something that I probably could have chose differently, like I don't know? But it's good to have awareness around where you are?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is, but it's good to have awareness around where you are. Yeah, it is, and you know it's thought. Thought is kind of the seed of creation, I suppose, or the beginning part of the beginning of creation and how we're creating our external environment, but also our internal environment, and I think that it's so fun that you brought up hormones Like is it the hormones which? Yeah, I mean we're humans having a human experience. We can't divorce ourselves from the fact that our bodies play a part in our experience and how we're moving through the day. However, it's really fascinating when you start to understand how the body communicates with itself and the mind communicates with the body.
Speaker 2:Our hormones are affected by our thoughts as well. You know so. If you're, if you're in a state of stress because your thoughts are focusing on things that are stressful, your body is going to produce hormones according to that stress, according to those thoughts. Right, so we can? It's, yeah, we can definitely respect the body and honor the body, the vehicle that we're in, but um also acknowledge that we even have the power by the, by what we're focusing on, to change our bodies literally. The environment of our bodies, which is what our cells respond to is the environment that they're in yeah, which so cool on that note.
Speaker 2:Actually, we can even consider, consider our environment when it comes to what we're focusing on, because we are affected by the people, how we're feeling, which we talked about a little bit in the last episode and then also about how affected we are by what other people around us are feeling and what they're saying and all of that. So you don't have to muscle through this necessarily, and I think that that's important to note, because it's not always a you problem. Sometimes it's an environment problem.
Speaker 1:The other side of that that I think is interesting is like, as you bring up environment, um, I see people waiting for their environment to be what changes in order for them to change. And, yes, you should definitely be conscious of the environment you're in, but also don't wait for your environment to change for your current state to change.
Speaker 2:So it's like kind of there's two sides of the same coin.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you can't really control anything other than yourself, and so, in waiting for external factors to change how you feel internally, you could be waiting forever but you have the power to change what's going on inside at any point in time, and that will therefore change what's going on around you. At least like your, your perception of it too right, Because you can always look at something from a different perspective.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I think that's another important thing to keep in mind is don't wait for anything around you to change or to feel like something around you has to change for you to be happy or to take different action or make a different decision or create something. Because you can create happiness within yourself or you can create change, or you can start to change patterns and thoughts and feelings within yourself, that will definitely, over time, and maybe even some more quickly, reflect in the external world as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's an interesting point because, yeah, we are definitely affected by our environment, but we also create our environment, and so, to your point, it's incredibly empowering to remember that. Remember that we're the creator of our own environment, internally and and, to an extent, externally, While also being able to I mean, when you're in a good space, though, when you're, when you're in an internal environment is clear, then you can see more clearly outside of yourself. Right, you can understand, maybe there is a shift that needs to happen in my environment. You know, I really am absolutely uninterested in complaining about absolutely everything all the time, and that's what my, you know, my coworkers or my friends or these people that I'm spending all this time with, tend to do, and if I don't want that, if that's affecting me, because it will, and that's okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're it's, it's's, it's the uh, I don't remember the terminology. There's a cool way to say this, but I'm just gonna not say it in a cool way the fact that I'm sure you'll still say it in a cool way, but just not that way the fact that we're energetic beings, that we connect with each other. We're all connected. You know there's beauty to that, but then there's also caution to that as well, and to just be be aware of that we are affected by, by the people that we spend time with and the places that we spend time in and the music we listen to and the books that we read, and the social media that we're immersing ourselves in.
Speaker 2:All of that does affect us right.
Speaker 2:So it's. I think that what you're saying, Lauren, is that it's not the environment's fault, that what you're saying, lauren, is that it's not the environment's fault, but you're actively choosing into it as well. And, and you know, and for you to take some, just have a check in and ask yourself is where is my focus right now? And or, generally speaking, and if you are recognizing that there's certain parts of your environment that are contributing to that, really speaking, and if you are recognizing that there's certain parts of your environment that are contributing to that, it's just good to know, like you don't have to do, do anything, but awareness is is a really um, it's a powerful tool. Yeah it.
Speaker 1:It's like a, it's just a little like thermostat for where you are, um, I think also, or gps, I should say for, rather for where you are um the thing is, too, is like, what I mean by the external is like sometimes people feel like, well, if I had more money, I would be happier oh, yeah, or if I had more uh you know a bigger house, yeah, yeah, if I had a bigger house, I would be able to do x, y and z, so then I would be happier, and so people think that happiness is contingent upon those external factors.
Speaker 1:but the version of you that will attract that house or that will bring those things into reality is the version of you that you can create in this moment, and just being conscious of how you're showing up and whether or not the way you're showing up is actually in alignment with you achieving those things, or getting those things or creating those things or whatever, is what you need to focus on right now. So it's like not waiting for those things to happen outside of you, but instead calling in the emotions and the energy that will align with you creating that future.
Speaker 2:Right, we don't get in life what we want. We get in life what we feel. We get in life what we are. I like to say how we feel, because that's what it, that's what it's saying. R is your being how you're being. Yeah, you're right, that's so cool. And I just want to put in a note here, because I can't wait, that um, the power to choose is also, um, it's not a, it's not necessarily an inevitable, an inevitability, it is a privilege. And it's also like, uh, based on your state of health, right? I mean, we talked about how your health is your wealth. Right, because when you're healthy, you have the ability to, and if you don't have your health, you don't have anything.
Speaker 2:So, that's all to say that if you have going back to the conversation about the nervous system patterns and programs stored in your subconscious and in your body, that's really tension that's frozen in your body. It can be really difficult to shift your thoughts because a huge amount of your focus, the focus of your mind, is to engage right with protecting you, because if you're in fight or flight, then that's where the focus is is to protect you from danger. Your body believes it's in danger and responds accordingly and that's where the focus and the energy is flowing and you have less energy to put into like to choose right. You have less of an option to choose how you want to feel. So there's an important caveat here that to just again encourage all of us to continue in the work of healing and coming home to yourself and reaching a state of being where you have choice right.
Speaker 2:So working through any traumas or stresses or tension that you have in the body and again again, for the people in the back, everybody has trauma, everybody has stress and stress responses. So if you find yourself stuck, getting stuck in stress responses or having a hard time shifting your thoughts, that might point to some deeper work that you need to do, to heal, in order to have a more powerful choice, an option to to choose, I should say but I think it's still it will not, but and I think it's still so empowering to know that you have the opportunity to make these changes for yourself for sure, and that's that's.
Speaker 1:That's what it's all about, because I think that it's when you're in a pattern, too. There's a tendency to feel like this is just the way it is, or I'm stuck and it's just got to be this way, or this is just who I am, or whatever right, and that can be very disempowering or might be such a deep pattern that you just feel like you're, you're not even aware of the fact that you're in a place where you're not living your full potential, and it's just like you're just black going through the motions. We've all been there.
Speaker 1:You know, I've been there multiple times and I feel like you know, once I was able to wake up, or on the times where I'm able to, like, pull myself out of it, cause I mean, I still have moments like that, obviously, cause I'm human, but um, it's like. That's why this is so important to talk about today is just because it's a nice little reminder to know that you have the ability to make what you want every single day and just take note of where your focus and energy is going, because it's going to shape everything that you perceive around you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know that phrase you are what you eat. Yeah, you should change it to you are what you think. Oh, 100%, it's really, really. I mean, when you get down to the a little deeper it's. It's because what you think typically becomes how you feel. Yeah, so don't be afraid of your thoughts. You know it's what you choose to hold on to.
Speaker 2:So if you think something and you're like oh man, I'm not supposed to think that way, because I don't want to feel it's. You know, it's holding onto a thought and letting it become embodied, like embodying the thought or the emotion that the thought brings. So if you're afraid of something or you have a fearful thought, pop in, that doesn't mean all of a sudden you're in a fearful state. It's if you choose to hold on to that fearful thought and let it, let it resonate, let it become the feeling that you have in your body, let yourself feel fearful and, uh, stay there, that's, that's what's, that's, it's more. You are what you feel.
Speaker 2:But it starts with how you think. Right, it ends with how you feel, but it starts with how you think, yeah, does that sound fair? Sounds very fair. Okay, very, very fair, very, very fair. I'm trying really hard not to make this like a plug for sound healing.
Speaker 1:Because that's where you are right now. That is where your focus and energy is going.
Speaker 2:It is because it can just be so supportive to helping you move this stuff, some of the stuck, the frozen tension in your body if there is some of that, but it also is it all relates back to the fact that we're energetic beings, and that's what we're getting at here. Essentially, that's the bare bones of it is. You are an energetic being existing in an energetic world, and so at this point, the best thing we can do is look for energetic solutions. At this point, the best thing we can do is look for energetic solutions, and what we're saying is what we have found to be super supportive as a solution is to pay close attention to what you're focusing on and that will affect where your energy flows and what manifests in your life and in your body.
Speaker 1:Amen sister, Yay Cool Cheers.
Speaker 2:Cheers.
Speaker 3:Bye, bye. If you found any of what we shared today helpful, please share this with a friend, and we would so appreciate a rating and review to help us grow and reach more people. Also, please feel free to send us any feedback and questions. You can find us on Instagram. Kendra can be found at Kendra Dyer Crabb, k-e-n-d-r-a-d-y-e-r-c-r-a-b-b, and you can find myself at Lauren Pena Dial, and it's L-A-U-R-E-N-P-E-N-A-D-I-A-L. Thanks so much for listening and I hope you have a beautiful rest of your day.