How it all began

Let me tell you a little about me and the inspiration for Mindful Momentum. I have been “in momentum” all my life.  It wasn’t until my adulthood that I began to appreciate different ways of being in momentum. In grade school, I used my momentum to outrun the bullies that would chase me when class was dismissed. In high school I joined the track team and excelled in all my races. Later in graduate school, I would relieve stress by training for marathons. But it wasn’t until I began practicing mindfulness meditation and yoga, that I realized even in complete stillness, we are still in momentum.

What is Momentum ?

By definition, momentum is the motion that is gained from a force acting on something. For example, gravity is a force that holds things down. Time is a force acting on our moment to moment experience. Just like gravity doesn't let anything float away, time does not allow anything to stay the same. There is no escape from this momentum. Waking up to this does not mean succumbing to passivity or fatalism. Quite the opposite actually: Waking up to the reality of momentum all around us forces us to look more carefully at the intention and values behind all our actions and decisions.

Paying it Forward: Sharing Positive Momentum

My inspiration for specializing in psychology in graduate school, was my passion for helping others gain positive forward momentum. After doing one-on-one therapy sessions with clients for 15 years, I noticed that when my clients expressed dissatisfaction in their lives, it was almost always related to a fear of being stuck and a lack of self-appreciation. A large part of my job was to help clients overcome these fears and find the self-appreciation they yearned for. I worked with them to develop courage and clarity to get unstuck, identify clear core values and make action oriented choices.   

It took me a while to understand some of the obstacles to acting with clear intention. I, myself had struggled with asserting myself, say for instance, in finding the courage ask for a raise or promotion, or taking the leap to start my own business. Then, when I faced a series of losses, insurmountable stress at my job and a serious health diagnosis, I became almost completely paralyzed with overwhelm. In the most challenging period of life I had ever faced, I was forced to face my own deepest fears and self-doubts.

When I was a therapist, between session with clients, I would read this excerpt from a poem by Galaway Kinnell, to remind myself what stood in the way of their own growth and how I could help them:

The bud
stands for all things,
even for those things that don’t flower,
for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing;   
though sometimes it is necessary
to reteach a thing its loveliness,
to put a hand on its brow
of the flower
and retell it in words and in touch
it is lovely
until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing

Finding My Mindful Momentum Again

During that challenging, overwhelmed period in my own life, I came back to this poem myself. I had to reach deep enough within to acknowledge the fears and weed them out. I learned that without regular care and attention, my garden had actually become overgrown with the weeds of fear and self doubt. Getting unstuck meant redefining mindfulness and compassion so that I could clear the way for the next stage. I had to step back and pay better attention to what really mattered most. The intention of Mindful Momentum is to  help others shift their mindset to increase positivity,  make value driven choices and engage in what matters most in every moment of this one precious life we all have.

The seminars and class series that I offer equip people with tools to turn discomfort into personal clarity and vulnerability into personal growth. I hope you will join Mindful Momentum on this journey of learning about, practicing and cultivating greater compassion and mindfulness for the benefit of both the individual and society. Please explore the programs, get in touch, sign up for emails or follow the posts. I hope to see you on the path of this shared human journey, building connection, community and courage.

- Laurisa Dill, M. Ed., R.P.