'I AM' Productive

​Culturally, we have been conditioned to define success monetarily – get a good career, buy a house with a white picket fence, have money in the bank and earn enough to take care of the family, save for retirement and retire comfortably.

This was the path that I was encouraged, sometimes shoved – hard - to follow.

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For as long as I have been on the spiritual path, I have heard the wisdom of those talking about the ‘I AM’ Presence – our Higher self, our Monad or God self.  The mighty I AM is defined as our unique and immortal true identity and, as I have found, personally and with clients, has been within us the entire time.  We are our ‘I AM’ presence.

Culturally, we have been conditioned to define success monetarily – get a good career, buy a house with a white picket fence, have money in the bank and earn enough to take care of the family, save for retirement and retire comfortably. 

This was the path that I was encouraged, sometimes shoved – hard - to follow.  Frankly it was what I wanted as well – the creature comforts, the sense of achieving my dreams, and sharing it and a life with my equally successful true love.  For about a third of my life, I pursued it prolifically and quickly.  In doing so, I was always looking towards the future, and aiming towards achieving what I do not have, trying to be a success.

In all that time, what I missed out on was truly appreciating time – time to truly Be in the present, and savour every experience that came my way; time to spend with my loved ones and my friends; time to appreciate the true beauty – and sometimes the ugly – of the path that I have been walking on, and the people I meet.

How many of us have found that time is moving super quick?   How many of us have hours filled with task after chore after a never-ending to do list, that just seems to not get done?  It was like that for me too – constant running around, meeting demands, and watching with bewilderment when my to- do lists seem to expand instead of decrease. 

Then I realised – I used keep saying, over and over again, ‘I AM’ busy.  As I say it, I created it – I became busy – so busy, spinning twenty plates in the air all at the same time, pumping more energy to not drop a single one, as I with trepidation caught more and more plates that life flung at me.  My life was hectic.

I have since realised that time is the most precious commodity I have.  I want to savour every bit of time that I have.   I also stepped outside of myself and watched me spinning these plates and wondered - why?  Why am I spinning so many plates at once, and catching more?  On that day, I changed my way of Being.

‘I AM’ Productive

The natural state of ‘I AM’ is Being.  The natural state of Ego is Doing.  Whilst ‘I AM’ is housed in these physical bodies, it is possible for both the ‘I AM’ and Ego to complement one another.

Ever since I started on this ‘I AM’ journey, and have changed my Being to ‘I AM’ Productive, I have found that I am using my time wisely and productively, seeing genuine results from my action, thereby leaving me time to just Be. 

There is a difference between being busy, and being productive.  One can be busy, running around everywhere, doing lots of things, and yet not seeing one’s endeavours bearing fruit.  In Being Productive, one can be centred, focused, spinning a couple of plates, expanding energy to complete an action and see it bear fruit.

One does not need to be busy to be productive.  In fact, being busy is, most of the time, counter-productive.

‘I AM’ Productive emerges from a state of centredness, alignment, calm and Being.

‘I AM’ Busy emerges from a state of chaos, having no choice, and doing.

We have been conditioned by society to be busy, to work hard.  If one is seen to relax or just Be, one is seen to be lazy, slacking or not contributing to society – unable to be successful.  If one is seen to be frenzied, stressed, constantly on the go, on is seen to be fully functioning at their optimum.

The fact of the matter is that those who are calm, rested, centred and aligned are the ones who are the most productive.  Those who are frenzied, stressed, busy are the ones who take longer to fulfil their tasks, and when they do so, the tasks are poorly done.
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I have witnessed this in myself and in others whilst in my time working in Corporate, observing my students and how well they do, and also seen how my clients’ change. 

I have also since changed my measure of success.  I have realised that I constantly have simple successes nearly every day - the loving cuddles that I receive from my little puppies, Petal and Angel at the end of the day; or the laughter I share with my friends; or the joy of seeing each client or student find their joy, the beauty in catching a gorgeous sunset – these all count as successes to me now.  In taking time to appreciate these simple daily successful moments, I realised that I no longer have to strive to become a success. 

I already AM a success

As a society, we have been conditioned to take for granted the simple things in life.  However, there is much abundance and bliss in the simple everyday things -even the difficult ones.  Success is when we can overcome the difficult moments and get to the other side – and equally so – success is being able to take one step after another through the difficult times.

In staying in the present, and Being in ‘I AM’, even the most mundane moments become glorious miracles, and every productive action or inaction is an outstanding achievement of success.
‘I AM’ Productive gives us a better quality of life.  ‘I AM’ Productive gives us the gift of time to Be and do what brings us joy.  ‘I AM’ Productive gives us the gift of a work / life balance.

How do we move from being Busy to being Productive? 

Choose to stop spinning 20 plates at once.  Choose to spin at the most 2 or 3 plates; even one plate.  Once they have completed spinning, spin another set of 1 – 3 plates.  At the end of the day, we do not need to spin all 20 at a time.  We choose to do so.

1. Learn to say No if it is not in resonance with our ‘I AM’ or our Ego
2. Understand that we are under no obligation to do everything; or to do everything at once
3. Prioritise - Choose how you wish to be Productive – the more joy you have, the more productive

'I AM’ Productive - Enjoy a life of choice, calm, enjoyment and achievement. 

​Be ‘I Am’
 
Reena Kumarasingham