Life tends to be up and down. One moment you are going along, everything is falling into place and then all the sudden things stop and you fall into a funk. People always find being in a funk a discouraging place to be. Funks are associated with being in a bad or negative spot. Generally speaking funk means a downtime when you do not feel as motivated, lucky, connected, happy, active, or productive. This down period is just a normal life phase but you give it meaning that is "bad" or "negative".

Funks are not bad and or less than active periods. However, since you give downtimes a negative meaning you see it as an undesirable place. Funks are periods of time that function to clear out old stuff to make room for new. The problem is you do not see the importance in these periods and have an aversion to downtime.

Many people share with me that they feel less connected to their source during downtimes. What they do not realize is that they are just as connected to their source as they are during active periods the only difference is their perception and context has shifted. Source does not take a vacation from being present in your life.

It boils down to this you create the context for how you view things in your life. Here is an example, last week I returned from a 12 day trip. The day after I returned I caught the flu. I could have easily said to myself "this is horrible I have so many things to do and I do not have time to be sick". But instead I knew getting the flu was necessary for me. I had worked on a lot of deep rooted issues and the flu was how this stuff needed to come out. It was a downtime that was necessary for my growth.

In the past I would have been so upset that I was not able to get things done. I would have resisted being sick because I used to view sickness as an undesirable place to be. What is even more ironic about this pattern is when I was really busy I would crave for downtime. Then when I would get it I would feel so lazy and unproductive so I would crave being busy again. Many people operate like this resisting or craving never accepting what is. Your resistance compounded with your view of downtime causes your unpleasant feelings. Your thoughts lead to your feelings which lead to your actions. So you end up doing things that fulfill your perception that things are going "bad". Actions like overeat, sleep late, and not exercise which perpetuates the negative feelings. You feel worse but you keep attributing your feelings to the down period not your behaviors.

These undesirable feelings cause you to crave for an active period where you feel energized, good, and motivated. Again this only makes you feel worse because you are clinging to your past and future resisting what is. Nothing lasts in life, everything is always changing. Inactive periods do not last forever they always pass. Active periods function the same way, they come and they go. It is better to be in the present, roll with whatever period you are in and do not crave or resist what is happening.

Realize that downtime periods provide you with an opportunity to soak in what you have been learning. They are a time when you should listen and look for messages from the universe. When you are active you are too busy to notice what needs to be cleared out. Down periods give you the precious time you need to assess your life and plan for make necessary changes.

During a downtime period reflect on what you have been doing, where you want to go in your life, and how to prepare yourself for the next active phase. Clear out your mind body and soul so that is open to the new and grow.

When you are up to big things in life new things constantly arise and you do not require much time in down periods. The more you grow yourself the shorter the low periods become and you do not go as low. I would recommend that you keep your attention focused on growing yourself. How can you create a life where you go to bed different than how you woke up? This is the key to peace and happiness in your life no matter what shows up even if it seems undesirable to you.

A funk is not a negative bad place to be in so let go of your old negative belief system around it. Accept that what you call a funk is just a down period that is necessary for your success and happiness in life.

Your assignment for this week: Do not resist where you are right now. If you are in an active period do not crave more activity just stay present to what is. If you are in a down inactive period do not resist it or have aversion to how you feel or what is and is not happening. Look for messages from the universe and see what there is for you to learn.

Copyright (c) 2008 Melisa Milonas LLC