Committing to commitments

Squirrel Spirit Animal

By Ina Woolcott

"The idea that there are obstacles that can't be overcome is not part of Squirrel’s outlook on life, nor is giving up. Squirrel is an almighty power animal to have any time when you feel you have reached a dead-end in your life, or in a situation and ready to give up. We are shown that perseverance and the readiness to try different methods are the keys to success.

 – it can also mean being as flexible as Squirrel when it comes to allowing and starting change.

When squirrels prepare for the winter, they gather only what they require. This teaches us the importance of letting go/getting rid of unnecessary physical objects, and also negative beliefs, emotions, and memories which limit our faith in love and abundance. We need to lighten our load, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

As busy as these animals are, they always have time to play. This teaches us that there IS time for everything in life, that the balance between work, play, rest, and contemplation is essential to our overall feeling of wellbeing and harmony. We are reminded that on our journeys to fulfill our goals, it is vital to make time for play and socializing.

Ask yourself are you too active, not active enough, too afraid, or hung up on accumulating and collecting. Squirrel people can sometimes be a little erratic, trying to do many things at once. Take the time to stop, listen, and to heed your inner self.

Don’t forget to play, no matter what age you are! Don’t have too much on your plate at any one time.

Squirrels are very trusting and are one of the few (wild) animals that will eat out of a person’s hand. This symbolizes a need to let down your defenses, and to learn to trust more, remember that you will be taken care of."

I knew that the last 3 squirrels I noticed on 3 different occasions while brooding over my new circumstances meant something.

I gave my word that I'd stick with this work for one year, respectively 10 months. So now I have 9 more to go. That's not a lot.

Too many times in my life I intended to stick with major decisions that I knew were healthy for me and would yield positive results over time. But I gave up. 

I made commitments more than I care to count, e.g. never start dead-end relationships, leave spirit-sucking jobs, diminish unhealthy lifestyle - including toxic environments, soulless food, and drinks, sleepless nights partying or worrying, and the many promises to myself to never escape my emotions again... I had a few goes at it and then dropped it. In the end, I learned to listen to my intuition and thus avoid most of the above.

There wouldn't be so many 'startovers', have I just stuck with my best intentions to commit to what's good for me.  

No commitment is the same. If we intend to break it, get honest with yourself first and foremost.

When it comes to mundane commitments like giving up sugar for good, I seem to get distracted. I reduced it to natural sugar, but once or twice a month I sin, yet the Earth keeps on spinning and my weight stays stable.

A commitment not to ever drink coffee is also unsustainable, and little does depend on whether I stick to it or indulge once in a while. Most of the information out there is confusing and unfounded. I normally crave extra caffeine in the second half of my cycle. I experience estrogen drop, loss of energy, and more muscle fatigue. Even then, I'd have one cup a day and it's gotta be just the right brew not to make me jittery. Come my period, I naturally wean off of it for the next 2 weeks or so.

Regarding wine, the only commitment I must/want to make is that I won't use it as a tool to numb myself. I need to first feel the full weight of those feelings that irritate me and I must deal with them as an adult, accept my responsibility for creating certain situations, and for not managing too well. I commit to not reaching for a drink every time I desire a little thrill. I want a party, not a pity party. 

Ideas for when we want to relax: Try a little nap, have a calming tea, have an energizing tea, a tiny snack, or masturbate.

Michael Neil says: There aren't enough cookies in the world to make us feel happy and loved. Cheers to that!

My commitment to working as a carer for Teal in York, UK is still on, and it will be on until it feels true to my heart, granted that I won't trade it for anything less important. It does feel great to commit to something. Someone should hold me accountable!