We woke up this morning to an eerily orange sky. Everything outside was covered in ashes. At noon in "sunny" California it was so dark I found myself checking my watch to check my reality. It took more than a little effort to remind myself, "I'm right here, and I'm responsible for my inner experience", even when the world around me was...orange.
Maybe Mars is orange. I don't know and I'm unlikely to find out anytime soon. However, if I do go to Mars, I want to be sure I pack the right things. What are the "right" things? That's different for everyone.
As a coach, I help my clients explore what's "right" by uncovering their values. Making decisions is much easier when you have a list of your top 10 values to use as a guide. One way we dig for those values is by going to Mars.
Let's say you are going to Mars, and for this trip, you don't know if you will be returning home. What 10 things you would take? People, like your family or your friends, count as one item per group.
Everyone's Mars list is SO different. After 22 years of coaching, this is still one of my favorite exercises because I never know exactly what will show up. Here are a few of my all-time favorite surprises:
-my Pro-Active skin care regimen (now THAT's a commercial)
-my ruby red slippers, so I can click my heals and go home whenever I want
-booze, to have something to do with the friends I'm bringing
-my family, except for my pain in the ass uncle
At the end of the exercise, we start to get clarity on what's really important between the lines of the list, for example, beauty, security, connection, harmony. Our level of aliveness expands as we live in alignment with what's important,
Now it's your turn. You are going to Mars. You can decide if your list is for a year-long visit or a permanent move. What 10 things would you take? Make your list and come back to share what you discover. What did you find in-between the lines of your list?
If anyone has a blue sky I can borrow for my trip to Mars, can you hit me up? Thanks!