Being Congruent with Decisions

Generally, there are many influences during the decision-making process:

• The intellect is often dominant; we make ‘pro’ and ‘con’ lists, make rationalizations, and label things good or bad, right or wrong.
• There is often the added pressure to make decisions based on what we think we should do, rather than on what we want to do.
• We may be operating from what used to be true for us but is no longer the case.
• We may be making decisions based solely on what we think and discount or ignoring our intuition.

The practice of body-centered coaching recognizes that body, mind and spirit are different aspects of your whole being, like different doorways into the same house. We are whole people.

When making a decision, sometimes your heart wants to go in one direction and your mind in another. When there is a discrepancy - incongruence - the decision making is not only difficult; it often ends up being out of alignment.

When you pay attention to body, mind and spirit equally, you listen with all parts of your being - eyes, ears, heart, soul, body, mind - you allow for all parts to be heard and respected. That is when congruence is possible.

The individual parts need to partner with each other for the greatest good - for yourself, those around you and for the environment. For a decision to be congruent - body, mind and spirit - you need to listen to:

• your body’s wisdom - What sensations do you notice? Is there tension or is there relaxation? What does your gut say?
• your mind’s ideas - What are the positive and life-giving thoughts that support this decision? What thoughts come from an abundant mindset vs. fear?
• your spirit’s guidance - Are you connected to your higher power? What feelings do you experience? Is there joy and excitement or resignation and dread? Do you feel alive and inspirited by this decision?

As coaches, when you work with clients in their decision making process, the more you assist them to access and name all of the parts, the more congruent will be the decision that they make. When congruent decisions are made, the results lead to success and fulfillment.

© 2009 Body Mind Spirit Coaching. All Rights Reserved.

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Marlena Field, PCC, CPCC, founder and author of Body-Centered Coaching, offers a free e-newsletter titled BodyMind Wisdom: listen to your body, connect with your spirit. When you subscribe, you will receive her free audio titled “Conscious Choices for Change”.
Visit www.BodyMindSpiritCoaching.com