Arriving.... The Quiet Power of Generating State

This week, I experienced something I've been thinking about ever since.

It wasn't a dramatic moment.

No lightning bolt.

No life-changing announcement.

Just a quiet realization that has continued to unfold over the last few days.

This week it was my turn to facilitate our Coaches Coaching Coaches group.

Every DreamBuilder session begins by generating state.

Normally, we do that through intentional breathing. We take a few slow breaths together, allowing ourselves to settle in, become present, and leave the distractions of the day behind.

This week, I wanted to add something.

After we breathed together, I turned on a song.

Then I offered an invitation.

"If you'd like, I invite you to stand. If standing isn't comfortable today, please stay seated. Move in whatever way feels good to you. This is your experience."

That part mattered to me.

This wasn't about dancing.

It wasn't about doing anything right.

It was simply an invitation to arrive.

The music began.

People started moving.

Some gently swayed.

Some laughed.

Some smiled.

Some closed their eyes.

And as I watched them...

I felt like I could literally see the day falling away.

The meetings.

The emails.

The stress.

The responsibilities.

The conversations they'd had before logging in.

One song at a time...

It was as though everyone was gently setting those things down.

Not forever.

Just long enough to become fully present.

Mind.

Body.

Heart.

Soul.

All in the same place.

Not yesterday.

Not tomorrow.

Here.

That image has stayed with me all week.

Because it made me realize something I don't think I had fully appreciated before.

State matters.

What Is State?

We all know what it feels like to walk into a room already frustrated.

To have a conversation while distracted.

To try solving a problem when we're overwhelmed.

We've all experienced those moments when we're physically present, but mentally we're somewhere else.

We've also experienced the opposite.

A walk through the forest.

A favorite song.

A deep breath.

A sunset.

A heartfelt conversation.

A quiet moment in prayer.

Nothing outside of us necessarily changed.

But something inside us did.

That's what I mean by state.

Our state is the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual place from which we're experiencing this moment.

It's the lens through which we see our lives.

And I'm beginning to believe it influences far more than we realize.

Why It Matters

One of the principles I've learned through the DreamBuilder Program is that we create from who we're being.

I've heard that teaching many times.

I've believed it.

I've shared it.

But watching that room transform helped me experience it in a whole new way.

If my vision is a life filled with joy...

Freedom...

Vitality...

Peace...

Love...

Purpose...

Then perhaps those qualities aren't only part of my future.

Perhaps they're qualities I can intentionally begin cultivating today.

Not because I'm pretending life is perfect.

Not because I'm ignoring challenges.

But because I'm learning that the state I bring into each moment shapes how I experience that moment.

And perhaps...

How I respond to it.

One of My Doorways

I've danced almost every day for more than two years.

I've always known it makes me feel better.

I've learned about dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins.

I've often called dance medicine.

But this week I realized something deeper.

Dance doesn't simply improve my mood.

It helps me arrive.

When I dance...

I become more present.

More grateful.

More awake.

More connected to my body.

More connected to nature.

More connected to God.

More connected to the Power Within.

It's difficult to describe.

The best words I've found are these:

It changes the state from which I experience my life.

Your Doorway Might Be Different

Dance is one of my favorite doorways.

Yours may be something entirely different.

Maybe it's walking beneath towering trees.

Listening to music.

Gardening.

Painting.

Kayaking.

Prayer.

Writing.

Watching birds.

The practice itself isn't the point.

The question is:

What helps you arrive?

What helps you become fully present?

What awakens the most grateful...

Connected...

Alive version of yourself?

Because I have a feeling we all have those doorways.

Sometimes we've simply forgotten to walk through them.

An Invitation

This week I'd love to invite you into a simple experiment.

Before your next important conversation...

Before beginning your work...

Before making an important decision...

Pause.

Notice your state.

Then gently ask yourself:

What would help me arrive?

Maybe it's one deep breath.

Maybe it's stepping outside.

Maybe it's your favorite song.

Maybe it's dancing.

Whatever it is...

Don't underestimate it.

Because I'm beginning to believe that one of the most loving things we can do for ourselves isn't simply preparing for the moment.

It's preparing ourselves.

Perhaps that's what generating state is really about.

Not becoming someone different.

But becoming fully available to the person we already are.