Alignment Is My Hustle
After isolating in the mountains during the pandemic, I am on the precipice of returning to “real” life and I have been reflecting on the concept of living in alignment as we make decisions about our new normal. Looking back, the most challenging times in my life—personally and professionally—have come out of losing myself and trying to please others instead of trusting myself, my needs, and my innate knowing.
Alignment is a shop term for vehicle wheels placed in proper positioning for optimal performance. This can loosely be applied to the human experience of living in alignment too. When we are living in alignment, we place our personal values first and don’t try to fit into someone else’s expectations or desires—not just sometimes, but always. Our thoughts, actions, feelings, mindset and behaviors are consistently in congruence with our personal belief system and how we live moment to moment.
Alignment looks and feels grateful, abundant, fulfilled, clear, hopeful, whole, and present. When we are in alignment, we lead with the best version of ourselves and that ripples out into everything and everyone we touch. We show up grounded, present, happy, and a true source of light.
Living in alignment also means letting go of control. You are no longer attached to how things should be, manipulating the outcome to how life should unfold, or how the world around you should behave. This doesn’t mean that you don’t prepare, show up, and always put your best foot forward. You do all of the above because if you are living in alignment then you are living with intention open to all outcomes. Whatever the outcome is, you did the best you could to arrive at that moment. Most importantly when you are living in alignment there is an ease to life. We are in complete flow with the universe and not trying to contort or contract to fit into something that doesn’t innately feel right.
Misalignment can feel shaky. Once you find yourself there it’s hard to exist in this state for long. For me, contemplative questioning that comes from going inward— asking myself, what are my values and am I living my life in accordance with them—often leads me back when I go astray. When I move forward from that place of self-reflection, life is much easier. I have clarity that my intentions are pure, and I show up from a place of loving detachment around how other’s will react to my actions. When I arrive at this place it is pure liberation.
It has taken me many years to get to where I am today, and I continue to work at staying on course. Living in alignment is like a muscle that gets stronger the more we use it. Slip ups are natural and occur because life presents unfamiliar and challenging experiences. Much of my work with clients is centered around the belief that defining their values and using them as a compass to navigate life results in a life lived with vitality and ease.
My many roles—mother, partner, friend, daughter, sister, coach, entrepreneur—make it easy to lose sight of my own North Star momentarily. For example, health is one of my values but during the pandemic, like so many of us, my workout regimen and diet were deeply disrupted. I sometimes made lifestyle choices that did not truly nourish me. As a result, I felt cranky, resentful, lethargic, and unlike myself. These are some of the identifiable feelings that show up for me when I am out of alignment.
After sitting in the discomfort and messiness of misalignment, I redirect myself by going back to what I know works. I leaned into morning rituals, such as mediation and journaling, moved my body to get my heart rate up and also to move stuck energy, and gave myself more downtime. Making better choices around food and activity comes as a byproduct of the self-care that I use to nourish myself.
The beauty is, when you live life in alignment most of the time, it is impossible to stay misaligned for too long. Fortunately, as your body and spirit seek the familiar peace of being aligned and the rebound happens faster.