Anthony Rella

Why even care about a cycle of manifestation? Whether you use my map or someone else's, it's useful to have a map of what to expect when trying to accomplish a goal. Many of our maps are too simplistic or unrealistic. We think starting a new habit should be easy, and if it's not then we're broken. Or we confuse the discomfort of change as a sign something is going wrong. Or we imagine we can work our way into some permanent state of being, like we'll reach a level of success in which everything is just okay forever.

The organic metaphor of seed, sprout, flower, and fruit to me is so rich and grounding. It humbles me to the realities of life and an ongoing process that includes what ends and dies away. This feels an important counter to prevailing machine-based metaphors that we apply to ourselves — we "rewire" the brain, we "regulate" the nervous system, as though we are technicians doing specially trained work on a complex and sensitive machine.

There would be nothing necessarily wrong with this metaphor if it wasn't accompanied by expectations of productivity that are increasingly inhuman. Our bodies have limits and needs. Our bodies aren't here to produce and stay regulated and adhere to a map that no one really designed with us in mind. Our bodies want to create, want to affect the world, want to delight and pleasure in the world. And our bodies want to rest and change.

Such a good conversation!

It's been a hot minute...I was out of commission with a surgery earlier this year and then got really focused in writing a commentary on the book of Psalms, but we're back!

This episode features author and friend Anthony Rella as we discuss the timey-wimey concepts in his book "Slow Magic."

Enjoy! and there are more episodes coming!

https://rss.com/podcasts/acousticalchemist/

I wrote about anger, an issue many of us have to grapple with at some point, for Men's Mental Health Month over at Substack.

"When we’re in the world of anger, we don’t tend to put these thoughts into words. Instead the anger rises from the gut, up through the heart and throat, tensing the arms and hands. We don’t always know why we’re so angry, only that we are. Our anger feels righteous. Anything we could do to express it feels already justified. It seems obvious that others know exactly what they’re doing, so you react without the trouble of explaining yourself."

anthonyrella.substack.com

Making change in life, or creating something new, is a meaningful expression of our life force. It helps us feel grounded, mentally and emotionally well, and empowered. Parts of us want to be able to participate in life and have impact in the world. And we can get too caught up in the efforting, the disciplining, the attempts to control every little thing about ourselves. Being in a cycle of change gives moments of rest, pause, and reflection between moments of creation. It also reminds us that destruction of what came before is a necessary step.

If you are in Seattle and interested in in-person therapy to help you either gain mastery over making change, or to let go of the anxiety of trying to control, I have space for new clients. Check me out at anthonyrella.com

This week at Substack I write more about discernment in the fruition phase of manifestation. Article available at https://open.substack.com/pub/anthonyrella/p/ethylene-gas-and-the-scales

Here are some questions we might ask ourselves after a long period of work, to see how we feel about what we've done, and what we want to do next.

Here are some questions you could use for discerning what to do with the fruits of your creative labor. Through identifying the blessings and the points of pain, we get a clearer sense of where we'd like to go next—toward more blessing and less suffering.

If you're interested in support for your discernment, I have space for consultation. Link in bio.

When our creative work of manifesting changes reaches its fruition stage, we have the need and opportunity to step back and mindfully steward our successes. We have the results of our work, ours to use or allow to spoil as desired. What helps you think about where to go next with your success?

When we've got fruit, we're confronted with an interesting dilemma. The longer you wait, the sweeter some fruit gets. But after a point, the fruit begins to rot.

Whether you're happy with the results or not, there comes a point when what you've worked to achieve stops being good for you. The fruition phase is a time to savor, but eventually it's a time to contemplate letting go. Perhaps it's simply a matter of picking up the next step in a larger manifestation. Perhaps it's about letting go of old careers and identities that no longer fit. Either way, when we're no longer nourished by what we've done, we feel that call to return to the quiet, still, fertile realm of seed energy.

Over at Substack today, I've published an article about what changes in us and our lives after accomplishing our goals. When our work bears fruit, the fruit enriches our lives. New things become possible.

Thinking about literal fruit, you could enjoy an apple as it is, or you could bake it in a pie, turn it into cider, or turn it into applesauce. The metaphor becomes odd when you apply it to thinks like getting a new job, raising kids, or establishing a new health habit—but the point is, the process doesn't end when you succeed. Life continues with this success, and you might find you have a lot of options now.

https://anthonyrella.substack.com/publish/post/200671469

For the next few weeks, I'll be writing and sharing thoughts on the fruition phase of the cycle of manifestation, closing out my ongoing exploration of the different phases. Fruition is in some ways the phase after completion. You've accomplished your goal, and now you get to find out what it's like to live a life of this accomplishment. For good or ill, you have what you desired, and you get to savor it.