Just 'Being' as Radical Rebellion
In a world obsessed with career, achievements and purpose, reclaiming our birthright to exist without chasing a goal is a rebellious choice. Lessons about Doing and Being, courtesy of Mars Retrograde.
Over the years, I've learned to pay attention to celestial cycles. This started with noticing a heightened propensity for technical mishaps during Mercury Retrograde, and later recognising the less overt (yet undeniable) rose-tinted haze conjured by Venus Retrograde.
Coincidentally (or not), we’ve just completed a Mars Retrograde. Mars is known as the planet of action, drive and passion. Three months ago, the Red planet’s motivating energy began to fade, pulling the breaks on my projects and plans.
One interesting symptom was that my cosmic downloads stopped dropping in, and I felt an unusual aversion to all things healing and spirituality – including my writings here on ‘How To Transcend’.
It wasn't my intention to take time off, it just felt right to focus on other things rather than force what I wasn’t feeling excitement for. I was conscious of this choice the whole time; there were some days I asked, "Am I being lazy?", "Should I try harder to be consistent?", and even "Have I lost my inspiration for this Substack project completely?"
At 6am on 23rd of February, like clock-work, the radio silence ended and the cosmic downloads started again. I feel the stagnant energy dissipating and my inspiration returning. As cliche as it sounds, I feel like I’m stepping out of this period of forced pause as a different person – rested, wiser and holding a treasure chest of precious insights.
It’s amusing to look back at the situations that played out. Some days felt incredibly uncomfortable and contracting. Now on the other side of it all, I find myself giving kudos to the universe for catalysing necessary change in the most unexpected ways.
While it’s fresh in my mind, I wanted to share with you what happened when I stopped ‘Doing’. A heads up to my fellow perfectionists, workaholics and over-achievers, this stuff is gold.
Contents:
Ego reactions to Mars Retrograde
What happened when I stopped ‘Doing’?
Self-Reflection Prompts
The difference between ‘Doing’ and ‘Being’
Radical Rebellion
The Intention behind your choices
Here’s your permission slip
A side note on Saviour Complex
Closing Affirmations
Ego reactions to Mars Retrograde
Our modern world is hyper-focused on ‘Doing’. Society has been built around pre-set schedules of work, school, activities and social engagements. And our culture rewards, celebrates and idolises the notion of achievement.
Anything that delays our goals or blocks forward momentum seems like an unnecessary hindrance, right?
Obviously, Mars Retrograde is a nuisance!
Ironically, the recent Mars Retrograde (6th December – 23 February) fell over the Gregorian New Year, which meant resolution setting hit different in the slow and sluggish planetary energies.
This friction may have been frustrating for those used to pushing and forcing their way forward. For those who intuitively synced with the energy, this was a time of rest, relief and recalibration.
What happened when I stopped ‘Doing’?
As a Generator with Mars in Capricorn (as well as a recovering workaholic, perfectionist and overachiever), productivity was more than a work ethic, it was an addiction. Burn out and martyrdom were common symptoms, along with self-sacrifice, over-giving and saviour complex. I felt a constant need to be doing something and had developed a story that my achievements defined my value and worth. All this self-imposed pressure, stress and expectation took a toll on my nervous system and physical body.
When the universe enforces a period of pause, a lot of uncomfortable thoughts and feelings can arise. Slowing down can bring up stories of comparison to what others are doing, a feeling of falling behind or frustration for not achieving.
This is the problem with over-identifying with your output: whenever you are not being productive, you can feel less valuable or worthy.
Beliefs like: “If I achieve a lot, I am successful” or “If I’m not productive, I am a failure.”
Inner Work helped me connect this ‘grindset mindset’ to childhood trauma (not doing enough = not valuable), and how over-doing was a defence mechanism to avoid the shame of being judged as lazy.
From a young age, we are taught to push, strive and hustle, resulting in a society prone to exhaustion and burn out.
The recent Mars Retrograde was a lesson in non-attachment, reviewing attachments to output and outcomes and the identity we create from our actions and roles. When the drive to achieve was temporarily taken out of the equation, I was left with a void-like spaciousness to just “be” – which is can be a confronting experience in itself.
In this moment of forced pause, it’s a a great time to ask how we feel about ourselves when we are not working toward something?
Self-Reflection Prompts
How important is your job, career, roles etc to your sense of identity?
Do you feel less valuable if you are not doing something?
Does your self-worth rely on what you achieve or produce?
Are you emotionally attached to your purpose or mission? What happens to your self-concept when you aren't engaging in these activities?
The difference between ‘Doing’ and ‘Being’
We live on planet duality, and our reality on Earth is expressed through two opposing principles we know as Ying and Yang, or masculine energy and feminine energy.
Doing is an expression of masculine energy – it's about our active engagement with the world and moving toward a chosen direction.
Externally focused
Acknowledges separation from desired state
Implies time (present and future states)
Exerting concentrated effort in a specific direction
Being is the feminine energy counter-part. Although we are still moving and interacting with the world, our inner state is different. We are less in the mind and more connected to our the body and our senses.
Present moment embodiment
The concept of time dissolves
Focus is on experiencing more excitement, pleasure or fun, heightened state of excitement implies effortless action
Although Doing is about action, Being is not doing nothing.
Key Point #1: Being does not mean non-action.
The truth of Being-ness is that it is a deeper, more alive and engaged in life.
While Doing involves picking a goal or destination and figuring out the practical steps to move toward it, Being is a total immersion into the experience of existing.
Unlike Doing where we create a mental separation from our desired state, Being involves high levels of embodiment and contentment.
The state of Being is free from mental assessments like comparison or self-judgement or questioning if who you are or what you are doing is successful, valid or appropriate enough.
Just like a tree, or a rock or an animal, you are as you are, simply because you are intrinsically that, and that state is not just enough, it’s a fulfilling and joyful experience because there is no sense of lack or comparison that says you should be anything else.
Key Point #2: Being is existing without evaluation.
Radical Rebellion
In a world obsessed with what we do, Being is radical rebellion because you are choosing to exist without evaluating what unfolds in your day; if you were productive or lazy, if you are proud of yourself or if you're a failure.
Connection to the physical senses is heightened while mental activity is reduced. There is a deeper communion with reality.
Whatever you are doing, you are doing fully without the mind commenting, assessing or criticising. There is less energy given to the mind which means less stage room for the inner critic to .
There's an irony to being, because you actually do alot. It doesn't really matter if you are eating or playing or working or resting. All of it is allowed and all of it is equally valid.
Your day plays out with some loose structure, but with the absence of self-judgement, I noticed alot more contentment in my days.
You become more aligned with organic nature
You become more like organic nature, existing free from the hyper stimulated mind.
The Intention behind your choices
Both Being and Doing involve action of some sort, the difference is the intention behind the action.
Key Point #3: What compels you to make a choice?
Divine Masculine: “I want to work toward achieving that goal”
Divine Feminine: “I am joyfully expressing myself”
Both energies are valid, both are powerful, both are necessary.
The spark of creation is produced when we travel between these two opposing poles, generating inertia and tension that births new life.
Traditionally, we’ve seen this harmonisation as archetypal divine union with a separate being. However, as we move into higher states of consciousness, our inner harmonisation of both these 2 energies opens the gateway to Self-Mastery and higher levels of creation.
Self-Mastery is the abilities to wield both energies at will, and the discernment to know which energy is appropriate in any given context.
Staying at any one pole for too long leads to problems. Too much Doing and we burn out. Too much Being and we lack focus and direction.
While both are equally powerful, it's worth acknowledging that our modern western world has a Masculine bias, which means many of the divine feminine qualities and expression have been repressed or distorted. So for many, becoming acquainted with the state Being can feel more foreign and require practice to understand, embody and utilise.
Incase you needed one, here’s your permission slip
Don’t be afraid to take up space. The world needs your unique light.
Don’t worry about what other people think, chances are they’re still figuring out who they are.
It’s ok to share the fuller and more authentic expression of YOU. This process doesn’t have to feel like a responsibility, duty or chore, it can be enjoyable if you allow it be.
If you’re feeling lost or confused, ask yourself: “What is the most fun way I can share myself with the world today?”
There is beauty in just being, just enjoying, just existing. And when you feel inspired to act, do so knowing that you are more than your purpose, mission or service you give out to the world.
You being you is enough, regardless if you are in a state of embodied existence or passionate action.
Key Point #4: You Being wholeheartedly you is more than enough.
A side note on Saviour Complex
As we awaken, aligning with our purpose and making the world a better place becomes more important. The deeper fulfilment in contributing to the greater good is an impulse that has been etched into our cosmic DNA.
Moving toward service to others (as opposed to self to self) is part of the spiritual evolution journey, however it’s very possible to develop ego stories, identities and attachments to our roles and missions that can lead to us over-giving or self-sacrificing.
Yes, we’re going to build New Earth together and each one of us has a unique piece of the puzzle to contribute. But from my personal experience, there are real dangers of becoming a spiritual martyr, especially when you priorities the needs of the collective over your own personal needs.
As the old saying goes, “You can't pour from an empty cup” and truth is, others can feel if you’re giving from a place of exhaustion, obligation, desperation or scarcity.
Key Point #5: Make your spiritual contribution, but be mindful it’s not at your own expense.
In the spiritual community, I see some teachers that positioning our Earth missions as the number 1 priority, urging Starseeds and lightworkers to push themselves and “remember their mission” without considering if they have the emotional, mental or material capacity to . This type of narrative can exacerbate the self-sacrificing tendencies of empaths or those prone to codependency.
Before incarnating, our soul may have big ambitions to impact the world. But as humans navigating the physical realm, we are responsible for ensuring that our physical body is in good condition, our material needs for food and shelter are adequate, and that our nervous system is managing with the influx of evolutionary cosmic energies.
Additionally, we need to cultivate a healthy ego/ self-concept so that we don’t attach to roles of being the saviour or rescuer. As more and more of us merge with our spiritual essence, it’s important that we don’t attribute our self-worth from a job, mission or a purpose.
Closing Affirmations
“I am enough, even if I don't know my purpose”
“I am enough, even when I’m not helping others”
“I am enough. Period.”
Inner Work teaches us to foster contentment without the need for external validations, and from that place of knowing your wholeness already, move towards your goals joyfully.
Let the impact you make and lives you change be the icing on top, because cultivating your own inner light (even if others can’t see it or don't acknowledge it) is divine purpose in itself.
This creates a domino effect, where all your outer manifestations will reverberate with the exaltation of your inner light.
Show up and express all of you, trusting that the right people will find you and that it's all divinely timed. If something needs to change, trust this will be highlighted for you in the perfect way. Remain open to the signs, and make adjustments when prompted.
This is your communion with spirit, this is you being an embodied spiritual master on the Earth plane.
With love,
Kevin