How do you define alignment? What gets you into it? How do you know you’re there?
I won’t waste our time asking about when you’re not there. That crunchy, sticky, uncomfortable, irritable, out of joint sense is easier to identify. Forcing, pushing, shoving. Dazed, exhausted, over it. All signs you’re out of alignment.
Years (decades!) ago, when I first came to the woo side of personal growth, I literally typed into Google: What is alignment?
The response was a long list of links for chiropractors and car alignment. Seriously!? The internet was mocking me, but I knew the truth. Alignment by any other name would feel as sweet.
Psst. Add a layer to your reading ritual ↓
I made you this: ALIGNMENT playlist.
One of the women in A Year of You (my signature coaching program) brought these questions to our Voxer group chat:
How do you define alignment?
What gets you into it?
How do you know when you’re there?
To me, alignment is that satisfying feeling of things clicking into place. Just last night, I savored the sensation as my ten year old placed the last piece of our puzzle with a confident tap, tap, tap! Alignment!
To me, alignment feels like when you set the blocks up just so in Tetris. The delightful whoosh that comes from dropping in that long blue block. Bonus points! Alignment!
These two illustrations make it seem like alignment = perfection. That’s not entirely true. It’s also not completely untrue.
Alignment isn’t perfect in a pristine or clinical way. Alignment is perfect like a sunset walk on the beach, kissing chubby baby toes, sipping a fluffy cortado, friendships that last, and finding the right words at the right time.
Alignment is a feeling of wholeness. Peace. All is well.
Anyone who’s tried to clutch alignment too tightly knows what happens next. It fades. It’s fleeting. Or flowing. Depending on your perspective. Never a fixed state.
Another woman in A Year of You said she experiences alignment as the “I’m right where I’m meant to be” feeling that arrives spontaneously.
While she’s cooking. Watching her son play. Pulling into the driveway. Walking on the trail. Rolling out her yoga mat. Sitting down to journal. Putting on a favorite outfit. Pausing to breathe.
Alignment has become aspirational.
In the past decade, the girl bosses, side hustlers, and Pinterest quote hoarders co-opted a feeling as old as time. Splashed some sparkle on it and sold it back to us as the latest thing to cram into our morning routines.
If the mantra, “Alignment before action!” has ever marched through your mind, maybe even after hearing me, your intuition coach, offer it as the answer to what ails you, let me extend a softer, more generous affirmation:
I am open to alignment arriving.*
*If you’re in a pickle, a mood, or a crisis, you might add, “… even here.”
Because while it’s very nice to find alignment before you do anything, it’s just as nice to look up and realize that alignment has arrived while you were busy doing.
That somehow. Mystically. Magically. Magnetically. Within your action-tacking, the feeling you were seeking came around and found you.
If alignment has ever been what you wanted, I invite you to define it for yourself. Write it in pencil. With margin to edit, erase, and adjust with time.
A few prompts to explore:
What does alignment feel like to me?
What helps me find that feeling?
How do I know when I’m in alignment?
And if you’re looking for a friend, thought-partner, or curious intuition coach to bounce these response off of… I’m your gal. Leave a comment below or message me on Instagram @kaileenelise.
a nudge → vision board refresh
Vision boarding is one of those creative practices that usually gets me into alignment. Use my free Canva templates to refresh your digital (phone or desktop!) vision board.
Or take this 90 minute class and I’ll teach you how to make vision boards with intuition. Usually $88, the first 4 people to use code AMOMENT will save $59.
a ritual → sip with intention
Water isn’t just for hydration. It’s a way to connect with your body and gain clarity.
Make it a ritual by choosing a beautiful glass or water bottle. Add fresh citrus, herbs, fruit, or crunchy ice. Before sipping, pause. Feel gratitude for your body, your day, your life.
Ask your inner voice, “What can bring me more clarity today?”
a fave → cherry red swimsuit
I snagged this red one-piece last summer. As an owner of big boobs (hilarious term heard here!) I’ve been surprised by how often I reach for it. So good I ordered it in black too.
a phase → last quarter moon
This lunar energy is good for removing obstacles. Take things off your list that you don’t need or want to do. Maaaaybe to make space for alignment to arrive!
a note → another year of you
We’ve had a flurry of women in A Year of You sign up for a second (or even third!) year. The reason? Once you get a taste for living in alignment with your true self, it’s easy to want more.
A Little Less Alone
New to A Moment? Read this recent issue on motherhood, Maggie Rogers, and finding bits of wisdom in the messiest middle.