UNLOCKING SPIRITUAL BALANCE: 7 Insights from a Good Haircut!!
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Have you ever wondered why a common piece of advice when someone wants a fresh start is to get a haircut?? Usually when we look at before and after photos, we see people very pleased with the results. And we stand amazed at the wonderful difference. Barbers and hairdressers are indeed out here changing lives!!
Our hair tells a story and expresses so much. It’s often the centerpiece of our aesthetic. That’s why most of us, both men and women, have some level of obsession with our hair. Yet the story behind our hair usually has very little to do with the aesthetic. The stylist/barber chair is often the equivalent of a therapist’s couch. If you’ve ever listened to makeover stories, then you know what people are grappling with runs deep and it shows up in the hair. Our hair can shed light on what’s going on with us. If we listen to our hair and pay attention to how we engage with our hair, we can learn quite a bit about ourselves.
The other day while sitting for a pedicure, I was scrolling through my social media feeds. And even though I wouldn’t consider myself a hair enthusiast, my feeds are filled with hair content. It’s not random filler though. I’ve been on quite the hair journey intentionally for the past seven years. I plan to share my hair story possibly later this summer or early fall. Subscribe so you don’t miss when my hair story drops.
While sitting there in the pedicure chair, it occurred to me that a good haircut can teach us a few things about being balanced spiritually. Or as I say it here at Harmonious Balance, achieving spiritual energy balance. For those of you unfamiliar with the principles of Harmonious Balance, I encourage you to read more about it.
Introducing Harmonious Balance
In a nutshell, achieving/pursuing Harmonious Balance involves proper energy management across four energy valences: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Today we are talking about spiritual energy. Spiritual energy is all about a commitment to purpose which begins with clarity of purpose. And the greatest barrier to achieving spiritual energy balance would be unclear purpose.
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Again spiritual energy is all about purpose. And that would be purpose as in your overall life purpose as well as your intention towards a specific endeavor. So how do haircuts tie into all this talk about spiritual energy balance? Well wait no further. My pedicure revelations include seven spiritual energy lessons from a good haircut.
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In no particular order:
A good haircut removes what doesn’t serve us. Most of us seek a haircut to reduce heaviness in the hair, remove split ends, even out uneven lengths, and to jazz up dull/dated looks. What’s even more interesting is we all notice when someone needs a good haircut. We notice heaviness, flatness, dullness, stringiness, unevenness, etc. Purpose is the great eliminator of detractors.
A good haircut draws attention to assets not deficits. Have you ever been unhappy with a haircut even though the stylist gave you what asked for? It’s likely because the cut was not customized to flatter your face shape. A good haircut points to what flatters you. A fulfilling and rewarding purpose is strengths-based. It does not center on weaknesses and deficits.
A good haircut provides direction for the hair. Purpose is all about direction and intention. I’ve begun to hear stylists using the word control to describe hair. Purpose allows for more control over our destinies. Having direction for our hair lessens any frustration we may experience with our hair because the road map for styling has already been provided through the cut. Moving with and on purpose means that we are not lost without direction.
A good haircut defines clear boundaries. Definition is a term often used in hair styling. A good haircut provides a clear cut shape that is obvious to everyone. It becomes much easier to detect when a hair is out of place and when certain hairs have grown out of the shape. We usually are itching to get back into the chair when our shape begins to look out of shape. Purpose delineates boundaries almost seamlessly making them easier to respect and enforce.
A good haircut provides foundation for a flattering grow-out. I heard a stylist say that a good pixie cut will grow into a nice bob. A good bob cut will grow into a nice LOB (longer bob) and other longer styles. If your hair is not in the best shape for your desired cut, a good stylist knows how to cut your hair in a transition style of sorts, to best position you for the desired style. Purpose can reveal gaps and facilitate a strategic plan to address those gaps. Once you become accustomed to making purpose driven decisions, those decisions become easier and easier. And you may experience what feels like accelerated progress because you are no longer hindered by distractions.
A good haircut is not randomly executed. A good haircut is cohesive and connected. It is not choppy. There are no holes. Remember the greatest barriers to achieving spiritual energy balance are unclear purpose and lack of commitment to purpose. Usually when there is no clarity or commitment, there are inconsistencies and we act in a random fashion. A purposeful approach is the exact opposite of a scattershot approach.
A good haircut makes us less afraid of shears. Most women are afraid of hair cutting shears. Many women think stylists are scissor happy. We do not like to see those shears in our stylist’s hands. When we finally press past the fear and arise from the chair with a fabulous cut, we are glad we did it. And it becomes easier and easier to see shears in our stylist’s hands. Many times we begin to look forward to it. Fear holds us back in so many ways. When we have a set direction and a clear vision for our lives, we do not want to waste energy on fear. We actually begin to slice through fear with our spiritual shears.
So there you have it! If you liked these lessons, check out this article.
Onward to happy hair and Harmonious Balance my friends,
Johanna
**For customized content requests,1:1 coaching and speaking inquiries, feel free to contact me.**