MONDAYS / On Creating Space for the New
EPISODE OVERVIEW: This is a moment for us to take a pause and look at where we might be filling our time with outdated action.
Hosted by Fiona Bicknell
Unexpected pauses in life—whether due to health challenges, career shifts, or the natural conclusion of a chapter—often create open space that many feel compelled to fill. Instead of embracing these moments, we can tend to rush to occupy them with distractions, over-analysis, or familiar patterns that keep us tethered to the past. Yet, these unplanned gaps can hold the key to transformation, offering an opportunity to realign, reset, and invite something new.
This episode explores the discomfort and potential of open space, examining the common urge to resist uncertainty and the power of allowing it instead. Through insights on navigating change, recognizing outdated habits, and embracing the unknown with greater trust, listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how to move forward with intention. A simple yet powerful practice is also shared to help break old cycles and step into new possibilities.
THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU IF:
You’re in a transition period and feel uncertain about what’s next.
You tend to fill empty space with distractions rather than sitting with the unknown.
You sense that old habits or patterns are keeping you from real growth.
You want to cultivate more trust in life’s timing and open yourself to new possibilities.
You’re ready to break cycles that no longer serve you and step into something new with clarity.
What Next?
If this episode felt useful and you’d like to connect further with PORTER, there are multiple ways to engage with Fiona and the brand:
To tune into more OVT, browse all episodes at the link below.
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Okay, hi.
It is Monday, October 28th.
And I'm very happy to be recording again after a somewhat unexpected hiatus.
These past couple of weeks, I spent the first week on bed rest unexpectedly.
So I had a little bit of a health challenge pop up that everything is totally fine, I am great, there will be a full recovery.
But I was forced into a space of rest, and I was forced to stop my normal day-to-day activity.
And there is a bit of a long-term or I'm going to say a midterm impact of this challenge that is also meaning that some of the other things that I had planned over the next few months in terms of my work and what it is that I've been creating have been put on hold a little bit.
So I've unexpectedly, and in a way that is beyond my control, found myself in a place that I have space.
I have room, like I had this full week of almost being on bed rest for the whole week, and this space created in that way.
So forced to do nothing almost.
And now what I'm looking at is the next few months ahead of me this unexpected space because I don't have the physical capacity to do some of the things that I was planning both professionally and personally.
And what that's brought up for me is a reflection and a review of what happens when space is created.
And I've been having lots of conversations with people about this.
It has come up in a lot of client sessions as well.
And it feels a little bit like there are a lot of people at the moment who are experiencing these gaps in their days.
There's more time available to us all of a sudden.
And there's multiple ways that this can happen.
For some people, I've been hearing it's like, they're in a job that they've been in for quite a while, and they've reached a good place, and everything's running smoothly, and the job isn't really challenging anymore.
So it's like easier to manage, and therefore they have more energy available and more time available.
They're moving through things more quickly, more easily, and there's more space created.
And for other people, it's like some projects maybe have just come to an end or going into the holiday period, and a lot of people are kind of wrapping things up and anticipating having more space on their hands.
And I have other people that, or other clients that have come to a kind of place of recognizing that they want to do something different.
And therefore, like, actively or intentionally creating space to explore new things or where they want to go.
And then there is my own example of I was forced to, this space was created for me.
It was beyond my control. It just kind of arrived. And I had no say in the matter. It just all of a sudden was like, you can't do anything. You just have to be still.
And what it has brought up, and what I'm seeing it bring up for a lot of people, is old patterns and old habits.
What we do to fill the space.
And it takes me back to one of the earliest Monday messages that I did, which was all around us, getting comfortable in the face of the unknown.
And it feels a little bit like we're at another point where a lot of people are feeling like they're ready for something new, they're ready for something different, they want some change, but we can't quite see what it is yet.
And it's almost like the space is being created for it, whether that's intentionally or by chance.
That space is being created.
And our challenge right now is to try and stop ourselves from filling the space.
And the ways we fill the space, in particular, things that I'm seeing.
Number one is overthinking.
Number one is getting stuck in this space of trying to figure things out or feeling like there's something you need to figure out.
And I'm guilty of this as well, completely.
Whenever I had time on my hands, it was like, oh, I need to be thinking more about what I can do with my business, and learning more, and reading more, and strategizing more, and planning more, and making more content.
Yeah, and this feels true for a lot of people I've been speaking to about this over the past couple of weeks.
It's like, whenever space is created, the mind goes to this place of like, oh shit, I've got to figure something out.
I can't see what's next, or I've got this space, so I need to fill it.
And we can go into these spaces of or places of questioning ourselves, of doubting ourselves.
And yeah, and just overanalyzing.
I had a conversation with a friend last week on this very topic in the context of dating, and a recognition that they were having the same experience on repeat with the people that they were dating.
That they were, that for the last few people that this person had explored dating with, it was the same pattern that was playing out.
And therefore, they were having the same conversation with their therapist every week, and coming to a place of realizing, I'm just actually filling the space with the same thing over and over and over.
And then I'm sitting and trying to analyze it and coming to the same conclusion every time.
And the other way I've been seeing it play out is people who recognize they want to create something new or they want to move in a new direction in their vocation.
And feeling like, oh, I have to like sit down and figure it all out, that I have to strategize or put a plan in place or figure out what it is I'm doing next before I can start doing this next thing, rather than just embracing the space that's available to see what comes.
Then other ways we do this is complaining.
Gossiping is a big one.
And then numbing, numbing behaviors. And numbing is a big one for me. That's something that I've been like recognizing in myself.
It's food behaviors has popped up for me again.
Things that I've already looked at in the past, things that I've already been through, things that I already understand, things that I already know.
Don't serve me, don't make me feel good.
And I've moved through the process in the past of overcoming some of these behaviors.
And yet, all of a sudden, there's this space in front of me. And these old behaviors pop back in.
Because they're trying to, yeah, they're trying to come in and ease something or numb something.
But we know these behaviors don't serve us.
And what I want to suggest is perhaps happening here, is the feeling we're trying to numb, or the feeling that drives us to think we have to figure something out.
It's fear. It's fear of what's next.
It's fear of not being able to see what's next. It's fear of, well, if I actually have the space, then what?
Or in the context of that dating example I gave, it's like, well, if I actually start to date someone different, and I then have the kind of partnership that I have been looking for, and it feels supportive rather than something that distracts me, well, then I have the space and the support system to fulfill my potential or to go and create the things in the world that I want to create.
Holy shit. What do I do with that? It feels scary, right?
And I hope I'm tracking here because I'm jumping around a bit on various different examples. But I'm just going to suggest to tune in to yourself for a moment. Look at where there is space available in your life to explore something new, whether that is new kinds of connections, new kinds of relationship, new kinds of roles and new vocational direction.
Wherever there is space for you to explore something new, can you look at how you might be trying to fill that space with something old?
I'm going to suggest, take a look at which behaviors am I repeating that feel old, they feel like they belong to a past version of myself.
And then when it comes to conversation, think about, well, just take this line. This line was given to me once.
What conversation do you need to stop having?
Look for the conversation that you have had over and over and over.
The thing that you often say is like, you know, but I still have to figure this out, or it will become clear in time, or I'll figure it out eventually. But you're having that same conversation over and over. I'm going to suggest practice not having that conversation. Look at the ways you respond to certain questions that are posed to you as well.
When you're catching up with friends, when you're chatting with family and they're asking about what's going on in your life, just pay attention or bring awareness to where you might, yeah, be filling that space by default with old responses, or the types of conversation that lead you to overanalyze or overthink things.
There was a theme that came up for part of the October energy forecast. And I know we're right at the end of October, but it still feels really relevant now.
And October was a month for being decisive. It was like there's no more deliberation. There's no more seeking advice on something that you already have an answer to. And that feels really relevant here.
It's like look for the ways that you, yeah, you might trick yourself into thinking that you don't have an answer yet, or that there's still something to figure out when there's not.
And I'm not suggesting it's easy to hold yourself in this space with no plan and you can't see what's in front of you.
But I'm going to suggest that that's the practice for the week ahead. Can you look at where there is space in your life that is being created?
And can you really practice trying not to fill it, or not to fill it with anything old? Can you make a commitment to yourself that where there's space, I'm going to try and fill it with something new?
And if you are into human design or you know your human design, yeah, take a look at the guidance of your chart.
Take a look at, you know, if you're a generator or a manifesting generator, can you fill that space with something that lights you up?
If you're a projector, can you fill that space with something that fascinates you that you've not explored before?
If you're a manifesto, can you fill that space with whatever kind of creative urge there is that wants to come through you?
Yeah, this is about filling the space with something new and really looking at where there is a tendency to fill it with something old.
Okay, I think that's it.
And if you don't know your human design, you can jump onto my website and fill in your details and get your chart for free that will give you that information.
Actually, I'm going to add on one more thing there.
Then look at the profile of your chart.
If you're really looking to like, what can I fill the space with?
Because you might not have the big picture of what's coming next.
So it's like, well, the brain wants to go to that place of, well, I've got to figure out what's next.
And we want to try and teach ourselves, we don't have to figure it all out. That maybe we just need to make one decision of what am I going to do with this time or this space that's in front of me.
So can you look at the profile of your chart, of your human design chart?
If you have a line one, the number one in your profile, I'm going to suggest exploring, filling the space with whatever sparks your curiosity.
This might be research, it might be going down rabbit holes on things, thinking about absorbing new information, whatever lights you up in that way.
If you have a two in your profile, think about whatever comes with most ease, the things that flow out of you, the things that feel really easy and natural. Can you do more of that?
If you have a three in your profile, you want to activate this process of trial and error. Look for the thing that feels like, I just want to jump in and like experience this, and like try this, try it out for yourself. So new experiences.
And yeah, okay, I'm going to leave it there.
So the theme to carry through the week is, look for where there is space being made in your life.
Bring awareness to anywhere you might be filling that space with old habits, old behaviors, old conversations.
And then practice filling the space with something new, leaning on your human design if that feels helpful.
Okay, that is everything.
I am sending you so much love.
I hope you have a really beautiful week ahead, and I will be back later in the week for the November energy forecast.
Sending love.
