What’s Your King-Pin?
Identifying it is the doorway to greater flow within your life
“Find the thought which is your great oppressor; find the King-Pin.
In the logging camps in the Spring, the logs are sent down the rivers in great numbers.
Sometimes the logs become crossed and cause a jam; the men look for the log causing the jam (they call it the King-Pin), straighten it, and the logs rush down the river again.”
~ Florence Scovel Shinn, from The Secret Door to Success
What is the King-Pin in your life? The great oppressor that’s keeping you stuck … keeping you from being in the flow of your life’s growth and evolution?
Your King-Pin as an Emotion or Thought
Maybe your King-Pin is an emotion or thought, like resentment, judgment, negative thinking, doubt, low self-worth, or fear. (Note: You might have more than one King-Pin.)
I wondered: what would I identify as a King-Pin in my life right now? What’s causing a jam?
For me, it’s holding on to an old belief system that’s attached to how I view my value. Translation: how much money I believe I am worthy of earning.
I’ve got a ceiling that I am well aware of that keeps me at a certain level. It’s an old, well-worn story that isn’t serving me.
I know that this King-Pin is keeping me from ascending to the next level in my evolution and growth. And so, recognizing that this causes a jam in my life also informs me where to focus my inner work and healing, so that I can start to create a new story — and eventually raise that ceiling.
Your King-Pin as a Thing
Maybe your King-Pin is a thing, like a house or a job.
The other morning I asked my husband, “Do you know what a King-Pin is?”
He said, “I think a kingpin is one of those pins in bowling. Or like a head honcho.” (Yes, both are true.)
However, I read to him the passage in Shinn’s book – how it was also the name of a log that creates a jam, and that once it’s removed or straightened out, all the other logs flow freely again.
He immediately said to me, “Our house was my King-Pin.”
His answer gave me pause, but I see the truth in it.
He said that our house was the thing that was preventing him, and us, from doing other things. It’s kept us stuck. He felt tethered to it: emotionally, financially, and physically.
And releasing it (we sold our house in May) is opening up everything: emotionally, financially, and physically.
While it’s felt like a hard bandaid to rip off, it frees us up to make room for other things.
This has been one of the hardest decisions we’ve had to make – to move from our family home – but as my husband and I had many discussions leading up to our final decision, it was the right adult choice, it was the sound choice, it was the freeing choice, made with insight and foresight.
This home, as dearly beloved as it is to us, became the King-Pin, keeping us stuck from flowing in our lives.
Find Your King-Pin
So — what’s your King-Pin? Once you can identify it, it’s time to address it in whatever manner is most helpful: sell the house; take the class; work with a coach; change your job; develop a spiritual practice; journal your thoughts; choose a new relationship; see a therapist; raise your rates; and so forth. You’ll soon find your “logs of success, happiness and abundance will go rushing down the river,” as Shinn shares.
Do the work. Be courageous when facing your King-Pin. Find the thought or thing that is your great oppressor and move towards it. Look at it, embrace it, and then don’t wait: Address it.
Even when it may feel uncomfortable or heartbreaking. Trust that you are being Divinely guided.
Personal freedom, authenticity, and abundance will follow.
I will leave you with this:
“The ‘Game of Life’ is a game of solitaire, as you change, all conditions will change.” – Florence Scovel Shinn
Thanks for reading.
Keep holding the light. xo, Laurie