Heres you midday Monday check-in, honey: How are you doing? Really, HOW are you doing? Are you in defense mode, keeping your head down, merely muddling through a tense situation today? Are you sucking it up, biting your tongue, holding your breath, or walking on eggshells in the name of being strong or keeping the peace? If you find yourself in the midst of any of these responses, bear in mind these are all choices. The following is are also choices, all of which are free, within your reach, and tremendously helpful in tough times: 1.) BREATHE. Its the simplest thing. Stuffing our feelings takes a huge toll on the body, mind and spirit. When we hold our breath, we tense our bodies and put ourselves on alert in ways that release primal defenses at a cellular level that take us in the opposite direction of clarity and peace. A few good, deep breaths, on the other hand, will calm the body and mind, get us grounded and relaxed like nobodys business. 2.) GO FARTHER. Instead of half-doing a thing, go one step farther and bridge the distance between so-so and success. Dont get hung up in whether anybodys going to acknowledge your efforts; do good work because it matters to YOU. When the sculptor Michelangelo created David, the idea was that the massive artwork was to stand atop a church, facing outward for eternity. No one was ever going to know the back was unfinished. When asked who was going to see Davids backside and why he was putting in so much effort, Michelangelos response was priceless. He said, Gods going to see, thats who. Granted, Im not suggesting you work yourself into the ground or get tied up in the losing game of perfectionism, honey! What I am saying, however, is that doing your best work, making sure youre proud to have your name on your work goes a long way toward giving you a sense of ownership in all that you do. It may even open new avenues of creativity, inspiration or responsibility you werent aware of before. 3.) OPEN UP. This one might be the trickiest tip to practice, because it involves letting go... and inviting people into your experience. I was raised to be independent, self-sufficient, strong and proud. As a result, I am a bona fide, big-time self-starter. Im also sometimes slow to open up and ask for help when I need it. Thats the other side of independence; we forget that we never truly do anything alone. Everyone needs help. Heres another thing: I was also raised to be a big helper, which means I place a high premium on making myself useful. In order to get, we must give--or give up or even surrender to life as it is. And if its help we need, we must be willing to receive it. Receiving takes practice too. It means we have to let ourselves be helped, to release the desire to control, and to let life and love give to us freely. Its a process, and to the extent were able to be real with ourselves at any given moment, we empower ourselves--and each other--to live on purpose and truly ready for the world!
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 19:56:50 +0000
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