By Marianne Clyde
You’re dangling. You’re feeling like your fingers could slip at any minute! Should you just let go and see what happens?
NO!
So often when we feel discouraged, lonely, or at the end up our rope, it feels like it would be so easy to just give up. But we need to remember that there is always something that you can do. It doesn’t have to be a big, dramatic action.
Just like a rudder on a ship, the smallest tweak can save you from crashing into an iceberg!
The most important thing to remember is that we are the captain of our own ship. We are the one at the steering wheel. We are the one navigating. We are the one who knows what to do.
It doesn’t always feel like that. I must confess that sometimes get tired of hanging on. I wish someone would come and save me, give me a life-saving bit of advice, just tell me what to do. But then I remember, I don’t like being told what to do. I know I am smart. I know I have resources. I know I have a bag of tricks that can help me overcome a funk. I’m just tired.
Sometimes the best thing to do is just rest. Allow your mind and body to catch up to the whirling thoughts in your head, and recovering from the dizziness you feel when your head is spinning. Or the weariness you feel just from the happenings of life. Rest. Breathe. You are allowed to slow down.
“I think it’s really important to recognize the tangible impact our internal processes have on our external experiences. David R. Hawkins, world famous author and researcher on consciousness, identified 17 levels of “consciousness” from high to low, or positive energy to negative energy:
In essence, Hawkins emphasizes the importance of aligning with positive energy and states of consciousness as a pathway to personal growth, spiritual evolution, and the realization of one’s highest potential. Through practices such as mindfulness, self-awareness, and intentional living, individuals can cultivate a greater sense of inner peace, harmony, and connection with the universal energy that permeates all of existence.
While that might seem a bit too esoteric, it’s pragmatically true that angry people are difficult to be around. Joyful, happy, purposeful people inspire you to do better. Sad, depressed people can pull you down emotionally. Positive, inspiring people can lift you up. When you are completely conscious of the kinds of energy you surround yourself with and pick up from others, you can begin to control what kind of energy you put out. You certainly can’t control anyone else’s mood or state of mind, but you can always control your own. And you can train yourself to get better and more purposeful at it.” [From Supernova Woman: Reimagining Life After Your Turn 50, Chapter 7]
It’s important and empowering to notice where you are on the scale of emotional energy. Awareness. Noticing. These things are the beginning of change. Just by making the effort, you are already starting the ball rolling.
Are you stuck in Anger? What emotion is higher than anger on the scale? Pride. Courage. Neutrality. Acceptance. You don’t have to jump all the way to Joy, but can you move up one degree? Can you identify something that you are proud of? Can you summon the courage to say something? Can you forgive and move up to neutrality?
One little bump in the list will loosen the grip of the anger. It will distract you from what you are stuck on.
I keep a mental list of things that make me happy. Just by taking the motion to step outside into the fresh air helps. Or petting my dog. Or taking a walk. Or putting things in a box to give away. Any one of those things moves the rudder a bit for me. It might not make me giddy, but it begins to peel the “gum off my shoe.”
What is is for you? [The list above comes from David Hawkins’ book, Letting Go.]
Action Step: There are many things you can do. But just taking a moment to be still and notice where you are emotionally is a big step. Look at the list and figure out what is the closest emotion to what you are feeling. You don’t even have to figure out WHY you are feeling that way yet. Just make a decision to tweak your rudder. Since body, soul, and spirit are so integrally entwined, if you tweak one, you tweak the others. If you need help figuring things out, just schedule a free call with me.
