Brave Faces, Running to & from Unhealthy places The world has “moved on” (I’m a Dark Tower fan) from the way it was, and we get to be a part of its shifting. In this situation, we are all running. We are either running away from the change, or running toward it to embrace it. For those of us running away, the hope is to change direction by first awakening to some awareness, then connect, support, pause, breathe, and grow together. This is my invitation to introspection.
The struggle is real for all of us right now. Being ready and willing to show up for work, family, friends, and yourself may seem hard during this time. Dare I even mention that online class you signed up for but haven’t stopped snacking long enough to participate in? Hey, no shame. I’m drawing from my experience here, AND I teach classes! Phrases like, “adulting is hard” come to mind. The struggle is real right now, but how many of you remember growing from an absence of struggle? It is time to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Let this be your Mantra. (If you’re holding your breath, let it go now, *Wink* you’re welcome).
We are encouraging each other to be brave, be kind, be calm, be unafraid. We are watching/reading all these fear-inspiring videos/articles. However, I imagine many of us kinda wanna do what the video I posted on @gr8fulmoves implies. Put on that brave face and sturdy stature, then, run down the street, flailing like a creature is chasing you. What exactly are we running from here?
We might be running from loss. Loss of the connection to others. Loss of the job you fought so hard to get, or the one you never wanted but can’t imagine being without. It might be the loss of a loved one or the loss of the ability to go to your favorite social spot. In some cases, we do not know what we are running from. This is the time for self-reflection.
Meditation provides that space for meditation. There are many paths to meditation. There is no “right way” to meditate, so ya might as well give it a try. Just one breath at a time. It can be sitting still or movement practices, literally running with an intention to untangle, sticking your hands into a bag of beans - whatever helps to focus the mind and dial back the chaos.
We also need to take time to connect. It's important to find someone whom you can name your fears in order to move beyond them. It’s important to be a sounding board for each other so we don’t develop stories about ourselves and our perceptions in our minds that aren’t grounded in reality. If you don’t feel like you need that person, can you be open to being that person for someone else? When was the last time you checked on friends? P.S. Don’t feel bad about it, that’s not what this is, just reach out to one or many. It’s all good.
Let’s take that deep breath and be brave. We have the time to take a look in the mirror, start fresh, make some small shifts, grow, and commit to the world we want, and not just tweet about it banking on someone else doing the heavy lifting. What will you do to stop running from and begin a measured, grounded running toward? Even if the end result isn’t achieved, the passion of the pursuit will feed and sustain you. Now is your time to run toward healthy connections, run toward goals with focus, run toward something new, and run toward your passion. I’m open to talking about it if you feel like you need to. Find me @gr8fulmoves or at the .com of the same name.
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