Spinning Your Wheels
Do you ever try to do all the things and then end up feeling like you're spinning your wheels? It happens to all of us and today it happened to me. I felt the old familiar feelings bubbling to the surface....overwhelm, stress, frustration....then came the checking out which to me feels a lot like failure. I'm telling you this because it's normal. I'm telling you this because no matter how much you learn or how many tools you have life still happens. I'm mainly telling you this to help you activate new thinking.
I've felt this way in times when I felt stuck and was longing for change. I've felt this way several years ago when I was told I was slowly dying and I didn't know how to heal myself yet. And today I felt this way because all the changes I've been recently asking for have started to show up. You would think this last one is a good thing. The reality is they are ALL good things. The reality is that your fears and your lack will show up in ALL the things. And that all these situations are opportunities. So when these shitty feelings show up REMIND yourself it is simply a sign to tap into your tools.
It is NOT a failure. It is NOT a sign that your dreams are hopeless. It is NOT the moment you give up or give in. It IS telling you to pause. It IS telling you to shift gears. It IS the moment you push through in a different way.
When you hit this wall, check the dialogue in your head and start the telling of the story of you in your POWER. It goes something like this:
Here is another bump in life. I have been through them before and can handle this one now. This calls for a few deep breaths. Maybe a walk. I'm going to put on my favorite song. Alright, Self, what is the one most powerful thing I can do in this moment?
If you don't get an immediate answer, then your next most powerful step can be giving yourself some time in silence, journaling a list of everything in your head and then reviewing it for what stands out as the best move forward, or jump on this group and share what is going for you. It's one of the toughest tools to use sometimes, but one of the quickest ways forward is the tool of asking for support
Today I walked, I baked cookies and I wrote to a dear friend I haven't connected with in a while. Those things were not on my massive to-do list. Those were the things that made me happy and healthy so I could do many of the things with a new found ease and clarity.
Side note - this happened yesterday too and I took the day off from the to-do list. I had a me day. See how self-care isn't a one time deal. After a whole day all about me the cycle repeated in less than 24 hours. This triggers a lot of people to give up. Realistically, we only give ourselves a break when we just can't anymore. Self-care needs to be consistent or the overwhelm will take over.
Moral of the story: Life is a complete mix of good, bad and the in-between. Choose your thoughts wisely. Don't forget yourself on that to-do list. Be flexible with your agenda. The only right choice is the next best step for you in the moment. All the other lists and future choices are just noise in the background of our monkey brain fueled by your ego. Stand in your power because you've got this!
Carpe diem!!
