If this year has taught us anything, it’s what it’s like to feel lack of control.
And not just for a few moments.
For months. And months. And months.
It has felt like a huge wake up call that uncertainty is, in fact, all around - we just may not see it in our day-to-day lives.
The pandemic has been difficult in large part because we don’t know how long these conditions will last.
It is important for us, though, to feel like we have a sense of control over some things.
The one thing you will always have control over - no matter what is going on around you - is the way you choose to view and relate to each situation and relationship (including the one with yourself).
In each and every moment, you have the power to choose...
How you talk to yourself
Your boundaries
If your mindset is scarcity-based or abundance-based
If and how you want to interact with someone
If you need to change or end a relationship with someone
To trust or not trust that the Universe is here to support your highest good
That each experience - especially the challenging ones - hold lessons for you to learn
...just to name a few.
Sometimes it can be hard to remember that you have this power to choose, though.
Those challenging moments may be the time when you go into reaction mode and may even think about yourself as a victim to the situation, thinking ‘I can’t believe this happened to me’ or ‘This kind of thing always happens to me.’
When you choose to see the situation as happening for your highest good and growth (even when that’s the last thing it feels like), rather than happening to you, you step out of the victim state and into your power.
Here are some ways to recenter in challenging moments, reconnect with your ability to choose, and step back into your power:
1. Meditate. Connect with your breath and take nice long inhales and exhales. If you are feeling particularly anxious, extend the exhale out to be twice as long as the inhale. You can find a guided meditation focused on centering into the present moment.
2. Recognize feelings you are having and acknowledge them as completely valid responses to the situation you are experiencing.
3. Treat yourself and whatever emotions are coming up with deep compassion, grace, and understanding. You can even try speaking to the emotions with love, saying "I see you and I allow space for you. You are loved."
4. Ask yourself “What do I need right now and what can I do to help support that need?” Write out a list of anything and everything that could help support your needs and how you’re feeling, and then choose 1-3 things from that list to do.
5. Remember that no situation is forever. Remind yourself that no matter how much of a challenge you are experiencing in the moment, you will not always feel this way.
Try these steps the next time you find yourself in a challenging moment.
Remember - you have the power to choose if and how you show up in each and every moment.
A big hug from my heart to yours,
