Do you ever struggle with showing up completely? Or do you, like most of us, including me, sometimes shrink or show up only halfway?
Today I’m traveling across country, something I’ve done many, many times. I left from the Little Rock, AR airport, which was quiet and relatively relaxed, got on a plane with an empty seat next to me, so went into my natural state — a quiet mode. I read some, I meditated, I watched. All was going along just perfectly smoothly.
Then I got off the plane in Charlotte for a layover and plane change. It was absolute chaos. The line in the tarmac waiting for the valet luggage was long and tight; moving into the terminal there was a mass crowd. People everywhere, it was packed! I went into the ladies room and there was even an agent directing traffic there. Crazy.
I noticed that I wasn’t feeling quite as good as I had been a bit earlier, so I thought to myself, “I wonder what’s going on?” As I’m walking through the crowds trying to navigate into a new place, a different terminal I realized my energy had collapsed in order to compensate for the chaos.
What I know to be true for me is collapsing is a defense mechanism, a safety valve, but most of the time it doesn’t work.
So I’m walking, noticing what is different in me from the last airport to this one and I got it! It was only me! Just as I realized what I had the opportunity to do I came across a quiet space. Right in the middle of the busy-ness there was an opening. Check out this picture.
There was a rounded out area of windows with white rocking chairs. It’s awesome. And the funny thing is, the crowds seemed to have disappeared.
I’m taking a few moments to write, to share, to reconnect with myself. To honor my energy collapse by taking care of myself. What I notice is, I’m back! Feeling good again.
What does this have to do with you? Next time you are noticing that you are not feeling great, that you are procrastinating, or putting off, or resisting something, notice it. Take a moment to check in. Ask yourself, What’s going on? Am I collapsing?
Most likely the answer will be yes, I’m collapsing. We’ve been talking a lot in different arenas about the energy of collapse. What is the opposite? Open and expansive. Receptive and ready.
What do you do when you notice you are collapsed? Stop. Look. See. Tell the truth. Take action. For me, this time the simple act of noticing was enough to choose again. As soon as I choose to pay attention these amazing rocking chairs appeared.
I was able to sit for a minute, disconnect from the chaos around me and breathe. Breathing does wonders. Try it, you might like it.
Plant your feet firmly on the ground and let any tension drop down your body, through your feet and into the ground. Feel your energy being filled up, expand your chest, open your palms and take a few more deep breaths.
Ask yourself if there is anything you need? Water, food, rest? Take care you. Then take an extra few moments to simply be. Open, expanded, alive, free.
I’m headed back into the terminal to find my way to my next gate. There might be chaos there too, but I don’t need to collapse into it, or allow it into my energy field.
Take another moment or two to fully integrate the centered, grounded state before you go back into life.
Head out with a smile and have a blessed day!
Photo: Anthony Delanoix/Unsplash
Originally published at medium.com