Recently, I went through some major transitions, and they were more difficult than I expected.
I wish I could tell you I floated through them on a pink cloud of yoga, prayer and meditation, but that wouldn’t be true… 😉
I did do yoga, and I prayed and meditated, a lot. I also groaned, and moaned, and grieved. I cried. I pleaded. I pouted. I questioned my Higher Power’s plan. I questioned my plans.
At times, I felt so overcome with fear and anxiety I wondered if it would ever end. I was really in it. And I couldn’t see a way out.
Maybe you can relate?
If you can, you aren’t alone. There is a way out- out of fear, and anxiety, out of all difficult feelings…
How?
I don’t have a magic wand or foolproof tips or a secret morning routine.
The only way out of uncomfortable feelings for me has been by sharing about them- talking about what I’m going through honestly, openly, sometimes unwillingly with people close to me. Then, feeling what I feel until I get to the other side.
In today’s instagram-y world of seemingly effortless self-help, it can be scary to talk about the tough times. Our struggles and challenges can make us feel imperfect and inferior.
Real life isn’t endlessly pretty, perfect, and up-lifting. We all know that… but we may not want other people to know it.
So we hide our struggles behind filters to make everything look picture-perfect, which unfortunately makes us feel even more alone, and inferior, and imperfect…
That’s why I think the tough times are exactly what need to be shared. And why I’m sharing mine with you.
It’s in the tough times that we get honest and vulnerable.
When we share about our struggles, we give others the chance to identify with us, and we give ourselves the chance to identify with others.
Tough times are shadows, they can get pretty dark. And, as cliche as it sounds, only light can dispel dark.
So where does sharing fit in?
Sharing is the light. It allows us to be real and imperfect, and gives others the chance to truly see us and love us anyway. Only in that honest love can we really heal and change.
As one of my favorite teachers Emmet Fox says,
“It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble, how hopeless the outlook, how muddled the tangle, how great the mistake. A sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all.”
The past few weeks, I confronted my troubles in a way I never have before.
What I learned was that to root out my fear, I had to accept it, feel it, share about it, and let others help me through it.
So what did I do to face my fear?
> I named it.
> I talked about it, even when I didn’t want to.
> I asked for help in overcoming it, before it overcame me.
> I was honest with some trusted people about the fact that things were not going so well.
> I listened to guidance from others, especially when I felt resistance to the guidance being offered.
And what did I learn about fear in the process?
> When I discuss it, it diminishes.
> When I explore it, it evaporates.
> When I give it space, it gives me space.
> When I listen to it, it gets quieter.
> When I breathe into it, it breathes too, and then it lets me breathe again.
> The only way beyond fear, anxiety or any uncomfortable feeling is through.
But how can we go through, if we can’t be where we are and share with others about what we’re experiencing?
Do you have trusted people who you share honestly with?
I truly hope so.
You can also always feel free to share with me any way you’d like. You can email or FB message me, or set up some time together if you’d like one on one support.
When we work together, I will share everything I’ve learned on my spiritual journey– all my successes and failures, and how I’ve overcome them (or am in the process of doing so). Openly. Honestly. Willingly.
> I will share how in spite of my own fears and doubts, I have tapped into my own belief, power and courage to create The Yoga Summit, run my own six-figure consulting business, and transition into holistic life + business coaching.
> I will share with you tools to find that power within you.
> I will teach you to go deeper into the fear and how to come out the other end into Light.
> I will teach you the keys to living a life bigger and better than you ever imagined possible, even on the tough days and in challenging circumstances.
I’ll leave you with another of my favorite quotes from Emmet Fox.
“Do it trembling if you must, but do it!”
