Overwhelm is when: “life is unfolding at a pace that I find unmanageable in my psyche and in my nervous system.” - Jon Kabat-Zinn
Almost every day of the last few months, I wake up with a newfound disbelief in the state of the world. I don’t have to repeat the headlines. I know you can feel them gut-punch you in the stomach or pull at your heartstrings.
It is really challenging to be with the collective suffering of our world. The desire to numb out or say: “f*ck it let’s burn it all down”, is real. There are definitely plenty of nights this last month where I gave myself full permission to veg-out hardcore on the couch watching hours of nostalgic Netflix specials because I wanted reminders of simpler times.
AND, I am reminded of the words of Marianne Williamson, recently shared at the “Mindfulness and Compassion Global Summit” in Los Angeles. To be honest, this was my first time hearing her give a speech, despite running in the 2020 Presidential Election.
One of the most powerful statements she made was that we can’t let our individual traumas (lower case traumas) prevent us from getting political and using our voices.
I appreciated these words because sometimes the idea of giving ourselves compassion can be misused as giving ourselves a sort of hall pass to “sit this one out”. However, we can’t afford to be passive in life.
This doesn’t mean we have to swing to the other pole and be aggressive and reactive.
Instead, we want to be intentional, purposeful and powerful with how we spend and direct our energy and attention.
What is happening to one person in the collective is happening to us all because we are all connected. We breathe the same air. We share the same ground. We feel the same sunshine. We are all connected.
We get to practice taking care of ourselves so that we do have capacity to take care of each other.
If your plate is feeling full and your cup is running empty, then this is a great time to reassess your energy management. And we get to practice self-compassion, but in a very intentional way.
As Dr. Kristin Neff highlights in her book, Fierce Compassion, we get to use our Momma Bear expression of self-compassion. This is the type of compassionate presence that’s protecting, providing and motivating. This is the type of energy that can lovingly motivate us to take caring action for self and others.
Not from a place of aggression (because that will lead to burnout real quick), but from a place of fierce, courageous bravery. We get to harness this Momma Bear energy to easefully build our resilience and capacity.
If you need motivation to keep taking care of yourself, I welcome you to think back to your Power Intention for 2022. We are half-way through the year. Allow your Power Intention to continue to guide you to make intentional choices that fill your cup and give you capacity to feel present.
And please know that resting, playing and enjoying life is essential to you having capacity to serve and be present. Give yourself permission to play AND participate.