What do you do when you need a moment or two? …TAKE IT!

“WAAAAA! Oh no! What do I do!? It’s coming! It’s almost here! Help! Abort! Abort! It’s too much! Oh no! What do I do!? It’s coming! It’s almost here! Help! Abort! Abort! I can’t do this. Oh no! What do I do!? It’s coming! It’s almost here! Help! Abort! Abort! I’m worthless…” 😦

What do you do when you need a moment or two?

TAKE IT!

We are often faced with overwhelming situations and expected to continue soldiering on until we cannot anymore. Often, we get sick, we become depressed, our inner and sometimes our outer worlds come crashing down and, we die…. [Yes, I said we die. We will all, eventually, die. Take a moment of silence to accept that fact.] What is going to make the difference, is what you do between now, and when that time comes.

Take a moment or two…

… GOOD. Now, that I have your attention …. Let’s talk about taking that moment. Why it is necessary, helpful and how to do it. At least, from my perspective.

As we’ve established, the world can be a very stimulating place. Sometimes too stimulating. In fact, although we might not necessarily say, “WAAAAA! Oh no! What do I do!? I’m worthless.” out loud, the introductory spin we went on, is in a way, a very life-like, energetic account of what a crazy moment and thus a need for a moment or two can feel like.

So, let us take a moment or two together. Let us slow down now and start to pave a path for clarity.

It is my impression that people, organisations, employers, doctors and many other institutions are becoming increasingly aware of the need to look after ourselves, and ultimately each other. There is more focus on wellness and mental health days, 4 day working-weeks, half days and taking care of one’s mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. A healthy, happy, balanced, life-style is no longer only a physical, medical one, but a more integrated, holistic one, taking into consideration the whole person. In other words, we know that what you need, want and feel, matters.

Having said this, the world can still be a very fast-paced and crazy place to be in. So crazy in fact, that people consciously or unconsciously leave their body and go with the wind, resulting in panic mode, fight or flight responses, rash decisions, survival mentality, mob mentality and aggression.

And even though many people know what I’m talking about and can relate to this experience, there is a culture in many societies that encourages us to keep going, to ignore warning signals in your system: body, thoughts, and emotions; and to react. To be the best, thus comparing yourself to your peers, to be the most successful, as if there is a standard measure for what success means across the globe, to look like and be like everyone else; and the list is probably endless. In doing so, in continuously looking for external validation for our own well-being we forget where our whole reality begins; our Selves.

There is an App for everything nowadays! And I think that’s great, but now we need one to remind us who we are and to love ourselves daily (That’s actually a good idea!). When I talk to people, I notice that a lot of frustration is coming from feeling unfulfilled, or trying to reach a quota of something that is not quantifiable or comparable.

Mind you, there are many people who are in touch with themselves more and are aware of themselves, their beliefs, their desires and work every day to become more integrated people inside and out. Whatever that means to them. I repeat. Whatever that means, to you.

So amongst the crazy of keeping up in a global race, remember to take a moment to breathe. When it’s all coming way too fast and you feel like you’re losing yourself in the noise, STOP, close your eyes and find your breath. Listen to it moving in and out of you. Touch yourself if you can. Feel your body, become aware of any tension in your body and say, “Okay, it is what it is” and keep listening to your breath. Allow any thoughts that come up to continue on their journey. For in this moment, they are not your concern. Even if you only have one minute to become aware of your breath and thus centring for just 30 seconds, TAKE IT. It’s yours. In a world of contracts, in which you actually have fewer than you think, remember that contract you have with yourself. If you have none, make one. Talk to yourself lovingly, and pledge that you are going to take the time, each day, even for one moment, perhaps when you just wake up, your mind is emptier at that time, to send yourself a virtual text message, “Today, I’ll take that one moment, and remember you, Self, and take a breath of life for us today.”

And throughout your day, when you notice yourself getting carried away with life and can’t see where you’re standing anymore, realise, this is one moment in time, not your whole life and this too shall pass.

Then decide for yourself, to take your moment. Feel your feet on the ground and step into the next moment, with more clarity and being more grounded. Make this decision your practice. Train yourself to take the moment that you need. Take it over and over again. That moment will never be the same. It doesn’t matter. Take it just the same. You deserve it.

Use that moment to breathe and remember where you are, and what you are doing, and perhaps even who you are doing it for.

Taking that moment for yourself, again, and again, becomes your practice, and before you know it, taking a moment for yourself is your habit. So the next time you are feeling overwhelmed, you will resort to your practiced habit of taking a moment and clearing your focus, seeing the moment as it is, and not being swept up like a headless chicken looking for its head, because You have yours on your shoulders and now, you know what to do next.

Om So Ham

Namaste