Balance and the Next Step Forward

Certainly with the year we’ve been experiencing, many of us are just trying to make it through each day. We don’t always have the luxury of finding moments to reflect on the great unknown. But what if there’s a way to find some joy in the thrill of choosing to step into the space of the unknown? Trust your body. I'm fully aware that you may feel like you're not only precariously balanced on a tightrope, but under a hot spotlight inside a circus tent. But. Trust your body. If we focus on tuning in to our body and taking it one step at a time, the next right step in our path often begins to emerge. Stepping forward into the unknown requires patience and is a process...but we might surprise ourselves - feeling positive anticipation or perhaps even rediscover a sense of joy in the journey.

The body possesses a natural intelligence that we often ignore - we consider ourselves thinking beings who feel, when we are actually feeling beings who occasionally think. Note: I'd love to take credit for this line, but it isn't my original thought. It came from the authors of Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. In short, instead of asking us to ignore the very real obstacles and societal pressures that stand between us and our well-being, they explain with compassion and optimism what we’re up against - and how we can be empowered to create positive change.*

I felt an immediate connection to this topic, as in my work I often talk about cycles and the importance of taking time to consider them when it comes to our habits - specifically the idea of the cycle of "Before, During and After.” We find ourselves most often recognizing (or catching ourselves!) in afters, as hindsight is of course, quite an enlightening tool. Focusing on the process of habit, learning, and unlearning we can work on changing by not only affecting the during of any situation, but really looking at the before; or, what starts the cycle in the first place. This can be tricky because it requires balance. Recognizing where we’ve been, where we are, and not forgetting to consider where we want to go. Sometimes we have to stop and actively create the opportunity to establish a before...something not impossible but that requires intentionality. When we stop we have choices and can create opportunities to identify these before moments. In doing so, we create space for true change and both interrupt the loop of habit creation while completing this cycle, and reinforce the value of this practice

It’s often reflected to me that something as small as a change in mindset, posture, the way you walk or even sit can become a catalyst for other changes in your life. "There are certain habits that, once broken or adopted, tend to produce a landslide of other positive changes. These are known as 'keystone habits.' They reveal that successful change doesn’t depend on getting every single thing right, but instead relies on identifying a few key priorities and fashioning them into powerful levers." (This and other thoughts on habit come from an article on The Psychology of Habit, with excerpts drawn from Charles Duhigg's The Power of Habit.)

So whether you feel like you are precariously balanced on a tightrope or caught in a cycle you can’t seem to break, know that there are ways to shift into a different space. Focus on the next step, exploring your balance, and your path may just illuminate as you go!

*excerpt from an online description of “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle