'Tension is who you think you should be~Relaxation is who you are.'
Chinese Proverb
Tension is who you think you should be
Think back over the last week. What caused you tension? How did it relate to who you think you should be? Did you apply for or get a new job? Are you considering a change in your relationship status? Are you starting or finishing college? Are you considering a major life change such as becoming a parent, starting a business, retiring or buying a home?
We do it to ourselves—tie ourselves up in knots when embarking on a new direction, job or relationship. We get hyped and twitter-patted as we anticipate other's as well as our own expectations. Secretly, we fear we'll regret our choices, or fall flat on our faces as we attempt to navigate the future.
With the excitement of stepping out in a new direction comes the anxiety of living up to our own expectations. We want to do good, create a good life, and engage in meaningful and fulfilling work. But we worry.
To calm the out-of-control beast within, we need to tame the tension so we use our heightened energy to propel us forward without allowing it to tip us over into overwhelmed mode.
'A violent
wind does not last for a whole morning;
a sudden
rain does not last for the whole day.'
Lao Tzu,
Tao Te Ching
Tension is useful when you tame it and name it
We all wage our private battle of bringing together where we currently are with where we want ourselves to be. The battle creating tension isn't the issue. It's what we choose to do with it.
Too often we think tension = bad and relaxation = good. The truth is, used properly, they're both good.
Tension will wear your body down if you fail to pay attention to it. But when you pay attention, you raise your awareness of what's causing the discrepancy between where you are and where you want to be, and you free yourself up to make conscious choices about how to effectively deal with the tension.
Too often we think tension = bad and relaxation = good. The truth is, used properly, they're both good.
Tension will wear your body down if you fail to pay attention to it. But when you pay attention, you raise your awareness of what's causing the discrepancy between where you are and where you want to be, and you free yourself up to make conscious choices about how to effectively deal with the tension.
'In the dew of little things the heart finds it's morning and is refreshed.' Rumi
Relaxation is who you are
Stop, look and listen to yourself. It doesn't take much to calm yourself and make a better use of the natural tension created by your desire to grow and move forward with life. Look for little ways to ease the tension while still harnessing the energy to propel you forward.
Stop, look and listen to yourself. It doesn't take much to calm yourself and make a better use of the natural tension created by your desire to grow and move forward with life. Look for little ways to ease the tension while still harnessing the energy to propel you forward.
💜 Take one small step toward your new direction to ease the tension.
💜 Take one moment to revel in your good fortune.
💜 Take one nap to relax.
💜 Take one moment to enjoy a cup of tea and contemplate your next step.
💜 Take one moment to think about nothing.
Stepping into a new phase of life can be intense. Give yourself time to ease into it. Show up, do your best, and find a way to relax into it. Above all else, be yourself.
For more than 35 years, Susan Meyerott has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes letting go and moving forward with life easier than ever before.
