“There is a tendency at every important but difficult crossroad to pretend that it’s not really there.” ~ Bill McKibben
What does it take for us to do something with our lives? A thought? An illness? A tragedy? We can drive our cars and see warning lights, hear concerning noises, smell something burning, and still fail to act on it. Why is that?
Fear. We are afraid of the cost. We fear the loss of time. We are afraid of being judged, rejected or humiliated. If we can catch ourselves in that moment and identify what we’re feeling, we might be able to sit with the emotion for 90 seconds. That is how long it takes for an emotion to move through us.
When we acknowledge that we are afraid, we can also remind ourselves that we’ve been here before. We’ve been concerned about an event and made it to the other side of the outcome. We survived. Money was spent. People were mean. We missed other appointments to handle a crisis. And we survived.
Recognize subtle signs that signify the time for change. The teachers who cross our paths; the discomfort we feel in our jobs; the sensation to say something in that moment. Pay attention! Life is about to get real and you know exactly what to do!
Make it a strong day!