“Every soul is whole, no matter how wounded the mind is.” ~ Native American (credit: Native Red Cloud @Native3rd, Twitter)
Your soul is whole, baby, and it is always, always with you. Your soul has been with you since the beginning, and it will be with you until the end of time. How do you get out of your overthinking mind, and into your ever-peaceful soul? Here are some ways:
- Take five deep breaths and notice the inhales and exhales.
- Think of five people, places, pets, or things which you are grateful for, and notice what gratefulness feels like in your body. (for me, it is a buoyancy in my chest, and an overall feeling of relaxation and relief, much like floating safely in a swimming pool)
- Do a body scan. Start at your toes. What are the sensations in your toes? Work all of the way up your body, to noticing the sensations at the top of you head.
- Say a prayer to your Higher Power, with just these words, “Let me hear what you have to say to me.” That’s it. Just sit with that prayer, and if your mind starts to wander on to other things, or you find yourself wanting to get into “talky” mode, repeat the listening prayer. Let the peace wash over you. (this is a sort of prayer and meditation, all in one.)
- Pick up one object that you like, say a “cherry”, and notice everything about the cherry. What does it look like? What does it sound like? What does it smell like? What does it feel like? What does it taste like?
- Think of someone who you love, like you love no other. Imagine hugging that person and transferring all of the love that you hold in your heart, to that person. Now imagine both of you covered in that swirling energy of love. Feel what that feels like. Gift that feeling to the next person you think of, imagining that person all of the sudden getting showered in the beautiful, powerful energy of unconditional love.
- When driving and passing people in their cars or on the street, think to yourself, “I love you and I bless you.” (this gives your mind and your heart a good job to do, without getting distracted by worries, or by anger about errant drivers. Your mind is just like a German Shepherd. It’s smart. It needs a job, all of the time. Give it a good job.)
Now if you prefer to stay in your overthinking, judgy, “stressed to the gills” mind/ego, here are some good ways to stay totally in your mindstate:
- Think of everyone and everything that annoys you (in detail) and think, with an air of superiority, about why you are right and they are wrong.
- Try to control everyone and everything going on around you, and sit in the feeling of utter, quickly growing frustration during this continuous, never-ending lesson in futility.
- Think of your own worst fears and worries and think of all of the worst case scenarios that could happen from your worst fears and worries. Obsess on these outcomes. Let them grow exponentially. Use your imagination.
- Spend at least two to three hours with Dr. Google, after experiencing a slight, but unusual pain in your neck.
- Keep the news on, in the background 24/7, and check other news stories, compulsively on your phone at the same time, just to make sure that your mind is getting fed all of the negative news that is available to you, right in the moment.
- Spend a good deal of your time beating yourself up for not being thin enough, or productive enough, or kind enough, or stylish enough, or smart enough. Be your own worst critic. Be creative with your harshness. Add a lot of sarcasm, just to be clever and cruel.
- Replay in your mind, every past experience that has already happened, and start making harsh judgments about the whole event. Cut down and criticize yourself, others, and all of the players who you can think of who were involved in the situation, until you are depleted and exhausted. Stew in your gripes. Be sure to be extra nit-picky and passive aggressive. Repeat on a never-ending cycle.
“Every soul is whole, no matter how wounded the mind is.” Your soul is whole, baby. Pick your soul every time. Your mind is just like a German Shepherd. It needs to be redirected to do helpful things for you, in your overall life. Your mind isn’t bad. It just likes to have a job, and to work all of the time. So give your mind some training. Make your German Shepherd mind an excellent working dog that does good, helpful work for you – work that supports you, and guards you from harm (especially from yourself). On the other hand, your soul doesn’t need any training. Your soul is the glorious, holy resting place for you, and your German Shepherd mind. Give your mind lots of breaks, just letting it relax in the whole of your soul. Your soul is whole, baby. It is your source of life, love, peace and replenishment. It is the perfect part of you, and it is available to you, forever.
Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.
I am practicing staying in my soul today.
It is the final day of moving out of our family home. My soon-to-be-ex husband did not follow through on his responsibility to pack the house until the very last minute, and we had to call in favors from family and friends to get it done. God bless them, they rallied to the task, and it’s about 3/4 done. We have until 5pm today to vacate the property and it will just be me, him, and our son doing the work. It’s gonna be a close call.
Yesterday I was angry. I felt embarrassment and shame about needing so much help. But at the same time, my loved ones finally understood the battle I’ve been fighting for decades. They saw with their own eyes the procrastination, the lack of reality thinking, and his expectation that others will pick up the slack for the responsibilities that my husband doesn’t care to handle. I’ve always suspected that people think I’m exaggerating when I describe his total lack of ability to plan or execute, and that was confirmed to me yesterday by comments like, “Wow, how have you dealt with this for so long?” So in that way, I am vindicated. But it doesn’t speak to the higher part of my soul, does it?
So today, on the final day of intertwined lives, I intend to stay on the soul plane, keeping my intentions pure and my energy on a higher vibration. The memories of today will remain fixed in our minds, and I want them to be good. I will take as many deep breaths as I need, and I will listen for my higher power to speak when irritating situations occur, as they inevitably will. I will lean on grace to move me through this day so that when I lay down to sleep tonight I can rest easy, knowing that I did my best for my family and myself.
Thanks for today’s post. It was exactly what I needed to read.
Oh, Kelly. Sending you all of the love in my heart and big, big hugs. I’ve been thinking about you, hoping that you are okay. I always appreciate your insightful comments to my blog. I miss you when I don’t hear from you.
It’s all going to be okay. You soul is whole, baby. And your heart is beautiful. The best is yet to come . . . .
I survived!
The snarky Kelly only made a couple of appearances, and minor ones at that. We didn’t make the 5pm deadline; we had to extend until 7. But we got it done, and no one said or did anything that was irreparable. In the end, we walked the empty house together, and my son and I cried. It was a bittersweet moment.
So now it is a new day, and after I clean up a few loose ends (like getting the trash hauled away and hiring someone to deliver our patio furniture to my new house) I will close this chapter of my life. I’m a little sad, and I have a few regrets, but that’s what therapy is for, right? Mostly I’m relieved to have it finished. As always, I will turn my face toward the sun and ask, “What’s next?” All in all, it’s good to be me!
I love your attitude, Kelly. That’s most of the battle right there. I am inspired by you. <3