Step Aside

"The question isn't who is going to let me;

it's who is going to stop me."

Ayn Rand 

Eavesdropping on the two very young women in the next booth, I was impressed by their brainstorming on how they intended to succeed. Plans for education, job selection, and financial investments were appropriately listed on their maps for the future. I was tempted to tell them, however, that armor on the outside was not enough.

Our armory on the inside contains patience, determination, resistance, and calm. There are numerous tools that when applied, we come closer to our goals.  Integrity and trusting gut feelings, blend together just waiting inside. Being open to the unexpected, ditching conformity, and taking mishaps in stride, we are propelled forward.

Perhaps the developed ability to let go when needed allows us to maintain motion, trusting good things await just around the bend. Being aligned with our souls creates needed strength. There is no room for superficial pride when we are filled with humility, kindness, and courage. Let those in opposition, step aside.

Overlooked Asset

"The question isn't who is going to let me;

it's who is going to stop me."

Ayn Rand

We are living in a chaotic time, and our sense of control may be challenging us. We may not want to air our fears with others, especially when they are illusive and difficult to identify. We may question our own belief system which can cause unlevel ground. No longer sure footed, we may stumble and lose our way.

Let me remind you dear one, there is an asset that is being overlooked ... you. It really isn't about how much power you have, but how you are going to use the power at hand. What can you do right now, in this very moment to ease your tension? Being silent has its benefits, but not when it is doing irreparable damage to your spirit.

The pull to remain small is just that ... a pull. It does not have power over you unless you allow it. Define what you need in this moment and seek clarity about what can be done to obtain it. Nothing happens unless you begin. Do not wait for a time where all of the answers arrive as that time never really comes.

Hoarding Trauma

"Any refusal to recognize reality for any reason whatever,

has disastrous consequences."

Ayn Rand 

The experience of trauma gets in the way of being able to talk about distressed feelings. Our rational brain is unable to convince our emotional brain that it is safe to move forward. We may be able to comfortably share the action as it happened to us, but incapable to put the internal experience into words.

No matter how much insight and understanding we receive professionally or through spiritual practices, articulating what is buried deep inside remains festering. There is a tendency to relive devastating assaults without separating them from the present moment. There does not seem to be a past or future, just the unbearable present.

After shock, we may find ourselves moving down the brick road, incapable of observing or appreciating life as it unfolds. The bricks beneath our feet move unsteadily, and any sense of sure footedness dissolves. When we finally reach our breaking point, there is relief and a desire to begin again, leaving sorrow behind.