3 Questions to Help You Remain Grounded: No matter what is going on around you
Photo Credit: Nikolas Noonan“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you survived. You won’t even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing that is certain, when you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what the storm is about.” — Haruki Murakami
During a storm (crisis), the trees outside are cold, wet and blown about by rain and heavy gusts of winds.
Leaves are blown off the trees (you), some branches bend and some snap (emotional reactions), but the roots remain firmly planted and untouched.
The tree roots (consciousness) absorb the rain water from the soil, while also taking nutrients (useful information) and chemicals (personal interactions) out of the soil (environment) and use them to produce what is needed for the tree’s growth, development, and repair.
Deeply grounded, the roots anchor the tree in the soil, keeping it alive as a steady presence within the storm.
When a storm arises, it is your relationship to the energy of the storm that determines if you suffer or not. You can absolutely change your mind about how you choose to go through the storm, specifically a storm you may have created.
It is not just about being like a tree and standing up straight amidst the storm.
The storm is not there to teach you how to remain straight, which is precisely why the storm can be useful. It is there to teach you how to bend, when to yield; how to meet adversity with strength and flexibility.
When you recognize misplaced emotional reactions you can connect with what is true. A sense of safety and protection are cultivated within you because you begin to trust in a deeper part of yourself.
At some point or another, we all face storms.
The questions then become:
When a storm arises, can you remain centered and connected?In essence, can you remain still?Can you find the gift within the storm (crisis) you can use for growth?An excerpt from The Gift of Crisis: How I Used Meditation to Go From Financial Failure to a Life of Purpose. Now available for pre-order.
