There once was a Himalayan Sage who was known for his ability to commune with animals. He drew them to his loving embrace by playing melodies on his flute. The wildest of animals became tame in his presence, and a squirrel named Himma even made a permanent home on the top of his head! Wherever the Sage went, Himma was safely perched.
One day, a hawk circled above and swooped down, grabbing Himma in his clutches, and carrying him off and up! The Sage swiftly picked up his flute and began to waft his melodies into the sky. The hawk became entranced with the celestial music, which caused him to drift downward and release his clutches. The relieved Himma returned safely to his beloved Master.
We are all like Himma in a sense, confidently going through our day, until we get swept up by the hawk of worries and life’s frustrations. Unfortunately, we don’t have a Sage nearby to play the flute of mindfulness, reminding us to return home to our center, our peace of mind.
What we need is to become aware of when we’ve been swept away, then stop and return.
Recently, I received some news that swept me up and away. I didn’t quite know how to process or deal with what I had heard. It was quite upsetting. Has that ever happened to you? Well, after about an hour of silent panic, I simply said “Enough!” and turned my thoughts to the positive. Even though it didn’t seem to have an immediate effect, because the situation was still clearly in front of me, I had a great sleep that night. I woke up the next morning feeling like it was all okay; almost a non-issue, because I knew “I’ve got this!”
This is the power of stopping and realizing when we’ve been swept away by life’s drama. It’s when we don’t realize that we keep going out of range and eventually crash and burn.
So how do we learn to stop?
Well, in my example above, I showed you how simple it can be. Here it is again, in three easy steps:
Rest. Realize. Readjust.
Take a break from the situation, give it a rest. Become aware of what’s happened, realize. Then readjust your thoughts, your attitude and your approach to the situation.
Why should you re-adjust your thoughts, your attitude, your behavior?
This is your magic flute! Play whatever celestial music works for you, to get you back to your core. It can be positive thinking, prayer, surrender, forgiveness, getting outside and being active or simply doing something you love. But stop. Take your mind off what is for a while. Give it a rest. Then when you come back to it, you’ll see things differently, discover new solutions and find endless possibilities.
So what will you do next time you feel yourself being swept away?
Yours in wellness,
“Every now and then, go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer.” Leonardo Da Vinci