written by Sara Arey
This is the 4th article in a series about finding and releasing stuck energy. This article is about standing back up.
Welcome to post number 4 in the 5-part series “Keys to Empowerment”. In the last posts, we’ve looked at how we empower ourselves when we:
- stop saying no to the wrong things
- expand into receiving
- forgive
These practices help us get moving again when we’re feeling drained and powerless. They help us re-center ourselves and feel more energized.
It’s great to feel upbeat and empowered. We feel like we can take on challenges and succeed – so we often do! We may feel like the world is at our feet.
But sometimes things happen that aren’t great. Sometimes things don’t go our way. What then?
I recently had an experience of this exact thing.
Earlier this week, I went to a two-day meeting of heart-centered entrepreneurs. It’s an incredible group and I was super excited to be there. The first day, I got up, exercised, showered, put on my already-chosen outfit and headed out. I listened to business training recordings on the way to the meeting and had a conversation with a friend telling her that I was choosing to be “centered and authentically me” and “a great student who absorbs exactly what she needs”. I was rocking!
Turns out, I didn’t have the correct information about the location. I got to the hotel where I thought we were meeting only to find dark hallways and locked doors. Even so, I didn’t feel worried at all. I made some calls … and didn’t get anyone. I decided I was going to be at the meeting, the only question was how that going to happen. “Facebook!”, my intuition said. I looked at Facebook and “happened” to see the correct hotel listed in the second post I checked. Sweet! I was only a few minutes late and the day went great.
And then…
That evening I got an email that really took the wind out of my sails. Well, that’s what it felt like at least. The truth, of course, is that it brought up stuff I hadn’t resolved within myself. After reading it, I felt some resentment and fears and had thoughts like, “This isn’t right!” By the time I got home, I felt drained and exhausted. I watch a little TV and then went to bed. I didn’t have the energy to get things ready for the next day like I had done the night before.
The next morning, I was a little slower getting up. I didn’t have food ready to go. I tried on three outfits before I found one I was okay with. I was later getting out the door than I’d intended. I was feeling out of sorts, rushed, and not in the mood to learn new stuff for my business.
Thankfully, I was able to use Empowerment Key #4:
Keep Standing Back Up
I took a deep breath and made the conscious choice to stand back up. I was NOT going to be a grump sitting on the sidelines of the meeting, wasting this incredible opportunity. No way!!
I got back up. I recommitted to what I was doing. I chose who I was going to be in this experience – someone who keeps at it, who continually grows and learns, who is committed to her business and learning to serve her clients well.
There are three steps to this key of standing back up, and this is the first.
— Recommit to Your Goals
Is it easy to get knocked off course? You betcha! Will things come up that feel unfair and hard? Count on it. You’re up to good stuff in your life. You’re growing and expanding your experience and what you believe is possible for you. This means you’re going to encounter things that FEEL like they’re out to stop you, to make the journey hard, to block your progress forward.
The thing to remember is this – those blocks aren’t coming to you from “out there”. People do what they do for their own reasons that have nothing to do with you. How you interpret what they do and what you make it mean about YOU is what takes you off track – NOT what the person did.
People get scared. People make decisions based on their own feelings of inadequacy and lack. That’s their stuff and their decisions. YOU get to choose what YOU’RE going to do in response to their choices.
Can you decide that it means you’re never going to succeed, that you aren’t meant to do well and that you aren’t valued and appreciated? Certainly you can.
Can you let it stop you from achieving your goals? Absolutely. Many people do.
Can you take a deep breath and stand back up again? Yes, you can. And when you do, know that I truly, deeply believe in you. You can do this.
Steps 2 and 3 of implementing this key can be done in either order. They are:
— Rely on Your Routines
— Release Your Stuff
Rely on Your Routines – have things you do each day that help you stay centered and strong. Doing my exercises that morning and then listening to another training recording helped me start moving forward again. It felt like they supported me and held me on track until I was ready to take the reigns again myself.
The trick is, don’t ask yourself if you want to do these things. You won’t. Just do them.
Release Your Stuff – have some way of letting go of those old thoughts and beliefs and ways of seeing yourself – and use it! Let me know if you need help.
You have so much to give. The world is a better place for all of us when YOU’re living your dreams and sharing your unique gifts. Yes, YOU.
So, who do you choose to be in the face of your current challenge?