Starting From Within

Lately I’ve felt a heaviness that’s abnormal for me. My body has been sending signals for the past weeks to slow down, tend to myself, insulate from the news, unclench my jaw and deeply exhale. I’ve learned, though not gracefully, to listen to those signals.

I believe our bodies are magical and intuitive and whisper hints to us about what we need, and what we don’t. They know when the ugliness of the world has crept into places where we need the protection of calm and lightness.

Our bodies demand that we release the fright of the unknown by sending buckets of tears and shaking limbs. They help us reclaim solid ground in simply noticing the enormity of an old oak tree. Our bodies know, we just need to listen.

We need to start from within. 

Our culture tells us to look externally for peace, reassurance, comfort and strength. It says to look in a book, bottle, webinar, course or a thousand other places outside ourselves, yet starting there is the equivalent of building a house with only a scattering of pebbles as a foundation.

There are many external sources offering what you may be seeking, but I encourage you to start on the inside. Within the borders of your own heart and mind lie the foundation upon which you can build, and re-build. It requires you to be still, to harvest a great amount of control and discipline to set aside the troubles in your life for just long enough to reconnect to yourself.

Then, when you’ve moored yourself to yourself, you can tap into what the world has to offer to see if it adds, or takes away from what your body is telling you.

You’re on a journey not many could withstand. I know you have the strength inside to persist, even when it feels like your well is dry. Listen to your body. Don’t overthink what it’s saying - it’s gentle and always right.