bootstraps up!
the benefit of calling yourself out on your own drama so you can get down to business - tough love edition
There are times in life when we need to get real...
real with ourselves.
Times when we need to call ourselves out on our own drama.
We know those times.
The times when we find ourselves wallowing wistfully in our own misery...
defiantly unwilling to release the thoughts that have seized our mind.
Doubling down in an effort to justify our feelings.
Sound familiar?
Have you ever noticed that in the midst of all the mental drama, there inevitably appears a fresh new thought...one that seems to suggest,
"You don't have to keep feeling like this."
Yup.
Within that fleeting space, a whole new opportunity opens up
to challenge the continuation of the mental drama.
Whether or not we heed the call,
depends on our awareness and willingness...in the moment.
Some days we laugh at the monkey mind we've encouraged and toss such troubled thinking to the curb.
Other days we remain steadfast, determined to carry on as if the possibility for a new feeling was simply not possible.
Still others days, we begrudgingly acknowledge our active participation in the monkey mind madness, but realize that we're not quite ready to let it go.
After all (we rationalize)
this kind of mental drama seems like our best option...in the moment.
As counterintuitive as it may appear, all of this manufactured mind misery serves a purpose; it provides us with a sense of significance and connection and certainty.
And that may be exactly what we crave in the moment.
So, heck, why not bring on the drama?
Well,
here's the thing,
the longer we defiantly stay in this state,
the further down the rabbit hole we may go
until one day we find ourselves creating a holding pattern of sorts;
hovering and circling and dipping above and around our life
never quite engaging
or
permitting fresh thinking to breathe life into
fresh opportunities
fresh decisions
fresh actions
fresh perspectives
fresh intentions.
By denying room for new thought, we begin to create a new normal for ourselves,
one that thrives on the highs and lows of monkey mind madness
one that lives only in the realm of circumstance
one that seems convinced that we live at the mercy of others
one that requires us to...
give up on our dreams
give up on our ideas
give up on the life we thought we would have.
Soon enough, we find ourselves convinced that such a life
wasn't meant for us
never was;
we find ourselves convinced that
life is out to get us
always was;
that life is too hard
always will be;
that life never works out for us
never will do.
And as we wallow and circle and wallow and circle
we unwittingly create an alternating state that fluctuates between a deep numbing sleep and a deep humming anger.
Well, ho ho ho...no no no!!!
WE were not made for such a life!
It is time to wake ourselves up!!
It's time to stake our claim and plant our own darn flag.
We are at the mercy of no one but the thoughts we choose to focus on.
Don't be fooled by the lure of the dramatic.
Clear your head and clear some space.
It's time to embrace
what you truly want
and
who you truly are
no matter
the challenge
or hardship
or time
or effort
or persistence
or ingenuity
required.
Be on to yourself.
Don't be fooled to sleep by the hypnotic hum of mental drama.
You are made of sterner stuff.
Always were.
Always will be.
So...wake up.
It's time.
Boot straps up.
Shoulders back.
One foot in front of the other.
Time to get on with it.
No sleeping on the job!
You've got this.
It's already done.
Lana out!
PS. Inspired by Anne who reminded me of the phrase "suck it up, Buttercup"