LISTENING FROM THE HEART
Originally published in The Mancos Times – March 7, 2012
In my listening of others – myself as well – I have noticed that many of us are driven to “hold on” and stay eternally vigilant with our attentiveness to the problems of the world, the problems of our work, the problems with our family, the problems with ourselves. We are perhaps afraid to “let go” and give ourselves unconditional permission to take a full mental break to relax and feel at peace, permission to laugh again as a child, light hearted and carefree. We become much like the high-wire tight rope walker, tense and highly focused, who even after he slips and plummets downward, all the while continues to futilely hold on to his balancing beam with a death grip, till the last moment, not knowing what else to do.
Does this constant tension and anxiety take a toll on our health, eventually leading to sickness or disease. Perhaps it even contributes to our inattentiveness with our personal safety while driving, working, or walking, leading to an “accident”? What of the impact on our relationships with others – anger, shortness, self-righteousness, intolerance, ineffective listening. What of the angst, of the quality of joy and happiness with and within ourselves? What of those sleepless nights and insomnia? Is there some disturbing background noise playing in our heads with losing control and our worst fears being realized that is keeping us awake with all this? We become disconnected from the “NOW”, incapable of living in the moment, and find ourselves mentally jumping back and forth, and back and forth, from our interpretation of those upsetting stories of the PAST to our imagined apocalypses in the FUTURE, all of the while oblivious to the wonders of the present.
What if we practice taking a break from this anxiety and tension? What if we truly “let go and let God,” or “let go and let universe”? Is it time to take off OUR “God suit” for perhaps 10 minutes at a time, having faith that by letting the world continue to revolve, continue to orbit within the cosmos around us, and do so without us, that all will be ok; to have the knowledge that when we do step back into the saddle again to take the reins and keep everything together and on course, that it would not have become irreparably unraveled in our absence. Perhaps we might get to 12 hours a day with our joy and serenity and sleep. All this without foolish consumerism, self-medication or abuse of various substances, without overeating, drinking or drugs. Would that be cool?
Michael Starr is the owner of Executive Coaching Services. He can be reached at www.executivecoachingservices.net or by calling 501-585-1302