An Aha Moment
A client just recently told me that her time is being consumed with some very difficult and demanding things that she has to deal with. These are things she doesn’t want to have to deal with – things like legal issues and some very serious health concerns. Ever have things happen that you didn’t plan and that you certainly didn’t ask for? Things you just had to get through? Of course you have, we all do. How’d you do?
Marie, my client, called to tell me she had just had her aha moment. After a couple of weeks of feeling sorry for herself and overwhelmed, one day she decided to be okay… in the midst of it all. She suddenly realized she had a choice about how she could be with all of these things she couldn’t really do anything about.
Could it be this simple? That one day you can just decide to be okay. Ultimately, yes…but usually not in the beginning, not for most of us. Being able to be okay in the midst of difficulty is a process that requires adjustment and time. It’s not easy. So stop beating yourself up if at times you haven’t been the enlightened being who rises above all of life’s hardships and responds immediately with peace and kindness and a smile. For most of us, in the beginning, having to deal with what we don’t want is an initial emotional roller coaster. And it ain’t pretty.
But, ultimately, you come to an ideal place to have your aha moment. A place where eventually, after all of the crying, whining, or complaining, you get sick and tired of being sick and tired. And, if you are paying attention, there will be a moment when you will know you are ready and able to make a choice.
For the last four months, I’ve been dealing with chronic pain. At first I didn’t deal very well at all. I denied it and kept trying to barrel through. It got worse. Then I got really angry and railed at the world. “Not fair, I didn’t choose this. I don’t want this.” Then I got depressed. It’s been quite a process. (I do believe the process gets shorter and more efficient as we practice it throughout our lives.)
Finally I am at the place I am able to choose to be okay, really okay, even with pain. After all, this is still my life. Though I couldn’t do it initially, now I am daily choosing to be patient, loving, trusting, grateful, and purposeful instead of being defeated, etc. I am choosing to be present to all that is going on around me and to appreciate my body with all of its faults. I am choosing to be okay. And interestingly, in the midst of what felt like being out of control, I am now more powerful than ever.
How about you?
Name whatever difficulty or hardship you may be dealing with…especially if there is one that you have been dealing with for awhile…
Now, go within, and ask yourself…
Where am I in the process? Am I still on the emotional roller coaster
or am I ready to be okay?
Are you ready for your aha moment? You do have a choice.
7 Responses to “An Aha Moment”
Kathy, thank you for your complete honesty and willingness to put yourself out there….your ability to be so real and open, allows me to be more gentle with myself. I am reminded once again to be still in the midst of uncertainty…
I love days when I really step into my power. What does that mean? For me it means that I am in control of my day. I am not getting bounced around by everything around me and just reacting all over the place. It’s a day when I have it together, I accomplish, and I feel it in my gut. I literally feel on top or in front of things, instead of under or behind. It’s a real “Awe-ha” moment:)
Thanks Kathy for sharing.
I agree with everything you said. It is about consciously choosing and moving toward that which gives us wholeness and completeness.
Choosing to walk in faith not fear
Choosing peace over chaos
Choosing love over hate
Choosing acceptance over rebellion
Choosing forgiveness over unforgiveness
Choosing kindness over resentment
This is definitly not easy to do especially I am dealing with adversity, losses and times of despair. However, if I can just be still and come to a quiet sacred moment, step out of my ego driven mind, truth will come to me. I just need to be willing to surrender to it.
Finding calm in the midst of the storm is not easy, but it is possible.
Hi Bonne, Elizabeth and Lulabelle,
I love the conversation. Thank each of you for contributing…when we are each willing to put our true selves out there for each other, we feel connected, and from here we grow. Finding calm and choosing to be okay in the midst of it all it the decision for personal power. With love, Kathy
One of the maxims I live by is that you can’t choose many of the things that happen to you, but you can choose how you respond to them. It is a very empowering position that allows one to overcome feeling victimized, dejected, etc. when things don’t necessarily go as planned. When living by this maxim you begin to realize that while you can’t necessarily control the miscellaneous external input to your world, you can control your output. For me this helps to respond more positively and constructively, hopefully being a more illuminating presence in the world, rather than retreating into negativity.
Hey Tara, thanks for sharing your light. You’ve always been able to do this, since you were a small girl. I think you have always been powerful.
Yes I am OK, even resilient! Time is such a treasure! Letting go of something can be exhilarating; And, some wonderful opportunities have come my way, now that I have time to pursue them. And, one lesson I have learned is to recognize when soemthing is a “waste” of time. And, since I learned from the experience it wasn’t really a waste. Maybe next time I will recognize such sooner.
Leave a Reply