If I Were Brave…..

This title is a line from an unbelievably empowering song by Jana Stanfield. Check it out on iTunes. I use it in all of my retreats and workshops when I ask people to envision the life of their dreams.

I am listening to it now as I am working through some early morning anxiety. You know, that free-floating anxiety that is right in front of your face and on top of your chest when you first wake up – those feelings of fear, dread, uncertainty. It always takes me by surprise.

I didn’t go to sleep anxious or worried last night. But as I look back – I was reading Joan Anderson’s book, A Year By the Sea, about a woman who felt she had lost herself and lost her life’s direction, and actually goes AWOL and lives by herself in a cottage by the sea for an entire year.  How brave she had to be!

You see, I am actively pursuing some big, lifetime dreams right now. Trust me when I say BIG ONES. I decided a couple of years ago to finally go for It. I stepped out of the comfortable life I was living. Moved and everything. Worst yet, I brought my husband along on this journey. I asked him to take this huge leap of faith with me. (So when I get into one of my anxious states, I worry about whether I ruined his life too.)

The first thing that happens when I awaken in this anxious state is the old “fight or flight” response. I consider climbing deeper under the covers and sleeping all day, but anxiety doesn’t really lend itself to resting.

My next automatic response is go all intellectual. I try to make sense out of what’s going on by analyzing it. I try to figure out what I need TO DO! And this always comes with a great deal of urgency. As if there is anything TO DO at 6am.

Here are some things I can do:

1.  Wake up.

Both literally and figuratively. Though it is the early hours of the morning, it is time to wake myself up. Turn on the light. Both literally and figuratively. Recognize that the monsters aren’t real. I say, “Oh, that’s just my old friend that I know so well…fear.”

2. Breathe.

I am still constantly amazed at how I forget to breathe. Of course I am breathing, I’m still alive. But I’m talking about using those good deep breaths that cleanse and center me. The best tools we all have for interrupting this physical anxiety is to remember to breathe….breathe…..breathe.

Again, breathe…..breathe…breathe. And again….

3.  Remember.

Now it’s time to remember who I really am. Remember: I am spiritual being having a human experience. Got it.

It’s also time to remember what I know – my purpose. I have chosen to make these changes in my life in order to answer my soul’s calling. This morning I happen to be in the middle of the land of uncertainty, not knowing exactly where I am on the path.  This is why it’s called a leap of faith.

4.  Pray.

Before my feet hit the floor, I have become disciplined in the practice of saying a short prayer of gratitude.  I also often pray for guidance, but mainly, I want to come from a place of thankfulness.  A gratitude prayer humbles me while at the same time infusing me with a sense of abundance and okayness.

5. Ask the Powerful Question:  ”What Do I Need Today?”

The question can vary everyday depending on what you need. Today, I need courage. Today I need to feel my personal power. So, for me, the powerful question of the day is, “What would I do today if I were brave?”

From this grounded, centered, loving place, I hear the voice that says, “Kathy, it’s not so much what you need to do today. It’s that you need to continue to believe, To trust. To stay open. Remember that this is a choice in life you made. Stay with the plan.”

Ultimately, there may be something TO DO, but I’ve learned this should not be my first response. Instead I want to stop, breathe, and focus…to know what I really need.   It’s more about remembering, reconnecting, and recommitting.

Your Powerful Questions:

If you are anxious and in need of courage,

ask yourself

“What do I need today?”

“What would I do today if I were brave?”

I’d like to take this opportunity to encourage you to use our blog to express whatever you feel compelled to say or any question you would like to pose.  If you bookmark this page, you can return and keep up with comments.  We would love to hear from you.

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New Upcoming Women’s Group – This group is for women in the local area that want to create a community of support and sisterhood as we take some time to get still, take stock, create a vision, and go for it. Sign in  for more information about this powerful journey for personal transformation. Let me know if you’re interested as group size is limited.

It’s time to finally become who we are meant to be! Why not? After all, this is your one wild and precious life being lived out in these wild and precious times. I’m ready for it, are you?

Tags: A year by the Sea, If I Were Brave, Jan Stanfield, Joan Anderson

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