Part 2 of 3: Caged & Restless
We all get sad. We all go through rough patches. We all get served up a plate of fubar from time to time. But what we don’t often do, though we should, is share how we battle back.
I deploy three primary countermeasures when I am feeling super down.
The first is simple. I grant myself plenty of rest. I know better than to ramp up and try to power through when I feel this way. My go to move is to actually shut it down. At the helm of over 20 companies, this is not always easy or timely, but I know that my companies and relationships will be worse off if I do not give myself space. Time to just sit with the emotional lows that I’m experiencing. I only get done what absolutely needs to get done work wise, and fill the time with what I need most. This is rest. I allow the guilt of laziness to pass on by like a rainy cloud I don’t need piling on. I remind myself that my wellness comes first and the world can wait while I attempt to heal.
The second may be unique to me. I seek to be inspired. An inspirational book, movie, tv show, and other inspirational content. I seek out that which inspires me, not as a distraction, but as a deliberate refueling of my empty tank. For what makes me feel most sad is when I feel uninspired. So I let it go to work on me. To uplift me. To take me on a journey. 99% of the time, this works beautifully.
For you, it is likely something different. Seek out things that make you happy and bring you joy. One helping at a time. Is this spending time with your best positive and upbeat friend, going for a surf, a long walk, a great meal, - what are your go to’s for sure fire happiness? Mine is to be inspired. What are yours? Feed them when in need.
The third, and the most effective, is I gravitate to what creates my highest vibration of aliveness. Three things do this better than anything else. I lead, I give, and I risk. If these three seem rather strange bedfellows, allow me the indulgence of explaining my essence.
I am a leader. I do this by inspiring others through writing, speaking, mentoring, coaching, events, and business opportunity creation (aka dreams).
I am a giver. I do this through meaningful genrousity. I prefer unsolicited giving. I spot ways to lift a person up to their highest vibration or greatest calling. Excellent timing can make all the difference to a person in need of love and support. I like to crawl into the foxhole with inspirational people and I come with resources and a will to fight by their side.
I am a risk taker. I equate taking risk to growth. All things are either growing or dying. When I’m sad, I feel like a caged lion, restless and restricted from being my true self. The Bliss Lion inside of me prefers to live courageously and purposefully. I do this through growth. Nothing helps me grow more than taking risks. Please do not confuse risk with risky. I do not do risky. Not ever. My standard is to take risks for what I desire most. I was not born to be in anyones cage.
These are my go to moves when I feel super sad. My countermeasures if you will. They typically pull me out of deep sadness within a few days, sometimes faster. But, not this time. This time it took longer. Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months. I would require more this time….
See you tomorrow. Thanks for reading. I am grateful and inspired.
