S.T.E.A.D.Y. - Finding Peace in the Storm

Have you ever been chugging along in life - things are going great - you feel good, you feel almost unstoppable, and things are going in your favor and then all of a sudden something happens that seems to set off a chain reaction and suddenly you feel like all your forward movement just hit a brick wall?

Yeah …Me Too!

Full transparency - no matter how many tools you have in your toolbox, no matter how much healing you’ve done, no matter how much you have worked through - sometimes you simply hit that brick wall and then you struggle to find your way back to a clear and open path. It’s not that you have done anything particularly wrong - it’s just that life can get hard and we are human - with feelings and triggers and hopes and desires.

There is a Japanese saying that I love “If you get on the wrong train, get off at the nearest station. The longer it takes you to get off, the more expensive the return trip will be.”

Sometimes, we struggle to recognize we are on the wrong path. For me this has been particularly true over the last couple of months. In a previous blog, I talked about my company selling to a new company and how I was approaching that. I did not fully anticipate everything else that would come my way - some personal, some professional. I kept pushing aside taking the time to work through my own feelings and triggers that were happening because I got very busy trying to show up for others and because pushing them down and ignoring them sometimes feels easier…UNTIL IT’S NOT!

Something I coach frequently is to PROTECT YOUR PEACE! It’s vital for moving forward and creating the space to handle all that life throws at you. This can be easier said than done and that’s never truer than when life is throwing you a bunch of curve balls, creating emotions and triggers that you thought you had already dealt with.

So, how do we protect our peace when we have crazy curve balls? It’s not easy and sometimes you have to break a little bit before you take the time to do what you know must be done. Personal disclosure - I’m great at coaching others and yet will do exactly the OPPOSITE of what I would coach someone else to do!

This weekend I finally decided to get off the train and return to protecting my peace. I got STEADY! What does that even mean?

S - Stop what you are doing and find a space to be alone.

T- Take time to be present with yourself.

E - Examine what is happening - take it out and really look at it.

A - Assess what those situations, emotions, and triggers are creating for or doing to you.

D- Determine next steps - what is in your control, what is not, and what can you do next?

Y - Yield so that you show up for yourself - allowing yourself to achieve personal success and fulfillment.

I’m all for doing this in whatever way is best for you. That may mean taking a long walk, taking yourself for coffee and going to sit in the park. It could also mean phoning a trusted friend and after ensuring they have the capacity to deal with your stuff, talking it through with them.

This weekend, I had to sit in my own space for a bit, and then I talked it out with some of the women I’m closest to. This week already feels better!

When we take the time to do this, we stop reacting and start responding. We can see how these things are impacting us (and those around us). We are allowed to grieve, cry, scream, and be brutally honest about how we are feeling. We get to create a way forward that doesn’t involve being a victim of our circumstances. We get to recognize that we are not okay - and that is perfectly fine - as long as we work through it to get back on track.

What are you struggling with? What are you avoiding dealing with? What do you need to do to get STEADY?

Feel free to leave a comment, send a chat, or connect!