“A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are for”
I had a client last week who felt like she only existed at one speed…intensity
I have been struggling lately to wiggle myself out of one of my main speeds, inertia
Our nervous system, if we aren’t tending to it and sometimes even when we are, is often a one trick pony. It pretty quickly figures out what survival strategy is most effective and then keeps choosing that
Even when or if other options are available, it knows this one FOR SURE works, and goes with that. In fact, it usually wont even register that there are other options
This is how we get locked in – or out – of choice
This is how our life stays the same
This is how our relationships have predictable outcomes
This is how we get older and nonethewiser
Other factors are at play, of course, some minor + some major
The way our nervous system perceives safety or lack thereof and mobilizes to respond, protect, + defend – all faster than the blink of an eye – is a gale force wind that, more often than not, is gonna blow your ship back into that well worn harbor
To begin to sail the uncharted terrain of possibility that exists in our system and our selves, we have to first engage with the power to select
We begin to see options when we feel safe, seen, and held
Sometimes that is as simple as placing one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly and saying “Thank you for always looking out for me, what do you need to feel okay right now”
And then really listening to the answer
Sometimes it’s more, but that’s a good place to start