Maytags, Belly Flops and Breezes

The last week’s flooding and aftermath damage left many people reeling- trying to find center again while anxiety and chaos seems to swirl around. As a single parent you would think we would be used to chaos swirling around us; used to the feeling of being a sock in an otherwise empty washing machine on spin cycle.  But this is bigger.  And to make matters worse, I allowed myself to watch the news 4 days in a row this week.  I am feeling extra Maytagged this Monday afternoon. 

The general energy around us with natural disasters is hectic energy filled with fear, sadness, confusion, and turmoil.  It seems to free-float around, we are either swimming in it or it is a spare tire-sized mass that hits us in the head periodically.

The message I keep getting is to work at centering.  Find the center of ourselves, and just observe the energy swirling.  We cannot stop it.  But we can watch it from the edge rather than belly-flopping in to the middle of it.

Here is how I stay out of the belly flop mode:

1.  Move slower, don’t push the To-Do list, getting more done before 7 am than most people do all day.
2. Allow transition time between work, home, kids, friends, awake, asleep.
3. Wear headphones if you are in the midst of people who insist on chaotic energy.
4. Send prayers for healing.
5. Remind, review, remember who you are to stay centered in who you are.
6. Do that daily walk/run to ground yourself in routine.
7. Gratitude as ever (the hopelessness of some situations might need an entire page of gratitude items, not just the daily 3-5).
8. Lastly, Allow, allow, allow.  Don’t fight it, but observe that bubble of anxiety, chaos, etc. move twist, travel from your heart down your arm, to your head, and then eventually blow aside in the gentle breeze of knowing that chaos can swirl all around you, but you stay right here, as solid as ever.
9. And then don’t forget the chocolate!