It happens to all of us, more than once throughout our lifetimes. Could be a relationship; or job/career; accident or illness; or just how we might be feeling about life overall. Things were going along as we planned, or at least as we thought they should be, and then suddenly something happens and we feel off track, derailed.
I've been there more than once. Failed marriages, dead end jobs, unplanned career changes. Almost every time I've reacted as so many of us do. Centered in my Ego, my reactions have typically been fear based which leads to the potent and nasty combination of high anxiety, anger, worry and deep sadness. When I learned the following perspective, everything changed. So, when you have the feeling of being derailed, of a big train wreck, here is what to do:
1. Don't panic and get reactive. The reality is that you are not derailing but rather just changing tracks to a better destination. Yes, it is rough and bumpy and the new destination is unknown at first. But what is happening is supposed to happen and God, or the Universe if you prefer, has your best interest well in hand. For reinforcement, just look back on the times in the past where you felt derailed. Didn't things ultimately turn out for the better?
2. Stay grounded and patient. This is a very important time to be disciplined about your spiritual practices. For me that means daily meditation, yoga and regular prayers of gratitude. This will help you stay open to direction on where to go next, and the steps to take to get there. This is not a do nothing time, but rather a time to take the actions that come to you from a place of peace, patience and gratitude.
3. Nuture and protect the temple. Our bodies are the temple for our true selves, our soul. In this moment, when we are changing tracks, it is super critical to take very good care of our physical bodies and minds. My past tendencies have been to sleep less, because my mind is racing with worry. To drink more wine, because I want to numb the negative feelings. To eat poorly, because my ego convinces me to "indulge" myself during this unhappy time. To skip my yoga practices and hikes, because it's just easier to sit on the couch and watch TV. All of these negative actions are used by the ego to add fuel to the fear fire! Instead, when I eat, sleep and exercise well it builds my sense of calm, peace and confidence that everything is well.
4. Be grateful and happy. Changing tracks to a new and better destination is a wonderful thing! God is working powerfully in your life and the power of the Universe is moving you forward. This is actually a wonderful thing and definitely should be added to the daily gratitude prayer.
Taking these four steps will result in a sense of peace and excitement about a positive transition in your life. That's a huge change from the feelings of fear and anger and worry and...
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