Emotions can be volatile like the weather. And emotions have a message about what’s going on inside. Get grounded. Tune into the weather within.
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It’s been hot here in the Northwest. Super-hot in the Southwest. Wet in the Southeast. And windy in the Midwest. The weather can be your teacher, or a villain this summer.
For instance, your grief is like the weather. Hot anger. Wet sadness. Windy anxiety. Changing by the minute.
The “weather” within
Like the weather, my emotions have been volatile the past two weeks. Deep love and compassion for clients holding anger and sadness. Anger with myself for saying “Yes” to too many projects and people. Awakening in the morning with anxiety even though all is well in the moment.
Thankfully, emotions only last 90 seconds according to the authors of Conscious Leadership.
What I’ve learned about emotions is, they bring information. Messages about the “weather” within.
Grief shows up as emotions of anger, sadness, and anxiety. And it can show up in the body as tired, heavy, and stuck. Or grief can manifest as the mean mind that says, “You can’t feel better, or you will forget them.”
Release the internal emotional “weather” storm
How? You can choose to recognize and relate to your emotions. To feel them fully. Emote them. And finally, listen to their messages.
Get grounded to listen
Imagine for a moment you’re on a high plateau overlooking the United States. From this vantage point, you can see mountains, rivers, plains, forests, and lakes. The scene is vast. And in this moment, it’s tranquil.
There is no smoke. No tornados or hurricanes. There’s only beauty as your eyes follow the sun’s movement across the sky. All is well.
Now, feel the solidness of the ground beneath you. Notice the position of your feet as you’re reading these words.
Are your feet on the ground? Or are you standing, perhaps with your phone in hand? Maybe you’re sitting at your computer? No need to change anything. Simply notice without judgment.
Can you feel equal footing? Or is one foot heavier than the other? Is there a feeling of safety in this moment?
One person’s experience
One client who tried this envisioning process reported feeling “Positive Equal Footing” as they looked out over this vast vista. The energy of the earth was supporting them. There was a transfer of strong energy.
This client wasn’t working on releasing grief. Instead, they were seeking to listen to emotions about a disturbing energy regarding work. Something was disrupting their happiness and peace at their job.
They began to imagine going from the vista down to a river. It wasn’t raging, but neither was it placid. There were whirlpools. This person realized the whirlpools were caused by a micromanager at work.
Have you ever experienced this personality type in your life?
When I suggested this disturbing frequency was like their father, the client laughed out loud. Immediately the river calmed. So did their fear of losing their job.
In their mind’s eye, they then waded into the river and felt the coolness on their feet. It was soothing and they felt the solid ground beneath them.
Stress vs grief
How often are you in situations where your emotions are churned, not because of grief but by the stress of life? Or perhaps by both.
Many of you in Fragile Grief find yourself dealing with both grief and the stresses of leadership, work, family, or community at the same time.
I define stress as LACK. Lack of time, energy, money, purpose.
Grief on the other hand is separation. A disconnect from the beloved person, pet, or dream that died. Seperated from your former self, physical health, or the familiar after your home has burned to the ground.
Check your internal “weather”
What internal emotional weather are you experiencing right now?
Are you aware of your emotions? Can you name them? Are they rooted in stress or grief?
And, what is the message?
Practice the visioning exercise above. Can you feel your feet on the ground beneath you? Tap into the solid earth. Get grounded.
What message are you hearing?
You are more powerful than you realize. You are not alone.
Love all around, above, below, to the left and to the right, before you and behind you,
Georgena
PS – Hit reply and let me know what you learned from this grounding exercise.
If you’re struggling with the emotional process of grief...
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