Life at times can be so unpredictable, often throwing us more than we think we can handle. When these unpredictable, overwhelming occurrences appear, it can easily knock us off our feet, adding more stress, uncertainty, and even draining our energy. While we have much to deal with personally, we often take on stress and responsibilities that are not ours, adding to our already cumbersome load.
When considerable things happen, I too can spiral into an overwhelmed state causing me to feel out of alignment, low on energy, and stressed by taking on more than I can handle emotionally and physically. For me, this happens most when it relates to those I love. While in recent years I have learned (and am still learning) how to manage and release personal stress, it has been a lifelong lesson of mine to understand healthy boundaries, releasing responsibility when it is not mine, and allowing others to learn from their own choices.
The feeling of stress is our alarm system that we’re taken on too much or we are trying to control what cannot be controlled. When you find yourself in such a situation and having difficulty releasing what you know is not your responsibility or to learn what is not, it is time to zoom out to see the bigger picture. It’s so hard to understand the meaning or purpose of an event or circumstance when you are in the middle of it or if it is even yours to begin with.
Start by closing your eyes and taking slow deep breaths. As you begin to calm yourself, imagine seeing yourself floating outside your body, floating high above your head, to a point of view where you can see yourself as if you are watching a movie about someone else’s life. From this angle you can begin to understand more pieces and happenings because you’re not just looking through your limited perception, but at the larger picture of everyone involved.
Now you can begin to determine what is actually your responsibility or someone else's, how this affects you and others (the situation and/or your reactions), what possible steps to take and if what you are feeling and holding onto is for your highest good. When or if you find that is not yours to bare, it is time to sever the cords of responsibility. Energetically you are giving back accountability to those who need to learn for themselves.
I have learned that these situations are brought to all involved to learn and grow or to just simply pivot in a different direction. No matter how ‘bad’ a situation looks, it is the Universe (or our higher selves) at work, creating circumstances to learn a new pattern or response. The biggest truth I have learned to date, on this topic, is that allowing others to learn their own lessons is not without love. It is an act of unconditional love to allow them to fall and learn to pick themselves back up while only guiding them through (not fixing) the situation. To stand back and let go is a very heavy lesson to learn, but an exceptional gift to give another in life from the perspective of the soul.
Zoom out and discover how to realign yourself for your highest good that in turn will allow others to do the same for themselves (even if it takes a lifetime to see).
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