Gravity: grav-i-tee – Noun, plural, the force of attraction by which terrestrial bodies tend to fall toward the center of the earth, heaviness or weight.
When you think of the word Gravity, what comes to mind? Falling, heavy, inevitable, unstoppable, powerful, inertia, age, etc. What about the expression, “the gravity of the situation” which means the seriousness, the importance, the severity of an issue. Pretty daunting, right?
We all know that it’s the grace of gravity that keeps us grounded so to speak. It keeps the dirt underneath our feet and the water in our ocean. Gravity impacts everything. Not just your skin, your ears and your muscles. But over time, the daily grind of life’s challenges and the ebb and flow of experience and the continuing movement of time as you move along life’s path, the pull, the ‘gravity’ of life can weigh down your mood and your life.
So take heart and get in place with where you are. It is easy to get into the routine and therefore, the mindset that it’s all the same. It takes more effort to counteract the natural pull of life. Our outlook often needs a nip and a tuck to pull us up – something positive, something wonderful, something new.
Be the watch-guard of your energy and the master of your thoughts with these strategies:
Fresh perspective: Really take notice, this takes effort – look at your neighborhood, your workplace, your routine with new eyes. Pretend you are visiting ‘you’ – see the beauty in it all. Drive home using a different route.
Explore outside yourself: Either in a book or on the web or from a movie or a educational TV show – everyone doesn’t live like you do – some of us are born into poverty, some into wealth, some into warm climates, some into families that travel. Look around.
Make small changes: Eat something new. Listen to what the kids are listening to. Travel on a bus or a train. Just get outside of yourself to shift your perspective.
Hand it back: Volunteer, find others in need, go to a hospital or a nursing home. Visit with those that have no company. Do errands for those in need. Lend a hand where there are none.
Going back to move forward: The longer I live, the more I see, and the faster it all seems to go by. Getting back to the carefree days of youth and trying to remember how it feels to be excited with all that is new is often tough for us to remember. What triggers that feeling for you? For me, it’s a Slurpie and a candy bar. Food I would never buy now, is something I loved as a teenager. What music did you listen to? I heard a song by Boston (the name of a great band don’t you know, if you haven’t heard of them, check it out) recently on a warm breezy night and I immediately wanted to get a beer and sit on a car outside because that is what I did when I was younger. My friends and I would sit outside and just sip and share. It was a relaxing way to engage and connect. The music took me back in time. It was so nice to feel that feeling again as the world was at my feet and I knew I was part of a larger whole.
With all the pull of the daily grind comes the realization that You have come a long way, baby! Treasure the accomplishments, the lessons and the journey. Gravity will always be there, but it doesn’t have to bring you down.
Tags: anxiety, coping mechanisms, emotions, journey, Managing emotions, stress, worry
