EMOTIONAL KRYPTONITE
We all have it. We all know we have it. It’s just that we choose to pretend it isn’t there… until we can’t pretend any longer… let me explain…
Earlier today, I was going through my daily routine, no issues, just a day like all the others. I mindlessly walked into the bathroom and BOOM! Right in front of me, with no regard for my sanity – wet towels on the floor. OK, well, you might think – what is the big deal about towels being left on the floor? If you’ve got kids, you know that things won’t be neat and tidy all the time… right? Well, as you may have guessed, the towels weren’t the issue – they were the trigger. Seeing the towels on the floor suddenly transported me, unwillingly, into the murky depths of my default thinking – the place where emotions are stripped bare, forcing you to relive a life-altering situation, or confronting an old feeling you thought you had resolved. Or an insecurity has resurfaced, that you were sure you’d dealt with long ago. It’s what I affectionately call “emotional kryptonite”. Well, not that affectionately, as it can have a detrimental impact on my well-being, and typically rears its ugly head when I least expect it, and definitely don’t want it! Emotional kryptonite - that one thing (or person, or place, or event, or…) that can seriously weaken your defences, and stop you from moving forward emotionally. You don’t have to be a superhero to know what I’m talking about!
“Emotional kryptonite - that one thing that can seriously weaken your defences”
Up until this morning, I felt that things had been moving along quite well really, and life was feeling manageable, dare I say “good”?! Then the wet towels appeared, and those nasty old thought patterns, the familiar self-deprecating feelings, came flooding back, washing over me like a tidal wave. Aaarrrggghhh!!! I thought I was done with this – I thought I had bolstered my defences, strengthened my weak spots sufficiently, but it seems my kryptonite wasn’t done messing with my emotions.
Well, I knew I couldn’t allow myself to wallow in self-pity, allowing that tidal wave to swallow me whole. I had things to do – I had to put on my big-girl pants and focus on the task at hand – I had a full weekend of harp therapy to experience. Needless to say, I struggled to focus – I was still stuck in default thinking mode. My mind kept wandering off, trying to analyze the reasons for the recent return of my emotional kryptonite. There was too much going on inside my head – the harp was not being given the necessary attention.
My harp therapy teacher then skillfully led the class into an incredible opportunity of self-reflection, providing the gift of golden moments. (This was exactly what I enjoy offering to my own clients!) I listened to the teacher, surrendered to my senses, and drifted seamlessly into the role of student… or so I thought. After awhile, I discovered that I wasn’t actually listening to the teacher, I was listening to ME – I had become my own teacher. I listened to my breathing, my mind chatter – How did my body feel? Was there tension or tightness? How was my flow? – it’s like I was given permission to put the brakes on the downward spiral of negativity, of self-loathing. My emotional well-being was being fortified to push back against the kryptonite!
“I became one with my breath. Nothingness filled my mind.”
I became one with my breath. Nothingness filled my mind. I have only experienced this incredible sensation a few times, but when I have… WOW!... I realize how much I have been neglecting my inner well-being.
My teacher then began to gently pluck the harp strings… it reminded me of rain softly falling on a parched garden bed. The flowers are drooping, the soil is hard and crumbling – less than ideal conditions for anything to survive, let alone thrive and flourish. Just as the flowers and soil were thirsting for a rejuvenating rainfall, my soul was craving the soothing sounds of the harp. With each heavenly note, I sensed my breath becoming deeper, fuller, life-enriching. The sound of the harp opened my heart, enabling it to hear my inner voice and allowing so much goodness to enter, quieting any remaining triggers.
Clearly, the harp therapy was the antidote for my emotional kryptonite! And it can be for you too. Consider my Listening Room services to feed your soul, rejuvenate your spirit, and help you regain your superhero status.
HUGS & LOVE, Janet