What do you do when you cup is running dry?
When life just feels too much and you can’t absorb the next dam thing.
When the unrelenting storms of life pummel you again and you are stretched beyond your limits?
Never before have I felt such collective despair and overwhelm.
It shows up everywhere.With my clients who project and scape goat their frustrations.
With my children who struggle to let go of cherished plans…yet again.In my community who retreat, as reaching out just feels too much.
In myself as I question and get caught, sinking in the struggle of it all.
This week has been deeply challenging for many of us who have been swamped by relentless storms and floods.
Loosing belongings, businesses and choice.
On top of the endless and unfathomable impact of COVID, it has all felt overwhelming for so many.
We each have our own version of this collective pain.But at its essence, it is the same.
Over the past couple of years through it all, people have found new awareness around things like self-care and boundaries.
Many of us understand the importance of looking after ourselves and get the concepts of setting limits and only doing what we can.
We understand choice and consent in a whole new way.
But do we actually have the skills to implement these ideas and integrate them properly in our lives?
I was recently reminded again how unconscious patterns show up when people are triggered around boundaries.
How all our wonderful learning about consent and agreement making, flies out the window when we flip.
How scornful it feels to be on the receiving end of crossed boundaries and unfair projections.
We can talk about things like consent, choice, agreement making and setting limits until the cows come home.
In fact, we do.
I hear it all the time.
People get the ideas and strongly subscribe to them.
But do they know how to implement them when the heat is really on?
Until we practice and fully embody this information, over and over again, it will simply remain a good idea.
A wonderful piece of knowledge that has no footing when challenged.
A great thing to chat about and name in conversations about how we want to live our lives.
A useful piece of knowledge that makes sense and is what we often intend to do.
Everything changes when we actually embody concepts like consent and boundaries.
Until then, it is merely academic and we can never expect our lives to move beyond ingrained old patterns.
If we are serious about living lives where we thrive and finding new ways to nurture and care for ourselves, we need to slow down, notice our limits and communicate our boundaries with love.
We need to feel for our yes, nos and trust them enough to honour them with our actions.
When we can do this for ourselves, we invite others to do the same.Our bodies need to know this pathway, not just our minds.
What happens when your cup is dry, your limits reached or your boundaries crossed?
