The Challenge - Day 26
Every week I write about the daily battles, challenges, and pursuits
that I face in life with hope that the reader can either relate or at least be
amused. I believe in being a strong
woman and doing our best to face these matters by flexing our ever-strong heart
muscles and minds. This weekend, my
perspective shifted as I realized that being strong should never overshadow the
ability to love, let go, and be vulnerable.
I recently watched a very sweet and charming movie titled "Peace,
Love, and Misunderstanding." The
lead character is a woman, said to be a Virgo (that hits close to home!), who
prides herself on being a successful lawyer in Manhattan. Her mother is a total hippie living in
Woodstock and the lead character's newly announced divorce leads her to take
her two kids for a week long getaway to find 'Love in Woodstock'. This woman is constantly trying to maintain
structure in life, keep her kids on the straight and narrow, and simply cannot
endorse the pot-dealing and love-seeking lifestyle of her hippie mother. The leading man is introduced into the story
and he immediately asks her "Why are you constantly battling?". Without missing a beat she responds with, "I'm a
lawyer. And to be a good lawyer you must
always have your fists up." The man
responds with, "But the people you are battling aren't actually fighting back. You're boxing shadows."
As I watched the credits roll, I couldn't help but look inward and
process this subtle message. How often
are we rising to the challenge versus battling adversaries that we created in
our own minds? Are we just boxing
shadows some days? There is a time to
raise the fists and know that you can 'beat this' or 'overcome that' but there
is also a time to take off the gloves and just be vulnerable. We can't walk through life thinking that
everyone is swinging a fist -- especially if there is love desperately trying
to wrap its arms around us.
The Challenge - Day 26
Physical
I am a huge fan of yoga and a key component to a successful yoga
practice is breathing. I challenge you
to take a deep breath, right now, and fill your lungs to capacity and then just
let it go. You will feel fresh oxygen
pump into your body as you release all of the stale air that we slowly hold on
to each day. Take a moment to do this
three times in a row just once and day -- you will be surprised at the actual
physical impact of such a simple release.
Personal
Every day we face various life challenges. Who are your constant battles? Your kids?
Your boss? Your mother? Your
significant other? And now, when was the
last time that you took a step back to truly evaluate that relationship. Are you picking your battles wisely or
holding up your fists all day long? Let
go and put down the fists. Now try and
see the light in that relationship and focus your mind on the good while
managing your reaction to the bad.
Spiritual
I sometimes find myself picking battles with LIFE. Things that I find to be frustrating, or not
materializing fast enough, or simply unfair.
The most powerful thing to do with battles that are beyond our control
is to let go. Do you have anything that
you hold on to with a grip so tight that your knuckles might be white and
fingers strained from the tension? Let
it go and give it up to who/what serves as the higher power in your life. The world presents enough for us to take on
-- no need to create additional battles of the mind.
"Some think it's holding on that makes one strong; sometimes it's
letting go." -- Sylvia
Robinson
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