Walk Softly, Carry a Big Stick - January Inspire You Article

Inspire You Article
Walk Softly, Carry a Big Stick

 

How can we get better centered to handle the challenges that life throws our way? Being centered is especially powerful this year of 2012 to give us a jump start to magical experiences. As we center ourselves and find that balance or neutral state we can better face life’s challenges and handle them with more ease. We are in the flow of life rather than pushing too hard or not hard enough. We simply flow allowing life to flow in and out. The ebbs and flows of life are natural and we can better naturally accept them and work with them to truly enjoy life! Find your balance, come back to center. Where in life are you off-centered or not focused properly? Ask yourself (and truly listen to the answer), "What can I do to correct the imbalance? What can I do to come back to my center or rather a neutral witness state of mind?"

In yoga, there is a main pose that is the template for all other poses, called Mountain Pose. As we find proper alignment in this pose, we want to take this same alignment throughout all other yoga poses. We want to see how we can go inward as well as how we express outward. But we want to find balance between the two. Not too inward and not to outward. In this pose, stand tall with good posture, tucking the pelvis in. Find the neutral space for your shoulders. Not too hunched over or too open that we dump weight in the lower back arching too much. But find the centered or neutral place for your shoulders. As we do this we tuck the pelvis, lift up from the pelvic floor, pull the navel in towards the spine and expand upward. Strong legs, feet walking distance apart. Feel the neutral but strong sense in this active yet still pose. There is a polarity here as in all poses that we can find a balanced center in. As in this pose, we must find that in our life situations.

I love the Zen saying (my sister just reminded me of), “Walk Softly, Carry a Big Stick”. It’s the balance in life. Don’t be too weak with your essence, but don’t be too overbearing in strength either. Don’t allow others to walk all over you, but be mindful you are not walking all over others. Find the balance in your stance of this situation and reflect. Go inward on what this means to you right now. Where are we pushing too hard and where can we push a little more, a little stronger?

As a parent, you may notice those moments when disciplining is perfectly aligned; where you are able to speak softly or in such a balanced tone, but exude such a presence of strong powerful authority that you are taken seriously by the child. We don't need to yell or get off our center. We are able to remain calm but strong and centered with our disciplinary action. It's those moments when we truly find a neutral spiritual way of being. We can discipline out of love, set ours boundaries and lovingly, but sternly, discipline when necessary for our child's growth. We do it out of love and positive results ensue.

Another personal example is regarding a legal agreement. It is agreed that since I have full custody of our son I am to receive child support from my ex-husband every week. However, it has been a struggle to keep receiving that consistently. It's been a pattern of my ex-husband to be out of work over the Winter season. In years past he blamed getting laid off. Then he blamed his chosen job field in construction and not having much work over the cold season. His next excuse was that there just weren't enough jobs out there. Then he found a job and got screwed over by his boss so he quit (this one happening a few times). On and on the excuses ensued.

Finally, it's no more excuses time. A good resolution to have this year. This year there's no more excuses. And I find it quite coincidental that this is also the theme for this year's brand new season of The Biggest Loser. No excuses. There comes a time when you've heard it all and the pattern is still continuing. If there is no change, you can either change your perspective in a situation or you can change the situation. In this case, the perspective was sought but an actual physical action was to be taken. I had to take back my power that was being taken from me. A part of me must have allowed it and for far too long. So I had to put my foot down in an ever so graceful kind of way. Yes, we all go through struggles and what needs to be understood is we are NOT THE VICTIM. We are the creator! So we must take responsibility and move from the powerful neutral state of a centered being.

I had to admit to myself there was a part of me co-creating this crappy pattern, as well as see what I could do about it. I've already done the "court" thing several times, more than I can remember. So I thought the pattern was over but perhaps it was like the onion uncovering layer after layer each year so more of this pattern is cleared out and my power is my power once again. When I tap into the zero state of mind and really allowed what will be to be once in court, a Divine plan good for all worked out.

This time around, it is about reminding my ex-husband of my boundaries, not feeling guilty for anything he's not forgiven yet and not being taken advantage of because I'm a "nice" person. Walking all over me is not going to help me raise my son, nor is it healthy for my soul to allow this to continue. I communicated this as gracefully as possible and amazingly most of the immediate child support was then caught up. However, he has lapsed again since I wrote this so it is my choice to choose to let it go (perfectly divine option in certain situations) or to stand strong with love and have the courts take their action on this front. So it is my Divinely inspired action to allow the courts to take their action.

I am resolving to doing the work. If he's not doing his part, I must stand strong. I know that if it's not paid, I cannot listen to more "excuses" anymore or wait too long to take action. So I am resolved to going back to court, if necessary, to show that it's time to have a balanced relationship and this is his responsibility. He can no longer take advantage of me and my energy.

We are all going through our challenges in life. There is not one person who can say they aren't facing some sort of challenge. So we must all get along and work together as a unit. It's time for balance once again. So I am trying to "walk softly while holding a big stick", graceful yet strong.

Where are you resisting and where are you allowing? Is there too much resistance or too much allowing? Find the balance.

I wish you balance and a new-found presence filling your soul in this new year of 2012!

Blessings to you on your path.

Bliss,
Maggie, CYT, RMT, CSC, CPLC
Empowering you through Yoga, Healing & Workshops
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