Hey beautiful souls,

Last night I was in a major storm in New Mexico and I was absolutely terrified. See this blue dot below? That’s me. See all the red? That’s doom moving towards me. lol. I’ve been in plenty of storms in this country and outside this country however I have never experienced anything like this.

There are so many things that come at us out of the blue, so many situations that come up that we have absolutely no control over. Then what? Do you crumble, still try to run away, avoid, hurt others around you because of the pain you are in? Or do you choose healthier options?

Choosing Healthy Voices

We always have a choice. I could listen to the voice that says "OMG this is the worst/the end/ doom," or I could choose a different voice. As I grounded myself (deep calming breaths to slow my heart rate down) I heard two distinct voices that made me laugh and brought me comfort: my mom echoing my grandma! My grandmother lived in Mississippi and we stayed in that state for a while too. During storms, especially if I was at my grandmother’s home there were things that happened every single time. My grandmother would say “Turn everything off, get somewhere and sit down, be quiet and let the Lord do His work.” She (grandma) has been passed on for many years now but I could hear her so clearly in this moment. Anyone else have a grandmother who said similar things?

I didn’t really understand this as a kid and especially didn’t like it if we were watching a good TV show or movie and had to turn it off! But now as an adult I have a new appreciation for it. Although I am not religious anymore I love that what her sentiment was really teaching us: to not be fearful, be patient, and that this to shall pass!

Perception really is key. In that moment I choose to listen to that voice, pull over and stay safe until the storm passed.

Choose Healthy Surroundings

During any difficult time it is so important to be mindful of who is around you. Although I was alone, in my car, on the side of a highway, between two mountains I also was on the phone with one of my best friends. He was able to help me make healthy decisions (stay pulled over and wait, check the radar and try to remain calm) and distract me from fear.

Now we all have those people in our lives that we call when something goes wrong… Take a few moments and think about who those people are in your life. Now ask yourself this: “Do they create more calm or chaos for me?” Oof. Be truthful with yourself. There were two people that came to mind when I was feeling terrified. One would have helped me lean into the lens of panic and being terrified and only increased my anxiety, the other helped me create calm. I made a healthy informed choice based on truth.

When things go wrong choosing not to isolate is necessary, but also choosing who we allow into our space is imperative to our healing and survival of difficult moments.

Lightning

I’ve been in plenty of storms in this country and outside this country however I have never experienced anything like this. The lightning was so close to me, so bold, so bright, so unapologetically strong and I was absolutely freaked out seeing as I was driving on a highway between two mountains with torrential rain.

When I got home I started thinking about my thoughts on how I described the lightning and dang it I want to be all of that! BOLD, BRIGHT, UNAPOLOGETIC, STRONG, DEMANDING, FEARLESS, INTENSE IN A BEAUTIFUL WAY.

What would happen if you chose to be a little like lightning in your life today? I want to challenge you to read those words above and see where you can add a little fierceness into your life regardless of the season. Be like lightning. Brighten your future and the lives of those you come in contact with, show up and show out, strike where you want and leave a healthy lasting impression and when the difficult moments come please remember: THIS TOO SHALL PASS!

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Until next time…