Do you ever feel confused, frustrated, or angry, not knowing what to do in a given situation? You want to take action to make things better, but you don’t know what to do?
It happens. When you find yourself in situations like that, try mentally shifting into neutral.
When a car is in neutral, the engine is running but disconnected from the wheels. The car can’t go forward or in reverse, but idles in place.
When we shift into neutral, we temporarily set aside the need to do something, to take action. We can “idle” by focusing on breathing and calming down, because action that comes from a place of fear or desperation is seldom helpful. (Believe me, I know. Raise your hand if you’ve had to apologize for acting or speaking out of anger or frustration, and had to apologize later. Yeah, that happens, too).
Most of the time, our response is not immediately needed. Most of the time, we have the chance to go to that lovely neutral space and recenter ourselves. This is not a waste of time, it’s the gift of time, to ensure that the action you do take will be inspired action; action that will be in your best interest, and everyone else’s as well.
In our very achievement-oriented society, we overvalue doing things, and undervalue the practice of pausing, of idling, while our agitated mind is allowed to calm down, and leave us feeling clear and calm, ready to get back in gear and move forward in a positive way.
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If you would like some help in building the skills of dealing with life’s frustrations, why not set up a free call and we can explore how life coaching can support you in your journey.
