Keep On, or Choose Again

“When something stops working, change your policies.” These are words of wisdom my Dad said to me often as a child. In the last few months these words have been playing out in my mind like continual re-runs of a popular old movie. I can feel my Dad’s spirit nudging me gently trying to let me know that there is something, I am not fully getting and he wants me to take notice. What that is I do not yet know.

Recently I experienced a chapter from the book of life’s trials and tribulations, notoriously known as the “week from hell.” The only thing I could say as I shook my head, shell-shocked and baffled, “Really? It’s happening again?”

If I’m honest I have to admit that it was not the actual events occurring that created my hellish week, it had to do with how I was responding to what had happened. Life was reminding me of the Law of Cause and Effect. All actions have consequences. In this case the lesson was difficult.

Sometimes I have a habit of staying in a situation longer than perhaps I should, often to the detriment of my health and well-being. I tend “to keep on, keeping on”, against all odds, especially if it has to do with someone or something that really matters to me. Nothing and no one, except Divine intervention, can stop me in my tracks.  And that’s what happened. My week got so intense I could not sleep more than three hours per night, and my lower back was so stiff I felt double my age- not an ideal situation for a person who is usually healthy and full of energy.

Normally one might think the “keep, keeping on” approach is admirable and shows strength of character. To this I would respond, “Yes, it does, unless you keep participating in a behavior that brings the opposite result of what you desire.”

The brilliant, thinker and scientist, Einstein, during his illustrious career once defined insanity as doing the same thing over again and expecting different results. These are definitely the words of a wise person. My challenge here is to know when to step away and choose again, and when to ‘keep on keeping on’, when addressing my needs in a balanced manner- in alignment with who I am becoming in the “bigger picture” of my life. Doing so would afford me more opportunity “to be all I can be” and help facilitate others to do the same for themselves.

When taking a moment to reflect on my father’s words of wisdom, and Einstein definition of insanity, I realize that until I value myself as much as I value being in service to my fellow human beings, what I have to offer is significantly reduced. A major “red flag” for me is not including the healthy care of myself while in service to the betterment of humanity and the planet.  Being a person who likes to give it her “all” in everything she does, forgetting to take care of myself in the process is counter-productive to my desire to be all I can be. The lesson for me, and perhaps for some of you, is that sometimes we just need to step back, take a breath, and choose again, in order to create a different result!

The main premise of my Sand Play work at the SandWorks® studio (or when I travel with my work), and in my book “Sand Play for the Soul”, is to facilitate clients to discover the whole story regarding their situations in question. When they are able to do this it offers them the opportunity to make informed decisions in order to create the results they desire. For more info visit this site.

Comments are closed.