Picture: Lady LizArt / Eagle’s Nest at Tomoka State Park Fl

As you may know I’ve gifted myself the joy of a lot of special reading time this year, as I coast towards my 6th decade. And I’m really loving the inspirations, challenges, learnings, awarenesses and ideas new and old that I’m dancing with. There are times when I want to be able to read more than one book at the same time – one in each hand!

Right now one of the authors I’m reading is Melody Beattie. An American lady, well-known for her work and writings in the addiction recovery and co-dependency fields. (www.melodybeattie.com) I’m using her daily reader: More Language of Letting Go. This week, she refers to a quote by the influential Quaker Hannah Whitall Smith (1832 – 1911):

“The mother eagle teaches her little ones to fly by making their nest so uncomfortable that they are forced to leave it and commit themselves to the unknown world of air outside. And just so does our God to us.”

How’s Your Nest?

Is your nest becoming uncomfortable, changing shape? Is it time for you to commit to the unknown outside the ‘comfort zone’ of your nest?

There can be many reasons the nest becomes uncomfortable: The job changes or ends. Your relationship has died. You realise you finally need to take responsibility for your financial affairs. Your young person is moving on in life. A welcome and loved new arrival in the family.

Any or all of these – and more circumstances – can make us feel stressed, uncomfortable, unable to operate in our normal way. Sometimes the change comes from outside us. Other times the pressure comes from within ourselves.

Crumpling with frustration, resentment and fear in reaction to these new changes and pressures, can lead to damaging behaviours of too many glasses of wine, spending too much on fripperies, burying your head in the sand, or other guilt-inducing reactions. My reaction to stress and pressure used to involve all three of these behaviours and more.

Get Ready to Fly

Living and thriving through these pressure times can be achieved with a few simple steps:

  1. Accept that it’s possible you’re who you are and where you are, right now, for a reason. You may not be consciously aware of the reason, and that’s fine. Just thank the God that you do business with for your life, exactly as it is.
  2. Breathe. Yes, breathe – consciously and deeply. When you find yourself hearing the all-singing choir of fear-mongers in your head, take three conscious breaths.
  3. Walk. Yes, I mean it. Get out in the air, with or without music. Walk. Feel the power in your body. Feel your strength.
  4. Become aware of the awareness that you are feeling stressed / pressured. This mindful stepping away will help clear the way for you to create more enhanced responses to what’s going on around you.
  5. Celebrate what you have in your life that’s working to help you be you. The people, ideas, gifts, abundances. This is more than just a Gratitude List. It’s an affirmation of what makes you You. May be difficult at the start, but go for at least one new one each day.
  6. Keep a regular ‘I Did It’ journal, where you note how you supported yourself gently through the pressure points.   When you get used to doing this, let yourself understand what lessons you’re learning through all of this.

Making the conscious choice to take any or all of these steps will help you to begin to know how you want your nest to be, and give you the strength, courage and resilience to do it.

By the way – a book list will soon be up on my website.

To find out more about self-compassion, visit www.self-compassion.org. To come to one of my Self-Compassion workshops later in the year, simply visit the www.trudyarthurs.com website and link with the newsletter – you’ll be first to hear about the dates and details.

I’d really love to receive your feedback. Email me: trudy@trudyarthurs.com. Facebook: Trudy Arthurs, the Confidence Specialist.   Tel: 07810 511 600 – call to arrange your Clarity Session. With blessings ‘til next month.

© Dancing Leopards Ltd 2015