Ok, let’s all have a moment of silence for Tom Brady’s knee. I am going to wear black from now on and will probably be in mourning until the season opener next year. So please be kind to me as I am sure a depression is looming. My only consolation was watching the Bears kick Peyton Manning to the curb on opening day in the Colt’s new stadium. Snicker. Seeing Manning make the boo-boo face almost made my day.
My new idea about how to save the world is to write in Bill Belichick (President) and Tom Brady (VP) on the ballot in November. I am sure the extent of our foreign policy would then become all about taking over Canada 10 yards at a time. Ha ha.
You guys all knew I am a HUGE football fan, right? My true goal in life is to become the Official Psychic of the New England Patriots.
So anyways, the wheel of the year has turned again and summer is over. Heavy sigh. The nights are getting cooler and the trees have started to hint at turning colors. That back to school feeling is upon us. As much as I love the summer, I also enjoy the shift into this new energy, it always makes me want to start something new. Many people begin a new manifesting cycle in the fall but I notice some of my clients are coming in and saying they feel stuck and want to move, change jobs or relationships.
Shifting stuck energy is always an interesting proposal. Sometimes it feels like we are tied to a chair our feet are nailed to the floor and we can’t move an inch. Usually when this happens it’s because we need to learn something or look at something that we don’t want to. I have felt nailed into situations that kick my butt because the only way I would actually deal with that issue is if I had no choice.
Our souls are funny that way. The personality/ego parts of us kick and scream through these “growth opportunities” and the soul just smiles and knows how good it is for us to stretch outside our tiny little comfort zones and do some serious expanding.
Over the years, I have learned a few tricks to move stuck energy. So if you find yourself stuck and unable to shift energy here are a couple of different strategies to try.
Lessons Learned- Ask yourself what is the lesson you are learning. Are you being called to clear karma with someone you can’t get away from? Or perhaps you are having a lot of practice with what ever your primary issues are. If you can identify what the lesson is for you, the energy often shifts. Of course sometimes we don’t like these lessons, but if you can grab the bull by the horns and really lean into it instead of trying to get away from your lesson, you can move energy pretty quickly.
This happened to me with a particular kind of bossy, bully energy. I have pulled into my life one bully after another. Each one was opportunity to learn about setting boundaries and standing up for myself.
Once I figured out one person, my soul would up the ante and I would get someone even more challenging. Has this lesson stopped for me? No. I still get plenty of time in “boundary school,” I just don’t get upset about it anymore. There is no point in taking it personally. I have plenty to learn in that department so when something comes up, I just take a breath and go for it, understanding that is my recurring lesson in this life.
Stuck Emotions- Nothing can gunk up the works faster then stuck feelings. Some people have what I call “constipated” energy fields, if you pardon the earthy analogy. If your system is full of unexpressed feelings, you can lose momentum in your life. Those emotions get packed into the tissues of your body organs and muscles and really cause problems. Sometimes the best way to get unstuck is to release your feelings. Most of us have feelings that we truly believe are unacceptable to express. Those are the ones you need to go for. If you can’t cry then you probably need to express some grief. Rent a tear jerker movie and go for it!
For many people anger is the big no-no and nothing will slow you down faster then unexpressed rage. Join a kick boxing class, pound pillows (hey, even Louise Hay pounds pillows, you can too!) write in your journal, scream in your car, run, kick, stomp and punch. I have a heavy bag in my garage and my favorite thing to do (besides kick boxing classes) is to whack the heavy bag with my son’s baseball bat, while swearing my head off. My neighbors think I am strange but I feel better afterwards!
The thought recently occurred to me that maybe my obsession with the gridiron and our 21st Century gladiators, might just been one place that I send my angry and aggressive energy into a relatively healthy outlet. Huh.
Clean House- If you are feeling like you are stuck in the swamp, try clearing your clutter. Clean out your closets and get rid of as much old stuff as you can. This is a trick I learned from a Feng Shui pal of mine. You want to aim for having rooms that are clean, clutter-free and easy on the eyes. Old, unfinished projects are real energy suckers. Finish or get rid of anything that is left incomplete, since having half completed projects around will stop the flow of new energy in your life.
Move Your Body- Getting the energy to flow in your body is key. I am a big believer in exercise, so get out and walk, do yoga, dance whatever floats your boat. As blood and oxygen pumps around your body, you literally clean out your cells, moving old stagnant energy and waste products out. If you really want to treat yourself, then some bodywork and energy work can also help you shift things. Massage, acupuncture and energy work, like Full Spectrum healing can shift stubborn energy patterns and it feels good too.
Surrender- This is the hardest one for me. Sometimes we have things in our lives that we can’t change. Why this happens is really a mystery to me. I don’t know why we get nailed with things we can’t change, but we do. In the old days people would say it was the cross we all have to bare, other people call it karma. I just know that it happens to all of us. In my mind this is the deep soul stuff, and it can be so tender and painful and also so growthful. How do you manage that which you can not change? My aspiration is to manage it with grace and surrender. Sometimes we just have to accept what is and stop struggling.
My favorite affirmation these days when I come up against these things, is “I surrender my will to God’s will and God’s will is a mystery.” My husband’s way of dealing with the unchangeable is the Serenity Prayer.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
The courage to change the things I can;
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Maybe I should get that tattooed on me somewhere. Maybe right next to the Four Agreements, which are also tattoo worthy.
The real litmus test for me is this. Can I accept the inevitability of Tom Brady with a torn ACL? A football season without Perfect Tom? Jeeze, this one is tough. I may have to go into a few weeks of silent retreat to get this one under my belt, but if can practice what I preach here and achieve radical acceptance, I might be ready for Buddhahood! In the meantime, please send me and Tom (and Matt Cassel, who is obviously the next undiscovered gem of the NFL) your prayers.
