Redirecting… I’m stealing my latest post idea from one of my favorite yoga teachers. I get some of my biggest inspirations from two very amazing teachers.  This particular teacher talked about treating life and our reaction to it just like the GPS in your car. Yes – you read that correctly, I said GPS in your car.  So imagine you are driving to your destination and you miss the turn (you know we all do it) and then the GPS says “Go 200 feet and Make a U-turn.” I personally hate it when my GPS tries to prevent me from going forward and constantly says “Make a U-Turn!”.  I’ve been known to shut the GPS off and mutter a few unpleasant words, but that’s not my point.  When you don’t make that u-turn – what does the GPS do – it eventually R-E-D-I-R-E-C-T-S!

In life we go about our merry little way and then something happens (good, bad, wonderful and shitty) and we want to run and make a U-Turn. I know my anxiety freezes and is desperate for me to do anything to keep things straight and narrow vs curvy and bumpy. In the past, my anxiety has constantly tried to make the U-Turn instead of redirecting.

Redirecting can be scary.

Redirecting can be venturing into the unknown.

Redirecting can be putting courage over comfort.

But just like with your car and the GPS, once you redirect your life, you continue forward. It’s that simple.

Now if only we could apply such a simple theory to real life, that is much easier said than done!  After the first Christmas ever where I didn’t get to see my dad and a handful of additional life moments, I temporarily lost my words. It wasn’t easy or comforting to sit and write. Actually, I think it was more of the act of sitting that I had been avoiding and chose to make constant u-turns.  I had committed to write in my blog at least once a week, but somehow over the course of time, the desire and willingness to write slightly faded. I made my own u-turn back into a little hole. Those who know me, know when I hit a certain point emotionally/physically, I retreat into a hole. 2018 was quite a year – One I am glad to finally have in the rear view mirror. There were many amazing moments but there was also grief and heartache.  I am personally starting to redirect my life and my GPS. But it’s a slow process. I don’t have a ton of patience and expect to wake up and be completely redirected and balanced in my midline (literally and figuratively). Our messy journeys don’t work that way. We have to redirect through the mess to get to the peace and balance, but it takes time and patience and lots of self-care and self compassion. And I’m not so good with any of that.

I was ready to start the new year off right but I forgot about my dad’s birthday, January 3rd. For some profound reason, his birthday was harder than christmas, or maybe it was just a combination of the two happening so close together. It’s now been several months since his passing and it’s still quite surreal to me that he really isn’t there. This just proves how we take things for granted, we expect people and things to always be there, but there are no guarantees. Things change, people change, situations change and you constantly have to redirect. I made a goal to eat better, drink less wine, and get my midline in check (LITERALLY). I had a solid week of pushing myself out of my comfort zone. And I mean pushing myself out of my comfort zone… Talk about an increase in anxiety, phewww…. And this week, I have had to redirect again. Instead of getting defeated at myself for not exercising this week, I am writing to have self compassion. I am writing to tell everyone it’s OK to redirect during your messy journey. It’s OK to redirect and not make that U-Turn. It’s Ok to want to make a U-Turn but to fight the fear and put courage over comfort. Because guess what my friends – YOU GOT THIS! As simple as the GPS is, you can redirect and keep on going. I mean think about it… How many times do you make a wrong turn or miss a street sign and then you simply redirect? Do you get mad at yourself or the car for missing the turn? Nope, you simply redirect and keep going. You also don’t worry and lose any sleep over it – do you ? Nope! You simply redirect and keep going. So who cares if you had an extra glass of wine, or missed a workout, or ate something you shouldn’t, simply redirect and keep going.

It’s that simple! Redirect and keep going!