Activating or Adapting

Activating or Adapting

I am always impressed with the stuff we can come up with to fret about. A wonderful way to avoid looking at our own stuff is to activate against something big outside us.

There are things in the world that we care about, but that is very different from activating against something. When I am activated, I get all het up. I get angry and scared, often at faceless entities who have done something I  see as egregious and which may have nothing to do with me directly.

When we activate like this, we like to try to get others to activate with us. That means I want you to feel scared and angry, too.

Angry and scared is not a place of power for us. We make strange decisions when we are angry and scared. We can do things that hurt others, that we regret. We can make decisions that backfire and get us in trouble.

Why does my natural environment support me? Why do I respect my natural environment? How do I appreciate nature?

If I believe that my natural environment, like the Universe, supports me, I want to be respectful of it. That means I am mindful of what I am consuming, and how I dispose of my waste. It means that I am mindful of chemicals I use, and look for low-impact stuff. I think about my little snails, and how tiny they are, and how a miniscule about of pesticides could make them sick. Caring for such tiny, sweet creatures helps me keep in mind that it’s not all just about humans.

Sometimes, it feels like Mother Nature is out to get us. It’s too hot. It’s too cold. It’s too dry, or too humid, or rainy, or there is too much snow. Instead of going with the flow and adapting, we get mad. Sometimes, we even take the weather personally. I did.

I took a lot of stuff personally. It was exhausting.

I took random comments on TV personally. I took things I heard strangers say personally. I took decisions made by the government personally. Can you imagine what I did with stuff I heard from people I knew that was actually directed toward me?

Somewhere along the line, I decided to stop doing that. I like believing that the Universe and Mother Nature support me. I like looking for how that support comes when the weather gets too-too. It means that I have to take responsibility for me.

That means that I acknowledge that I interpret my world. I filter things according to my beliefs. When I am responsible for me, I adapt rather than fight. I care, and do caring things rather than activate. I have compassion for you, even if you annoy me. I have choices.

I like to spend time on my porch regardless of the weather, except if it is getting me soaked. Well, even then, sometimes. I adapt by having gear that keeps me warm in freezing temperatures, or by soaking my feet in cool water when it is really hot. I adapt by relaxing all the way through; my muscles, my feelings, my thoughts. I adapt by looking for how I this situation supports me. It really works.

Why am I comfy? What makes me feel cheerful? How do I choose?

How have I changed from taking it all personally to enjoying feeling adaptable?

(c) Pam Guthrie 2014 all rights reserved 07152014