We Are Co-Creators: How an injury reminded me to work with the energy of the Universe
Happy July!
My summer vacation started a few weeks earlier than anticipated after a nasty fall down my stairs one morning. And then the stomach bug hit our entire house. Woof.
Now, I am human and by no means invincible to moments (days, weeks, months, etc) that are uncomfortable and downright painful. I am always mindful that I am co-creating my experiences with the Universe and that this was happening for me and not to me. And that in the end of it all something good would come from it.
I knew that somehow I drew this experience into my reality. I could either use it for good and be Super Human or allow it to destroy me and be a victim.
I'm happy to announce that like all stomach bugs it eventually passed and my house got the deep cleaning it desperately needed.
I am also thrilled to share that I am recovering well and almost back to 100%!
This experience has taught me a few things about when life knocks us down (literally and figuratively!) and what we can do about it, and I wanted to share with you.
You see, one of the human kryptonite is to ignore or dismiss our bodies and mind when they are trying to tell us something, like to rest or slow down or shift gears completely.
A SUPER power that we all have (and sometimes forget) is that we are constantly co-creating with the energy of the Universe. It's key that we have trust and faith in this cycle.
Let me explain from personal experience...
I know my limits and I constantly push past them. Part of my cycle is to work myself to the point of exhaustion, sickness, or injury and when I am forced to be still, I vow to be more balanced, to slow down, and be more present. Though my intentions are true, I slowly start adding more and more to my overflowing plate until I crash and the whole cycle repeats. Sound familiar? Ignoring our intuition like this is the kryptonite.
The super power is to use the experience at hand to grow. Almost anything can be a gift, if used properly.
See, I have been manifesting goals for many years. One of them was to go back to school for my masters in mental health counseling. Another goal that I am always striving to meet is to help more and more people on their healing and spiritual journeys, while also to be home more with my family (you can never ask for too much because the Universe is an abundant source, so go big or go home, amiright?).
The day that I fell down the stairs, I laid on the couch, icing my booty, and applied for my masters degree.
Something that has been calling to me for years.
I am pleased to announce that I have been accepted into the program and will begin my studies this winter! If it was not for this experience, I would not be back on the path that was intended for me all along!
Working with the energy available to you
You are constantly co-creating with your thoughts, actions, and emotions. This can be really scary when we first realize it. I remember when I first started to become aware of my thoughts alone. It hit me like a ton of bricks. “I am constantly thinking or worrying about the things I don’t want to happen!” Before you hit the panic alarm, it’s OK to have negative thoughts. Simply become aware of those thoughts and make a shift. For example: “I am so worried about being late. I am always late and people must think I am such a jerk because I am always late”. Shift this narrative to: “Wow, I am being pretty harsh on myself. I wonder why I am always running late. Maybe I should look at my time management skills. I will keep trying to be on time to things”. The great news is that a single positive thought out-does a negative thought by 1000% .
Getting help is really, really nice and it feels really good to let people take care of you. This was a really hard one for me, but I saw how eager my kids and husband were to help me out, and it was really sweet for all of us. Think about a time when someone let you take care of them and how good it felt for you? You wouldn’t want to rob that feeling from someone else. The next time someone offers to help, accept it!
Being vulnerable is really scary. A few weeks after I started to heal, we took a quick family trip to the beach. As we walked the board-walk, it quickly dawned on me that if there was an emergency situation that required me to act quickly (i.e. my kids running out into the road), I couldn’t do it. Now, in all fairness, I am sure adrenaline would take over and I WOULD be able to do whatever I needed to protect my children. But it was a dark and daunting thought to be with. It allowed me to practice awareness of my surroundings and gratitude that my husband was with us. It also guaranteed LOTS of family time together.
Life is constantly course correcting us. I know that I am drifting a bit from my Soul’s purpose and that is partly why this experience happened; to get me back on track. In the end, I am grateful for it because I wouldn’t be making the necessary shifts that I need to. We will always be given the choice to take circumstances and grow from them or to be victims of them.
Slow down. I believe we have all incarnated at this time to experience stillness in chaos and what a gift it can be to just stop, and be still. We are constantly rushing from one task to another. We are multi-tasking from the moment we wake up, whether it’s scrolling social media and making our grocery list or on work calls while driving our kids in between sporting events. It’s important for us to stop and to find stillness. Sometimes we wait for others to give us permission to rest and tell us that what we have done is good enough. Instead, we really just need to hear it from ourselves. The Universe will keep giving you what you put out. If you crave peace but are constantly creating chaos with your thoughts, fears, words, actions, content sharing, etc, guess what will come right on back to you?!
What I thought I wanted, was actually very lonely. Prior to the injury, I would fantasize about how lovely it would be to lay on the couch all day, undisturbed, and in complete silence. And then I got it. My family would be rushing out the door to practices and games and I would be camped out on the couch, waving to them, and feeling serious FOMO. Now, this was a perfect time for me to wrestle with victim mentality, guilt, and shame. This was a hard one. I would allow myself to swell in victim mentality for a short period and then investigate what it was trying to teach me. What I discovered was, that deep down, I feel unworthy of quiet time.
Self- care should always be a priority. For about three weeks I mothered myself hard. I soaked in salt baths almost nightly and rubbed essential oils and creams on my aching body. I used warm heating pads, soft blankets, and comfortable pillows and props to support me. I listened to my body and treated it like a baby. I would hold the parts of me that hurt and ached and whisper “I see you, I love you” and I swear it increased my healing by ten fold! I was so busy mothering everyone else, I forgot to mother myself and got to see what a gift it really is.
