Well, nothing like a rampage of natural disasters to get you out of your own head.
The fires of NorCal have been raging with some level of containment for the past few weeks. Luckily, it hasn't affected me beyond going a little stir crazy from staying inside all the time. It wasn't until I got an email from a friend whose house is in fire danger, that I realized how much time I spend in my own world. I do love myself, and wouldn't trade me in to be anybody else... but my goodness, the self-absorption can take over.
I know I'm not alone. After working in many positions and interacting with many people, I became acutely aware of our capacity and ability to be utterly self-centered. I'm not talking about sharing who you are, expressing your creativity, or your critical thinking skills. What I'm referring to is the obsessive quality of being so involved and attached in one's own thoughts that you forget there is a whole world out there.
It took me awhile to figure this out, and I think I finally got a piece of the answer. The media is on all the time, focusing on pain and disaster and war. It's overwhelming. We think we are getting away from it by swinging to the other side of the pendulum by tuning into ourselves. Well, what aspect are you tuning into? Often when you talk to people, you hear of their version of internal pain, disaster, and war. It's the same way of thinking, same paradigm, this time focused on you, rather than the world.
There is a balance, and I'm learning that it must be chosen.
It isn't about being happy all the time, and it certainly isn't about being angry either. We have a choice with what we focus on. What kinds of conversations are you having? With family, friends, co-workers, in your own head? Where do your thoughts habitually return to - the joy or the pain of being alive? What's the first thing you mention when you run into someone you know?
HeartMath is a great resource to get you out of your head and into your heart, so you can start living life in a way that feels better and is healthier for you. They have taken years of proven science to show how emotions have a physiological impact - on your heart, your brain, and your overall health. In their words, they have "groundbreaking research on heart/brain communication and the power of coherence, a highly efficient psychological state where all the systems of the body work together in harmony." They found that a coherent and harmonic physiological system reduces stress and is a result of purposely accessing positive emotions.
Through their research, they have developed ways to train you - like an emotional athlete - to easily shift from a negative to a positive state of feeling. What blew me away was their study following the IgA of a group of people. This (IgA) is the body's first line of immune defense against invading pathogens. Everyone started at a base line. One group had to recall an experience of anger. The other group recalled an experience of caring. Each group focused on this feeling for 5 minutes. Their IgA was tracked for the next 6 hours. In that time, it showed that the angry groups' immune systems became seriously suppressed for those 6 hours. And the group that focused on caring? You guessed it, their immune response became stronger and healthier.
Other benefits they have found as a result of feeling positive emotions included hormonal balance, mental clarity, increased energy, and productivity. I find this pretty amazing. With or without the science, we all know that it doesn't feel good to be caught in a cycle of negativity. Now, the evidence shows the negative impact on our health, both short and long term.
The key point here: awareness.
It is normal to feel a range of feelings. The point is to feel them and let them go. This way they no longer control you, habitually or otherwise. When you learn how to emotionally train yourself to become aware of your feelings, then you have choice. When you choose the positive, you are better able to handle the negative. I've tried it and found that, with practice, the negative shows up less often, and when it does, it's less intense. Rather than being stuck in your head, looping over and over your reactions to life:
You begin seeing the world and what's happening in it for what it is and what can be done to celebrate it or transform it. What a blessing! There are countless ways to turn situations around, find the gold, feel better, restore health. I promise to share more. In the meantime, share yours...
PS - Prayers to Chela & family, and everyone else affected by the fires.
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