Getting Back To Center

In today’s society, it’s rather easy to get off track or to deviate from the center of ourselves. We get caught up in pure minutia and find that we’re swirling without true direction. So, how can we find our way to center?

Backtracking for a moment, and taking an exploratory look at how we got off center, we find that this didn’t just happen. We didn’t wake up one day and find ourselves overwhelmed. Falling to the right or left of center happened in a series of events and through our own lack of diligently paying attention to what’s truly important in our own private world.

For example, this writer expresses on a myriad of topics and can easily find herself completely off track by simply getting caught up in projects, deadlines and the never-ending cycle of finding avenues to get information out to readers. When this reaches a point of fatigue, it’s then that the ultimate realization hits that no one is going to die if they haven’t read the latest “how-to” about beauty and dating or top news for sports, women’s issues, and pop culture. This writer is but one in a sea of thousands. Returning to center requires a level of humility.

You need to humble yourself and accept that what you do, no matter how important it may seem, most likely isn’t life or death and that you have permission to take time for introspection. Introspection is needed to find your way back to center. Take the time to quiet your mind and find the valuable in your own private world. Is it your partner, children, family, or friends? When you are able to answer this question, you can move forward and reach out to the valuable and begin to find your way back to center.

Learning to relax, really relax

In our never-ending busy, “gotta get it done” world, we are generally unaware of the toll that this type of lifestyle takes on our minds and on our bodies. Well, we’re unaware until we reach a crisis of some sort and yes, the crisis is inevitable if we continue on a path of non-stop movement. Of course for many of us, the first thoughts that pop into our mind are, “I can’t slow down, I have too much to accomplish” and “I relax, I relax on the weekends”.

Let’s take a look at the first thought. “I can’t slow down, I have too much to accomplish”. Really? Is anyone going to die if you don’t … Fill In The Blank? Take a step back and take a moment of introspection. Ask yourself if everything that you need to do each day really needs to be accomplished. With true introspection, the answer will most likely be that you don’t need to get everything finished in one day. This is not an advocacy for being lazy; it’s a look at what’s truly important to you and a step towards self-awareness.

If we look at that first thought a little closer, and remember that nothing is going to get accomplished if you’re unable to function, this may give you good pause to think, discern and get closer to true self-awareness. Moving on to the next thought, “I relax, I relax on the weekends”. If you’re a truly busy person, you most likely are on the go just as much on the weekend as you are throughout the week. Learning to truly relax can actually be uncomfortable for those of us who are hardcore workaholics. So, how can we attain a real state of relaxation?

First, you must know that this takes practice and secondly, realize that once you’ve mastered true relaxation, you’ll be able to be in a relaxed state in the middle of a board meeting. There are a variety of ways in which to achieve relaxation, it’s up you to figure out what works for you as an individual.

Some examples of reaching a relaxed state are:

• Aromatherapy
• Guided Imagery
• Massage
• Meditation
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation
• Yoga

Check back as we break down each of these relaxation techniques! There is but one ride in this life … enjoy the journey!