In the Eye of the Storm

 The bar was set with 20 lbs more than I had expected to lift that morning—a full 60 lbs more than my body weight—and more than I had ever imagined or dreamed I could or would move. As I set my feet and gazed ahead of me, none of those thoughts entered my mind. Instead, I felt a calm descend over me, and the only thing I focused on was my intention to make this deadlift happen.

Was it heavy? Hell yes.  Did my legs quake and quiver as I slowly inched the bar to the top of the movement? You bet.  Did I ever once consider dropping it or stopping? Not a chance.  Deep down, I knew that as long as I stuck with it, I would get to where I wanted to be.

Afterward, the realization of what I had just done washed over me and I was left feeling changed.  I could feel myself walking a little taller, moving more assuredly, projecting confidence and groundedness.  What I also noticed was how I had been feeling in comparison to the past couple of months.  Instead of being in the calm eye of the storm, channeling my energy, and focusing on my mindset, I had been caught up in the swirl and eddy of uncertainty and overwhelm.  Trying desperately to control things outside my grasp, spending valuable resources and time in the process.  What was also interesting was how unclear I had been about this distinction until I stripped away the noise and distraction from my field of vision.

As we move through life, navigating obstacles and roadblocks is unavoidable, no matter how hard we try to control as many variables as possible.  Sometimes the most profound progress is made when we stop pushing forward and instead pause to determine if we are in the eye of the storm or the swirl that surrounds it, spending our valuable energy and resources on activities that are not moving us in the right direction.  We are all equipped with an internal GPS system that we can activate at any time by stopping to take a few deep breaths while tuning into our inner knowing for guidance. 

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