When we’ve been hurt by someone or something, there’s a tendency to feel unsafe afterwards.
We got into trouble and we’re afraid it’ll happen again.
As a result, we become hyper-vigilant.
We think we have to be on-guard all the time… otherwise, something terrible might happen.
Instead of trusting our body’s innate wisdom and sense of safety and danger, we go into our minds.
We think about all the things that might go wrong. How this or that person might reject us. How our business might fail or we might lose our job and run out of money. How we’re probably not good enough or that we don’t deserve to be happy, healthy and comfortable.
In other words…
We worry.
This leads to chronic tension, adrenal fatigue, stress and a whole host of health problems.
It’s why we over-eat, over-spend and over-invest in things that aren’t good for us, all in an attempt to soothe the stress and tension that never seems to go away.
It means we can never fully relax or let go.
For those reasons and many more, it’s a horrible way to live.
But maybe there’s a better way?
What if instead of relying on the mind as a way to feel safe, we relied on the body?
What if the body has a better sense of safety and danger than the mind?
What if instead of micromanaging threats, we turned it over to the instinctive wisdom of the body? To the profound intelligence that is the result of literally billions of years of evolution?
Might that be a better way?
The mind is a form of slow thinking. It takes time to think things through. To ponder. To reflect. It’s useful for certain tasks, sure… but is it the best tool for the job of making sure we stay safe?
The body (and especially the gut) is a different form of “thinking”. It’s automatic, unconscious and instinctive. It happens without us thinking about it. And it might just be FAR more powerful than the mind when it comes to safety.
As for the how, instead of worrying about things, what if we focused on whether or not we feel safe in our bodies?
If our heart isn’t racing and we’re not feeling butterflies in our stomach, then we might in fact be safer than we think. In that case, is there any reason to worry?
But if we’ve got a funny feeling and something’s perking up in our stomach, then the body’s sending a clear message…
Pay attention!
Something to ponder…