Nudged Out of Neutral

There’s an unexpected and strange happening as we walk the path of growth and healing. What once sat well with us, no longer does. The disruption, chaos, or discomfort that didn’t bother us before, now causes irritation, frustration, and anger. And we may even find times we can’t understand the sudden sadness, resentment, or fear that seems to have bubbled up from nowhere in particular. It can leave us scratching our head.

It’s no surprise, not really, because once we begin to live our life completely value-oriented, the world around us seems to change, but only because we’ve changed in how we see it. Our values aren’t vague or hazy. They’re crystal clear and drawing us in the direction of discovery and growth and betterment. They create peace when honored.

What was once easily and readily accepted is now a signal for new action, supporting new standards, born from a new outlook. We’re no longer the same person. The truth we used to resist, maybe out of fear of pain, denial, or disinterest, is now our lighthouse guiding us away from danger and disastrous results, towards healthy and prosperous living.

All life demands struggle. The very striving and hard work that we so constantly try to avoid is the major building block in the person we are today.

Pope Paul VI

When this change in life orientation happens, we grow vigilant gauging our current reality via healthy and fair assessment of ourselves and the people and situations around us. We stop focusing on the drama and minutia that gets us nowhere, especially when it doesn’t fit the big picture we have in mind for our brighter future.

Guided by our values we get better at noticing the little nuances or slight variations in our body or thoughts, fueled by our emotions. We are, after all, driven by our emotions and once our values are clarified and embraced, we pay more attention to how we feel. When we feel we’re not aligned with our values, it’s a sign for a quick adjustment in our thoughts and actions. We simply can’t ignore it!

When I first began to live intentionally, my life coach described this feeling as shifting out of neutral. For whatever reason, I’d drifted out of neutral, the place where my emotions weren’t charged positive or negative. In this charged space, I wasn’t accepting the moments in my life as they came and doing my best to manage them without causing any damage. No, I was reacting to them in a way that was helpless, not empowered, and typically messy.

For quite some time it took an escalation in my emotions to realize I’d allowed “something or someone”, because our feelings and reactions are always ours to control, to trigger my pain or fears and work me up. This, of course, kicked me into a negative head and heart space. Truly, a dark and sad place to be. Gratefully, my goal for intentional living kicked in and I’d spend time reflecting “what”, exactly, was bothering me. I’d address the pain or fear with lovingkindness and a promise to choose differently the next time this circumstance arose. Which challenging circumstances always do in order for us to learn and grow!  

So, my friends, embrace any irritation you may be feeling right now that’s nudged you out of your neutral space. It’s a sign of discord and disrupted harmony. It’s a desire for peace. Take time to reconnect with your values because they will guide you to your next best step. And the step after that, and the step after that. ❤

Keep it Simple,

Just Teri

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