It was poet Maya Angelou who said hope and fear cannot occupy the same place.
Invite one to stay.
So let's welcome ourselves here and now to a safe place and begin to open to the possibility of hoping maybe even trusting that everything is going to be alright even when it's not alright.
Maybe in this moment you have started to bring awareness at where you're at.
Noticing your fears,
Your worries,
Your tears,
And your screams.
Let them be acknowledged.
Let them be noticed.
If there are more to move through and release,
Let them be taking up the space they need to take up.
And as you take a deep breath in and let it out,
Maybe you can offer a hopeful angle toward that position.
The one who's worried,
Overwhelmed,
Uncertain.
Offering the following words to yourself as they resonate.
I hear you.
I notice you.
Thank you for your input.
Yes,
You are valid.
I appreciate you looking out for me.
Thank you for doing your job to keep me safe.
Knowing that you've already given yourself the greatest gift,
Which is to bring your awareness to this moment here and now.
Starting right from where you're at.
Putting in that little navigation point to your experience of yourself.
Start here now.
And we let the fears,
We let the worries,
We let them be acknowledged.
Because as Maya Angelou's quote reminds us,
Is that we can really begin to hope for the best,
Yet be prepared for the worst.
And maybe those signals,
Those alarms buzzing in your head,
Maybe those are just a call to really acknowledge that you have prepared for the worst.
You are prepared for the worst.
Maybe there's something you're overlooking.
Maybe there's someone that you could reach out to,
To ask for support.
Maybe there's a little emergency kit,
A physical one,
Or an emotional one,
A mental one.
Maybe there's a tool belt that needs to be gathered and curated and put in place so that you really do feel that you are prepared.
Should the worst come,
You'll be prepared for it.
And yet,
That's not where you're at right now.
It's possible that worst for this day has already passed.
So letting your breath move through again,
Another deep inhale and slow exhale.
Just as all cycles of life move in that circular pattern in and out.
Right?
We are meant to ride these waves of fear and worry and hopelessness back in to the seat of our power,
Back into the driver's seat,
Back into this zoomed out part of us that is our spirit,
Our soul,
Our hopeful,
All knowing,
Trusting,
Safe sense of who we really are.
It's like your inner coach or your inner guru.
Maybe it's like your inner Bob Marley just saying to you,
Everything's going to be all right,
Even when it's not all right.
Maybe this part of you feels like coming home.
Coming home to a safe home,
A loving home,
Coming home to the arms of a compassionate mother,
A caring parent.
Someone who would say to you,
It's okay,
It's okay to rest.
Look,
I made you some soup.
Or you'll always have a seat here.
You're always welcome here.
So when we notice where we're at,
And zoom this lens,
That's so focused on the fears,
The worries,
The burdens,
Zoom that lens out just a little wider,
Just a little wider.
So that amongst this color palette of grays and shadows and blacks and reds,
There's also these cool blues,
Vivid greens.
There's a mundane yellow in there.
There's neutral in there.
There's life happening without such a negative charge for worry,
Fear,
Suffering.
As we continue to breathe that deep breath in and let it out.
We realize too,
That as we move our awareness further,
Further out into the space around us,
Just noticing the sounds in our space,
Noticing the sounds outside of our space.
Noticing the sensations that you're picking up on your skin,
In your fingertips.
Zooming,
Zooming,
Zooming those senses out.
Noticing how the air feels as it whispers its way in on your breath.
Notice the smells,
The tastes.
Notice what you're seeing,
Whether your eyes are opened or closed.
And when you feel safe,
Always inviting the option to let those eyelids grow heavy,
Float down,
Turning your awareness inward,
Coming home to yourself.
And exploring all those colors.
All those pinks,
Purples,
Oranges,
Just like a beautiful,
Vivid sunset.
Calling you to rest.
Calling you to safety.
Trusting yourself and your surroundings.
And trusting that there's always,
Always hope available.
Even in the darkest moments.
Even when all the alarms are going off.
We can still bring ourselves gently back,
Slowly here,
To this hopeful,
Radiant,
Compassionate self,
That may know or truly trust in believing for this moment,
Everything's going to be all right.
And there is hope in this place.
Let's take another deep inhale.
Together.
And a slow exhale.
Letting any last worry or fear release,
As you continue to guide yourself toward comfort,
Rest,
And serenity.
Thank you for joining me.
You got this,
Coach.
