Nicolette Blanco
This past June, while walking to work on a glorious sun drenched morning, after spending two delicious days visiting a dear friend in Maine, I tripped over “nothing” while crossing the street, fell flat on my face, and broke my nose.
Some might call this an accident and others a misfortune, but I think of it as my biggest blessing. In the same way that our bodies talk to us all the time through the symptoms we experience, so to do our lives, and I hadn’t been listening.
I had been getting signals for months, both in and out of work, that were gently nudging me to move on. It was the knot in the pit of my stomach every morning, the inability to fully concentrate at work, increasingly difficult situations which kept arising, increasing conflict between my personal and work lives, and so much more.
How coincidental that I broke my nose on the way to work, after two of the best days I’d had in a long time. It was a hell of a way to get a few more days off, but it gave me time to reflect. And so began the process of transformation, and within a few months a new world opened up. The most interesting thing in all of this is that all of the obstacles to overcome were still there; I just chose to step over them.
Hard Stop
In the medical world a Hard Stop is the time right before a procedure, when everyone stops what they are doing and confirms they have the right patient and are performing the appropriate procedure on the correct body part. A necessary step to ensure no mistakes are made.
What about your life? When was the last time you did a Hard Stop and asked some key questions such as: Does my life feel fulfilling, and if not, why? Am I holding on to old resentments? Am I jealous of others’ success? What are my obstacles, and are they really obstacles or excuses? What can I do RIGHT NOW that would make me happy (something as simple as a walk in the woods would suffice)?
The Physical Impact
Living a life not of your own design certainly takes an emotional toll, but it takes a physical one as well. So often people feel that once they get their dream job, or lose weight, or have enough money, or get whatever it is they’re longing for, then they’ll be happy. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Happiness comes first; otherwise your body is flooded with a hormone imbalance of stress chemicals undermining your desire to be well, both physically and mentally.
Where to Begin?
Change can feel overwhelming when life isn’t going well, but it doesn’t have to be. Doing literally ANYTHING that makes you happy is a step in the right direction. Take that Hard Stop assessment and see what one little positive change can be incorporated into your life, and do it. Milk every happy moment for all it’s worth and allow that feeling to expand. Take stock not only in what needs to be changed, but even more on the blessings you already have, no matter how small, and more will follow.
If you are in an exceptionally difficult place right now you may not believe these words, and may want to bat me about the face and head, but I stand by them because I’ve seen it in action! Your life truly IS talking to you and you may want to take note before you hurt yourself!
You can find more from Nicolette at takenotehc.com