Happy Labour Day! Today is the day we celebrate all the work it took to get this country up and running. And, weirdly enough, it reminded me of my run the other day.
I went out wearing my weighted vest... twelve extra pounds strapped across my chest. it was the first time I’d worn it in a while.
Getting started was brutal.
Every step out the door felt heavier than it should have. My legs were arguing with me before I even hit the sidewalk.Twelve pounds doesn’t sound like much... until you’re the one trying to get moving with it.
But here’s what happened.
Once I got going... once my body found its rhythm... the weight stopped being the enemy. My legs adjusted. My breathing found its pace.
The same twelve pounds that made starting so damn hard barely registered once I was in motion.
I made the thing that was stopping me from moving the thing that helped me keep going.
Sound familiar?
Maybe not the running part. :-)
I mean that moment right before you start something hard... when you’re already carrying more than you think you can handle and moving forward feels almost impossible.
Losing a family member.
Changing careers.
A relationship ending.
A health diagnosis.
Becoming a caregiver overnight.
Whatever the transition is, we tend to make the same mistake.
We try to move forward while carrying everything with us.
The old schedule.
The old expectations.
The old responsibilities.
The story about who we’re supposed to be now.
And then we wonder why we can’t get moving.
Starting and carrying are two different jobs. You weren’t built to do both at the same time.
So what would it look like to put one thing down... just for now... so you can actually take the first step?
That’s not giving up.
That’s not weakness.
That’s how momentum works.
Once you’re moving... once you’ve found your footing... you can pick some of that weight back up.
You might even discover you can carry more than you thought.
Because now momentum is on your side instead of working against you.
But right now?
Set something down.
Just enough to get started.
What’s the twelve pounds you’re carrying? And, what would it feel like to set it down long enough to take the first step?
Go with power,
Jason
Somatic Grief Therapist
Try this Simple Practice:
Lighten to Launch — 3-Step Practice
1. Name the Weight
Notice one thing you’re carrying right now that’s making it harder to start. A belief, an expectation, a task, an old version of yourself you’re still trying to be.
2. Set One Thing Down
Choose one thing from that list you can put down today, even temporarily. Not forever. Just long enough to take the first step.
3. Let Momentum Do the Rest
Take the smallest possible step forward. Notice what happens in your body once you’re moving. Then, once you have momentum, decide what you’re ready to pick back up.
You don’t have to carry it all to get moving. You just have to start moving.
Healing doesn't always happen sitting still. Sometimes it begins with taking the next step. Join us for Walking with Grief™ this October in the Adirondacks.
Registration ends September 10th.