A few things happened recently that completely took the wind out of my sails.

I’d been floating along in life, running on autopilot if I’m honest, when suddenly-bam. Something happened that made me stop dead in my tracks.

Well, first I reeled. Then I stopped.

The Turbulence of "Reeling"

The reeling, for lack of a better word, is that wild, inner turbulence. It’s the wave of emotions rising up, swirling around, and locking us into a spiral of worry, confusion, doubt, and fear.

Now, feeling those feelings is entirely valid in the moment. I am human, after all. But staying stuck in that storm? That’s where it becomes unhelpful, and even unhealthy. 

In a funny way, staying stuck in the noise of the emotion is often just a sneaky way of avoiding the actual issue.

When we get swept up in the high drama of our feelings, we lose our anchor. We forget who we are, and can begin to morph into someone we barely recognise.

How Do You Sit with Discomfort?

Stopping to actually sit with uncomfortable feelings can be brutal. It means willingly hanging out with discomfort instead of running from it or drowning it out.

For me, sitting with it meant literally climbing into my garden hammock.

When I first lay down, my mind was racing, full of upset, overwhelmed by the mountain of "stuff" going on. So, I just physically stopped moving.

As I lay there, I began to notice things:

- A tiny spider resting on the leaf above my head.

- The absolute peace of the sky-a deep, calm blue with fluffy white clouds gently floating past.

Slowly, my whole nervous system began to settle down. I gave myself permission to acknowledge reality: Yep, I’m having a difficult time right now.

By simply acknowledging the difficulty without fighting it, the big, loud emotions began to dissipate. In their place, space opened up for real clarity, and the quiet realisation that everything will be okay.

This is just a moment in time. Life doesn’t always go as we planned, but that simply leaves room for something else to grow. Something new.

Lessons from a Dandelion

When I finally sat up in the hammock, I looked down and noticed two small details right by feet: a solitary dandelion and a tiny white feather.

They made me smile, but more than that, they offered a gentle reminder.

The dandelion never forgets who it is.

It doesn't care about unfavorable weather or poor soil. It perseveres through whatever conditions it faces. It blooms boldly, and when it’s ready, it transforms and lets go-trusting the wind, ready to repeat the cycle when the time is right.

Finding Your Way Back to Yourself

If life has recently knocked the wind out of you, try to pause. Step out of autopilot, step out of the swirling storm, and find your own "anchor."

Feel the discomfort, let the heavy emotions clear out, and look around, even if just for a moment.

You don't have to figure everything out today. You just have to do what the dandelion does: remember who you are, bloom where you are, and trust the process of letting go.

Imelda 💚