The Tao of the dark tunnel
I can be pretty adventurous and other times I can be a deer in headlights (this is rare for me as I am a Leo) but when this dastardly affliction hits me it can have a great impact on my life!
Think embarrassing ex-boyfriends, bad jobs, impulse buying "the offer ends at midnight” all very time consuming and sometimes painful... I say it's better to make mistakes than have regrets because mistakes are better when they come from desire not fear. (Disclaimer this does not include infidelity or other untoward desires there is no wisdom in the mistake of breaking hearts or addiction)
However there is nothing more paralyzing than fear of a possible outcome such as losing a contract, or making the right decision regarding ones career or running out of petrol whilst one is in the Blackwell tunnel!
The Blackwell tunnel
The Blackwell tunnel is 4,125 feet long.
I have a new car so I didn't really know the the amount of petrol one has in a reserve tank!
The scene
I am driving south of the river and all of a sudden, I am in the tunnel and the petrol light comes on. I am horrified I never go into a tunnel without petrol because well it's dangerous and irresponsible, and I am also very claustrophobic in tunnels!!!
Anyway the day before I was asking a client about her fear and how it affects our choices. So to make an example of myself (I like to practice what I preach). I decided to test the emotional responses to fear
So as the panic and negative self-talk set in I decided to ask myself
What part of me is fearful, where is it located?
What is the wise intuitive part of me saying and what is it saying? Where is it located in my body?
believe me everything slows down especially if your practising deep breathing to calm yourself down
After practising the questions and dialogue the journey through the tunnel was the quickest journey I ever had....
For the key was slowing down and stepping away from the panic or fear by breathing (which we forget to do) also self-talk is a really good way of staying calm. The aim is to talk to yourself like you would talk to a dear friend. This is a good way of calming yourself down so don't beat up or hate on yourself doesn’t help the situation at all.
In my early twenties I suffered from panic attacks and during that time all rationality went out of the window however, a tool I used to get out of the panic state was to give myself positive and reassuring talks rather than run around and create more drama. There are times where the batons of support during fearful times have to be passed to my circle of care/friends/gypsy crew (that’s why it’s important to have good people around you).
The lesson of this journey is balance and being still in a crisis if you cannot do that find a way to get there as soon as you can.
What do you do to remain centred?
