“If your cup feels empty, flip it upside down, you may just be holding it the wrong way up?!”
The back end of 2019, I was time poor, working three jobs, juggling everything and feeling a little overwhelmed. My emotional cup felt empty and I was exhausted. At the start of this year, Jan 2020 I gave up one job, lost another coincidentally, and concentrated on the one that lit me up. Lots of work on myself and my business, alongside working with my life coach, I gained a much better balance and things were all starting to slip into place. Then, as we all know, coronavirus put many things on hold. Whilst the world around us adjusts to a new ‘normal’ and we stay at home waiting patiently for this all to unfold, I had a bit of panic. I felt like before ‘stay at home’ I was on the precipice of my next chapter and felt a little like someone had pulled the plug and left me dangling mid-air.
It was not long before gratitude, my closest ally, showed herself and reminded me of what gift I had been given, time! Whilst remaining respectful of the fact, I am in a lucky position to be able to take the time out, I gave gratitude and embraced it.
At first, I thought “oh crikey I’m going to have no money coming in. What will I do? I won’t have any money at the end of this. I will have to work so hard to fill my financial cup, I won’t have money left over for any of my non negotiables that I enjoy for my own mental health, then my emotional cup will be empty again and I’ll be back at square one.” You get the picture, we all do it, go from one small thought , leaping onto the next one and the next and before you know it, your pulse has risen and your mind is in knots. And breathe....
I stopped, took my own advice, listening to my inner guru, breathed, and meditated. I sat with the ‘lack’ mindset I was feeling, the empty cup, and flipped it 180 degrees.
I then used the gift of time and achieved the following.
I got to grips with zoom and found I could get on-line and still offer meditation and have some income
I sat and wrote pieces for my blog (this one included)
I got creative, painting, sewing, gardening, reading, things that made my soul shine
I walked and walked and walked, my number one tool for a happy mental health state
I did work on my new website and carried on planning and building for the future business of my dreams
I started my very own YouTube channel, a phrase I never thought I’d hear myself say!
I then thought about all the things I already had in my cup that had been ‘put on hold.’ Before 'lock down' I'd paid up front for; a set of ten yoga classes, a healing session with a wonderful lady, a mindful breakfast and art class at the fabulous Surrey Art School and much more… all this lays in wait for me! How lucky am I?!
From my initial panic about having an empty cup, when I turned the cup up the right way, I soon realised it is one that is overflowing. I will come out of this period with new skills, tech ones and creative ones. I have a positive mindset and emotional wellbeing, thanks to walking, nature, gardening and my daily meditation practice and as always, I have gratitude.
So, next time you hit a wobble and feel the pulse race and the worry start,
stop
take a breath
turn your cup the right way up
see all the wonderful things you do have in your cup
turn lack into overflowing...
And so it is, Karen x