Being Bouyant
The world is a lot right now. There is a lot to absorb. The uncertainty, the pressure, the costs!
What do we do?
We must be fierce protecting ourselves. Protecting our energy. We must be vigilant in our extreme self-care. Protecting your energy doesn't mean putting your head in the sand. It means being selective about what you let in, who and when. You can be informed without being consumed. You can care deeply without carrying it all, all day. The news will still be there. The noise will still be there. But so will you!
When the world feels overwhelming, the temptation is to either replay the past or catastrophise the future. Three things I know for sure is that the past can be useful, we cannot control our future and that your life power is always in the present moment. Right now. In this hour. There is so much power in coming back to that. We do not have the power to deal with tomorrow's problems yet. Tomorrow is not here!
Staying in the moment is one of the best strategies I have learnt for navigating chaos or overwhelming situations. “Being where your feet are” isn't a spiritual concept, it’s a survival strategy. And it works. What is happening for you right now? What is the biggest problem you have? What can you do about it? If the answer is nothing, then turn your attention to something that your future self will be grateful for.
Spending hours catastrophising about the latest update on the world won’t help. It will add to the uncertain energy that is everywhere. When facing uncertainty we need to be certain about ourselves. About meeting our needs, about what is really important and about where we put our energy.
During the pandemic, I delivered hundreds of presentations on ‘Being Buoyant’. I love the idea of buoyancy. It is the ability to float. Keeping yourself afloat is your job. Especially if you are a business leader, a parent or a grown-up with people looking to you for guidance. Being able to bounce when the world throws you curve balls is part of the ‘job’.
Buoyancy is a choice. A deliberate, unapologetic decision to protect your energy and make space for the things that make you feel alive. Regularly doing things you love. Not as a reward. Not when the to-do list is clear. Now. On purpose. Deliberate happiness isn't selfish. It's the whole strategy.
You have heard the saying when the going gets tough, the tough get going? I like the idea when the road ahead is rough, you need to have tyres filled with air!
Staying buoyant in difficult times isn't about having more energy, it's about being deliberate with the energy you have. It means protecting space for the things that light you up. Making joy a non-negotiable, not an afterthought. Choosing, on purpose, every day, to do something that fills you up.
What is the air that fills you up? The things that make you feel expansive?
I’m giving myself space. Space to breathe, space to process, space to think. When things feel crazy, we need to be deliberate about our time and who we surround ourselves with.
Our energy is everything. Choose your infections carefully!