One of the things I love about my practice is working with people of all ages. I work with everyone from children to elderly, and there really isn’t an age or stage I prefer. What makes our life journey so interesting to me is that we are constantly changing, growing, evolving from one stage of life to the next. We are living Alchemists.
With that said, this year I have worked with a fair number of young people graduating from high school. High school graduation is a huge deal. It is truly a once in a lifetime event. My heart has gone out to these 2020 Graduates with all they have missed due to COVID-19. I also have been reminded of the struggles of being 18 going on 25. I totally forgot how seriously I took myself at 18 years old. I had completely forgotten I really thought I was planning the rest. Of. My. Life. I forgot how huge it felt to be making decisions about the rest of my life until I was graced with a beautiful young client who reminded me how stressful that time of life can feel when you’re not 51 and have the awareness that you’ll be fine, and it all works out for the best, and your life won’t really be like that anyway, so just let go. It feels a bit like terror. Anxiety had plagued this beauty and following that up with some confusion of “what is right” led to some general depression as well. My heart broke for her. Young, beautiful, talented, smart, creative, determined, she really does have a tremendous amount going for her, but how could I help her realize this?
Over a few short (literally, half hour) sessions she became the one who got to educate me. This is often a point in my relationships with my clients that I get absolutely giddy about! When they start imparting their wisdom on me, I know they are solidly connected to that wisdom piece inside of themselves, and that, my friends, is when the magic starts.
“I decided I am going to start living from Oh Well, instead of What If”.
Genius!
“What”? I asked her. Seriously, I try to play it cool when someone says something profound. I want to hear them tell me about it.
“I realize I am causing my own stress and anxiety with my mind running me, so I decided I am going to live from Oh Well, and not from What if. What if is too stressful. When I’m in the What If, I’m always afraid I’m making a mistake and it’s going to be the end of the world. Oh Well lets me forget about the stupid stuff and move on.”
Pandemic or not, if she had been sitting in front of me, I swear I would’ve Momma squeezed her. Probably for the better, she and I were working together remotely so she was safe from my grasp.
There you have it. Oh Well instead of What If.
I thought for a moment about how often I jam myself up inside over things that are really not that important, or how I can get uptight about one thing going on in life and how that extra stress permeates into every other part of my life and pretty soon it’s just all stress and tension. Oh Well.
It reminds me of how sometimes I still need to remember I’m old enough to know that life turns out ok, nothing is really that big of a deal, and I can let go of a whole lot more than I knew to let go of when I was younger.
Oh Well.
Blessings Galore,
Anne