Before a woman gives birth she has contractions. Before she can be how she needs to be to give birth there is pain. And then there is expansion and the baby is born. And there is light and love and the pain is no longer the focus.
And when we're going through a period of contraction in our life, it can seem painful and prolonged and like it came out of nowhere. But what I'm coming to learn is that it means you are actually preparing to birth something new, to change on a physical, spiritual, mental, emotional level. But it's tough when you don't know what is on the other side of this pain, of this temporary darkness, of this internal struggle.
Right now I'm in a period of contraction. I'm going inward, and it's not a comfortable feeling. I want to continue on my way, the way I had been- but there is a strong pull saying NO. No to pushing hard, it's not that time, no to putting yourself too far out there, no to overworking, no to stress, no to busy, no to everything I've been holding onto so tightly that I've stunted my own growth.
What can we do while we go through this tunnel? If I could fly to Bali and relax by the beach, meditate, read for days and not deal with anything I would. (And drink out of coconuts, I love that.) But most of us still have responsibilities and things we can't just put on hold.
So try this: Remove the excess in your life and allow space for this experience. Take a break from social media, say no to dealing with people who drain you, do only the necessary work, listen to your body and allow yourself the time to just BE. That might mean crying, that might be watching movie after movie, that might mean taking a walk every day when you normally run. Just give yourself the space to choose in the moment what feels best.
All you need to do is be you. Focus on finding joy. Focus on what brings you to life. Find the fun. Release the guilt of not doing more right now. Be okay with feeling like a hot mess crazy person for a bit. And keep looking forward to that moment when you see the opening, the expansion, the light at the end of the tunnel zooming towards you, and get excited for your next chapter.