When you squeeze and orange. . .
what comes out?
covid-19 and your ability to be at choice
Good evening, wonderful people! Thank you for opening this message and being part of this conversation.
The reactions I’ve been seeing to the coronavirus outbreak, whether in the media or though social media, have really be reminding me of the words of the late and great Wayne Dyer.
He used to ask in some of his lectures, “When you squeeze an orange, do you know what comes out?”
The answer, every time, is the same. ORANGE JUICE.
“Ok, Dr. Katie,” you might say. “Get on with it. What are you trying to say?”
Dr. Dyer meant that when life squeezes us, when situations, circumstances, people, etc have us feeling stressed and under pressure, what comes out of us is what was already there in the first place.
This isn’t to point the finger at other people and make them wrong for their reactions.
Rather, it is to say that coronavirus, and the reaction we are seeing to it, is a perfect opportunity for us to examine how we may already be fearful, angry, obsessive, condescending, etc etc etc. What’s coming out of us now is what was already there.
How can we put ourselves in a position to be that presence of calm, reassurance, focus, love, and leadership?
Number 1) Recognize and feel what’s coming up for you. Feel what you’re feeling, and be honest with yourself about it. Be compassionate with yourself.
Focused Breath/SRI is great for this! No matter what the emotion you have, and what story you have keeping it in place, focusing on breath, sensation, and subtle movement in the body is your key to keep it moving forward.
2) Have compassion for others. People are scared and are doing their best with what they know. Their orange juice is coming out. And they might not have had the benefit of being exposed to the kind of ideas and experiences you have been in your lifetime and in your time as part of New Day.
Now probably won’t be the time to enlighten them, as the fight or flight nervous system is all about protecting us and tends to keep our brains from being able to learn and integrate new ideas. Remember, people are going to respond most not to what you’re saying, but WHO YOU’RE BEING.
3) Keep taking care of you. Yes, for most of you that means keep getting your care at New Day for the time being. I wrote a blog a while back that you might want to check out. I think applies here, because it is about how in crisis we often want to throw the baby out with the bathwater (sorry for the cliche) https://newdaynsa.com/?s=financial+literacy
I also saw a great article on Saturday in Time Magazine about how many people should probably keep going to the gym. This is the same logic I would apply to why you probably want to keep receiving care for your spine and nervous system at this time. And in case you are wondering, I am definitely still going to the gym 🙂
4) No matter what’s being embraced, rejected, or mandated in terms of travel, cancellations and closures, and social distancing, it’s UP TO YOU what you choose to focus on and what you choose to make it mean.
It is possible for you to do your part and be considerate of other people, and of yourself, AND at the same time, as Tony Robbins would say, to stand guard at the door of your mind.
If your focus, emotions, and thoughts aren’t contributing to your ability to be a loving and reassuring presence with a knowing that you make a difference (and not just as a potential germ-spreader), then you may want to check in with yourself, your focus, and what you make it all mean.
