Hello there!
It continues to be a pretty wild moment, so today we’re talking about unmanageability – a treasured concept from the 12-step world.
Unmanageability can look like:
- Working furiously and not getting results
- Feeling paralyzed by overwhelm and a lack of motivation
- An inability to trust yourself (“I don’t know what I want” or “I don’t know what to do”)
- Feeling stuck in a cycle of fear or despair
- Spinning in resentment and blame
It’s not a fun place to live. But based on the coaching conversations I’m having right now, my sense is that we’re experiencing a shared sense of unmanageability in response to the political, technological, and cultural disruptions we’re all experiencing. [You say experiencing twice here. Probably could end with “in response to the recent…. disruptions.”]
If you feel a little off-kilter, here are ways to come back to center:
1) Let go. Stop trying so hard, and consider slowing down to ask yourself if you have as much influence or control over the situation as you imagine. [You might realize you have less thank you think and that can be freeing.] It can help to get into a mindful state and ask yourself how you can best own your part and detach from the results.
2) Trust. “The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or a hostile universe.” – Albert Einstein. Faith is a verb, and it’s tested when life gets difficult. If you feel chaotic, check in on your spiritual conditioning – do you believe a higher power has your back? That it’s all working out in your favor? The choice to believe in something greater than yourself is always available and can offer powerful relief. [I think you are getting at trusting that there is a higher power and greater purpose. I think the Einstein quote is more about how our personal beliefs about the nature of the world shape our experience. Slightly different concepts and hard to connect the dots in such a short paragraphn.]
3) Live in today. If money is tight or work sucks, it can be easy to scale that belief into the future. Some thoughts I’ve had lately along these lines, “Oh god – what if the AI doom revolution is here now and there will never be work for anyone ever again!” (dramatizing slightly, but you get the idea) If you’re feeling intensely anxious, check if you’re into today. [unclear what this means] Just for today, we can trust it will all work out.
5) Practice gratitude. When life feels nuts, it’s easy to lose track of the big picture. Come home to the tried and tested gratitude list for instant calm and mood lift. You’ll feel more abundant and put it all into perspective.
