Living in my mind is a big bear. He appears to be cute and friendly, so he is appealing. When I get closer to him, however, the truth is revealed. He is extremely dangerous. If I engage with him, his presence will most certainly be a block along my path. I cannot react based on my fear. It has the potential to destroy me. If I can remain in the moment and be clear headed and calm, my chances of him backing away are greater. Learning these tactics seem straight forward and simple. Employing these tactics when emotions, especially fear, is running high is a whole different story.
Some people call the bear in their mind their demons, some call it resistance, some simply call it their mind. For me, I have newly discovered the concept of the bear. The visual helps me to remember what to do when I know he is trying to run the show. My ability to remain in the moment and clear headed is what fighting looks like for me. If I try to “fight” him off, it becomes even more of a struggle. One of my favorite quotes is, “What you resist, persists.” Showing him resistance means he will be there longer, trying to dominate my actions. Leaving him be means he will leave me be to be me! It means not listening to him when he tells me I can’t or I’m too tired or too (fill in any negative adjective). Being me means doing, not trying, to be my best. It means accomplishing my goals. It means being the best version of myself. It means finding success!
When the bear appears on my path I have to remind myself of my goals and of my whys. If I am able to follow the steps outlined above, I can survive the bear. He simply moseys on away and I go about walking my path. It frees me up to be the best I can be. If I engage with the bear and attempt to fight him, allowing my emotions to make my decisions, he knocks me down. I always get back up but not without bruises. Dealing with grief and the bear has altered my encounters with him. He has always tried to control my journey. He has always showed up just when things seemed to be going really well. Its just that in the past I had more reserves to remain calm and clear headed. It has become more difficult since losing Christian. I am learning how to deal with grief and the bear in my life. The bear will never go away. Learning how to control my reactions to seeing and hearing the bear is the best way to stay sane on my journey. It may even make him appear less frequently, allowing my journey to be smoother and allowing me to reach my goal with less difficulties. These lessons are said to be gifts of grief. Love to heaven…
Cara Martinisi 