The Dis-Ease of Keeping Up
Dear friends,
As you read through this article I invite you to take some gentle and deep belly breaths to simply be a witness to what sensations or feelings come up for you.
Alright, so, ever felt the pressure to keep up with this illusionary audience nudging you to be #relevant?
If you haven’t, congrats! You are not human.
And if you have, congrats! You are.
Here’s the thing…
The constant drive, need, and undeniable pressure to ‘keep up’ is usually just a cocktail of other people’s energies, desires, goals, and expectations that we take on as our own.
It often feels like overwhelm, an actively racing mind, a fear of running out of time, the missing of opportunities…. The list goes on.
Here's a thought I often share with clients: your authentic energy would never cease to overwhelm you.
Your body and being are finely attuned to hold precisely the amount of energy that is perfect for you.
The idea of ‘keeping up’ is a slippery slope as it often masquerades itself as an ‘authentic commitment’.
Let’s pause and acknowledge that this ‘keeping up’ instinct was hardwired into us for survival. This is not something that is ‘bad’ or ‘wrong’. It has served us for life-times, generations, and for most of our early childhood.
Keeping up has helped us find a thread to cling to and has helped us navigate a world that can otherwise be unforgiving.
However, most of us are still signing up for commitments - be it jobs, relationships, or life milestones - with a cocktail of pressure that is not OURS.
And usually when we commit to said, (insert half hearted commitment here) they are usually driven by a voice that says:
"I have to ____ or XYZ will happen,"
"I should ____ otherwise XYZ won't happen."
“By this age, I have to XYZ or I am (insert limiting belief/fear here).”
They usually contain some sort of ‘have to, should, ultimatum’ or a distorted relationship of time. Once this voice starts running it is a good indicator that it is time for a pause.
Sure, time is a valuable concept, a potent catalyst, but how authentic are your commitments if they're born out of a survival-driven energy that no longer serves us?
The truth is, they aren’t.
So, how are you relating to your commitments?
Where are you throwing down ultimatums?
Is your commitment currently driven by a pressure to stay relevant?
Can you make space, clear out the external noise, and let your commitments be a collaboration rather than an overwhelming driven obligation?
….Maybe being irrelevant is the most relevant thing you can be…
When we shift our 'keeping up' energy into Devoted Commitment, it becomes uniquely ours.
Sure, some of our commitments may always carry some form of resistance, but they don't max out our capacities.
There’s a flow, a living sentient system of connection available in our authentic commitments to Life that allow for flexibility, adaptability, nuance, and the trust of timing.
