Hey friends. Well, I went away for the last two weeks of June to visit my family in Trinidad. And I cannot believe all the stuff that went down here in the US while I was gone. I mean, if I'm being real, I can believe that shit went down, but damn so much in just two weeks. And there's just been no shortage of drama and ugliness since. And still, I'm going to ask you for real for real? How are you experiencing life these days? What's present for you, both front and center, and what's present way below the surface. If you have the energy to look, I'm feeling tired. Here at home, I've had a bit of a time we've had a bit of a time since I got back from Trinidad. You know, the tiredness from traveling, which was made even more difficult because my little one had a gnarly ear infection the last couple of days we were away. I'm also sitting in some uncertainty around some health staff. And I've spent a lot of time quietly just trying to digest all that has been going on here politically in the US, you know, the decisions that are being made and the government and that's on top of, you know, all the other shit that we were already witnessing and processing right. My Piecyk underlying vibe is varying stages of what the fuck yeah, that pretty much sums up everything for me. I'll be honest with you, I've been preparing this episode over the course of quite a few weeks now, like going back and forth on exactly what it is that I wanted to include. And I felt like just every week, my conversation was changing a little bit based on what was going on out in the world. And so I think I finally landed on something that I'm like, ready, okay, this is it to put out into the world. And as is customary for each episode that I put out, my conversation today might make some internal waves for you. And that's okay. I'm here for it. I'm here to support you through it. And I hope that you're here for it too. And if not feel free to come back another time. Or not at all. Both are okay for sure. We are officially past the halfway point of what has been a very tumultuous year and friends, it just keeps going. Shit is really scary out in the world. And I'm feeling a palpable outrage and fear from people that I'm connected with people that you know, seeing on social media, and rightfully so we have every right to be angry at what is going on in our communities. At the national level, politically around the world, those of us who live here in the United States, we have every right to be angry and terrified with the state of our country, and worried terrified of how the election election will turn out. And I know that this is a very, like front and center topic to be talking about. I promise I'm not going to drone on it much longer. But I need to address this because it really is a huge part of the shit that we need to talk about this week. And I don't know about you but for me I feel as though there's so much that's happening that is out of our our as in like we the people control. And it's completely alarming. The election is at the forefront of the mind for so many of us on top of multiple genocides, and that's all on top of all of the changes in legislation and horror and injustice has been happening for quite some time now. And still, as an aside, I need to say I need to urge you. If you are able to vote in the upcoming election, please do. I know it feels hopeless. But please still vote to support the policies that you want to see in place. And I know that it's really easy to get swept up in all the conversations and all the theories and all the things happening in the media, it can be overwhelming. And don't get me wrong. I'm not saying don't have conversations or read what's out there. Please have the conversations and continue to educate yourself. I know I am. But when so much is going on leading up to an election, and what will surely 100% be a pivotal event in our lives. It's really easy to get caught up in all the worry over what might happen from now. Not to mention the fear of what the fallout will be. It all makes sense based on all of the awful shit we've already seen happen. And still, I have to ask you, when asked us like as in like me to what will worrying get us. And I'll tell you, I used to be a professional worrier about all things. Like all things, it has been such a journey for me in learning how not to worry so much, and so often about so many things. And that really largely rests on present moment, grounding practices, for me, creating boundaries about what I will and will not carry. And also, I think the kind of wisdom that only comes with age and certain experiences. And while I've come a long way, I still do worry quite a bit. And so I really mean it when I say that this is a reminder for me, as much as it is for you. And so the shit that we need to talk about this week, is the reminder, or a reminder that might be really hard to sit with. And that is we cannot worry over what we cannot control. I mean, we can write, like in your mind? Well, we can again, and we can. Like I said I'm really good at that. Right. But the question comes back to like, when we talk about we cannot worry or what we can't we cannot control? Because what good would it do? What will the impact of worrying? What will the impact be on us in the end? And I know you know that answer is It will do no good. And the impact on us in the end will be shit for sure. Panic, Dread anxiety, numbing, giving away time, doing nothing that is soul filling, disassociating disconnecting from ourselves and each other. Just to name a few things, right. And I have to say this is not the time for that. It's never the time let's be real, right. But based on what we are up against. This is not the time for disconnecting from ourselves and each other. This is not the time to engage in behavior that will lead to disconnecting from ourselves and each other. Quite the contrary, this is the time to double down on our care of, and connection to ourselves and each other. And I say that in caps, bold and 200,000 size font. Now is the time to double down on our care of ourselves and our connection to ourselves and our care of one another and our connection to one another. And so I want to encourage you toward not getting all caught up in the worrying over what's going to happen the election. And I want you to not get caught up in worrying over what the fallout will be in like worst case possible scenarios. Yes, be concerned. Yes, be realistic. But remember, there is a difference between being realistic and worrying. And I also want to recognize that worrying is natural, it is normal. There's nothing wrong with it. But we can't allow it to take over our lives. We can't allow the worry to disrupt us. So when you feel the worry creeping in, honor that you're feeling it, honor the why of it. And then remind yourself that you are in the practice of not worrying over what you cannot control
and instead, consider taking action. An action can come in different forms and might depend on where your head is, and what it's open to, I'll discuss a few options here. And it's important to note that they're not in any sort of hierarchical order at all right, it's just these are the, these are the options that I could come up with, maybe you can come up with others. One option of taking action is to remind yourself in the moment of worry, of all the things you're doing to support the cause, or the situation, all of the things that you're doing to show up in it, and all the things you're doing to support yourself and others in and through it, it's likely that you're doing really hard work in all of these areas, and recognizing it is going to be paramount, right, because one thing that we can do for ourselves when we are worrying, is to state the facts. And not just the doom and gloom facts that are quite possible, probable, but the actual facts of how you're showing up. Because those really matter. And they are not insignificant. A second option of taking action is to take action on what you can control. In the smallest of ways it doesn't have to be big, right? What you may be feeling is huge. But that doesn't require then big action, it doesn't. So take action in the smallest of ways. Take action in a way that will help you feel more secure and stable. Take action that is in support of the results you want to see in the election, or the results you want to see. And whatever it is, that's got you worrying. Take support in the policies you want to see in place or anything else you want to see in place, take support in supporting or take action in supporting your work and the things that you hold dear in the world. Take action in those ways. And then a third option for taking action, which I'm sure is not going to come as a surprise to you is in caring for yourself. Instead of expending energy worrying. I want you to sustain yourself from now with tools practices, energy and experiences that will help preserve you preserve you as in prevent degradation, preserve you every step of the way, towards the election on November 5, or whatever the date or time is of the thing that you're worrying about. And most importantly, I want you to support yourself from now with tools and energy that will sustain you in the days after after the election or after whatever it is that you know this situation is that you've got where you're worrying about in the days after it happens and the days after the climaxes especially if things don't go the way you're hoping so that you have these tools and energy as you figure out how to move forward. So what might those tools practices energy and experiences be? What will help you to sustain yourself from now? What will help to sustain you in the days after the event takes place? You might not have the answers now. The reality is you may be like I have no fucking idea. Guess what you're not alone. Guess what we can work on that together. So I've got some ideas. remain open to seeing and experiencing some really beautiful and sweet moments in between of the hard ones in between the ones where you're like, I've got so many questions and not enough answers. Enjoy these experiences with good quality friends and family. And remaining gratitude for these times when they happen. remain aware of them happening and remaining gratitude for them. Because they really are just such blessings such tethers to good and to hope right. Another idea that might help you preserve and sustain yourself. What if you adopt ease and mellow as a vibe? I know I know. I know. Just hear me out. If you've been listening to the last few episodes We've been preparing for summer. You know, this is the time for vacations. This is the time when for a lot of people life slows down a little bit at least like responsibility wise and sometimes there's a little bit of a change in schedule that lightens up a little bit. There is an essence and a vibe of play and leisure and lightheartedness and playfulness. In the summertime, right? I talk a lot about this in Episode 20. So if you haven't listened to that episode from last year, definitely head back and listen to that one because I talk all about summers vibe and how it affects us and how to help it work for us. Taking time for play for leisure lightheartedness playfulness, these actions are the perfect balancers for summer and its dominant energy which is ironically, Pitta energy. Because unregulated pit to energy can turn into work work work pushing forward on your agenda with blinders on anger, criticism lashing out, and summers subtle energy which is called vata energy. That unregulated can turn into frenetic energy frazzled, haphazardly jumping from one thing to the next intense worrying. And so the balancers for these things for the these two energies that are present in the summertime for them to not become unregulated for them to not become overbearing is for us to take time, to play, to be leisurely, to be light hearted, to be playful, to be more mellow, more at ease. And I have said it, you know, in different ways these last few years and my work. And I cannot say it enough this summer, especially based on all the tension around the upcoming election. And the decisions that are coming down from the federal Royal Government and the supreme preme. Court, excuse me, the Supreme Court, it is going to be really important this summer to work towards an internal balance for yourself and allowing ease and mellow to be more of a vibe and more of an essence. And this will be especially important if your false schedule and responsibilities change drastically from what it is right now. So that way your experience when the fall begins is not all like back to real life and our rigid stressed out selves. So what I want to offer you here is a deeper understanding, a deeper awareness, a deeper practice a deeper way of being in terms of what if mellow, ease, play, leisure, light hearted, playful, any one of those things? It doesn't have to be all? What if it's not something that you do, but instead is the essence of how you exist? Like down to your bones and tissues. And I know that this may sound ludicrous. But again, what's the alternative? With so much anger and worry present again, rightfully so these are the balancers, these are the regulators. These help you to go from constantly coping to being even amidst all that's going on. So maybe choose one mellow ease play light leisure light hearted playfulness, choose one and explore it. explore it in a deeper way. Explore having a deeper awareness for it. A deeper understanding and an alternate way of being there is a great chance it could very well sustain you. So where are you going to start
another option is to allow self care to be more aligned for you. Because remember, it's not about doing more. Especially when shit is hitting the fan constantly. It's about making sure that what you are doing fits for you. And we are often changing evolving and life is lifing. And so sometimes what we've always done for self care may not necessarily work anymore and we have to adjust. So if you are have more questions than answers right now sit with that. And maybe consider meeting me in a release the pressure call, right to get to the bottom of all of your questions and get your next steps all planned out. We'll also talk about mindset shifts and ways to make all of it truly accessible and sustainable for you, you can head to the link in the show notes, or the work with me tab on my website Steff gallante.com. And if you're new to the conversation about accessible and sustainable self care, you can head to the disruptors guide to self care, which is a free resource on my website and that's going to walk you through steps to help create a sustainable way forward with your self care that honors how much available time and energy you have. And so you can find the links to this also in the show notes and on my website as well. My friend until next time, please please please be kind to yourself just as you would to those who are most important to you. Whether that is a human and animal baby or a plant you know, at least I hope you know I really love hearing from you I love hearing your thoughts about the support the guidance the shit I stir up in the episodes so please I would love for you to reach out and share with me your thoughts. Whether that is via email or on Instagram however it is you and I communicate. And if we never communicated before still reach out let me know. If you've been loving the show, please share it with your nearest and dearest and leave a review or rating. I am so glad we're here together in this time and in this space. Remember my friend you are a badass and you are deserving of your own unconditional love grace and compassion. So Cut the crap. Get out of your own way and give that to yourself. And until next time, my dear. Be well
