Practice What I Preach.

How are you this week?  I hope breathing deeply, and turning inward with love.

This week, I wanted to let you know first, in case you were wondering, that I am ok, and all is well over here.  

I also wanted to share with you how I was challenged to step into my Wise Adult Self last week, and how I made a decision that in the past might have caused me much distress, but instead gave me great relief.

You know how we talked about “Overwhelm” in our last Conscious Conversation With Carol?  Well, a few of last week’s stressful events turned into an opportunity for me to practice what I preach.

Let me explain.  Some of you may know that I recently added a few new Extended Couples Sessions to my calendar on Friday mornings.  That new schedule started last week, with plenty of time between my last appointment of the day and the start time of my scheduled Conscious Conversation later that afternoon.

Well, that would have been true if everything went according to plan.  But, my car had other ideas.  As I was driving home from the office, it shut down its engine power due to some faulty computer connections!  

The car was drive-able, but only up to 35 mph, as a way to safeguard against any potential engine damage (as I came to discover, thank you Google!).  I knew I had to get my car to the dealer quickly.  

That wouldn’t have been much of a problem if I had a little “wiggle” room in my day.  But, I had packed things so tightly, that when life threw me this curve ball, there was not enough room for me to take care of all the things that were on my agenda for the day.  

I looked at the clock.  I could feel my heart starting to race, my chest getting heavy, my breathing shallow, as my mind raced to come up with a way to solve a problem that had no solution.  That is, I was trying to fit more activities into less time than I actually had.  This is a classic cause of stress and overwhelm.

Thankfully, it didn’t take too long for me to move out of sympathetic mode:  

Oh no!  What am I going to do?  My car needs to be taken to the shop.  But, I am committed to the Live CCWC at 4:00.  I have no time to breathe, let alone think!

Pause.

Breathe.

Be still.

Give the mind time to settle.

…And into parasympathetic mode:

It’s all ok, safely getting the car in for repair needs to be the priority.  And, no one is going to die if you have to change plans! I am safe, and so is everyone else.

I knew I had to create a little space for me internally, by creating some space externally.

Ahh!  There she is, my Wise Adult Self. Back in the driver’s seat as I gained access to  my prefrontal cortex.

The instant I allowed myself to accept that it was ok, that I was safe, that no one was going to die, I felt a wave of relief.  

My heart rate decreased, my chest lightened up, my breathing evened out.

I am sure that my cortisol and adrenaline levels balanced out, too!  

I slowed down and let my Protector Part take a break, get in the passenger seat, and so my Wise Adult made the decision to postpone the Conscious Conversation with Carol that had been scheduled.

As disappointed as I was (maybe you were too?), I trust that we will all be inspired by the next one!

I share all of this to remind you we are all human, doing our best to navigate the various stressors of our world. Thankfully, this wasn’t a life threatening one, though, our nervous systems often don’t know this!

Keep pausing.

Keep breathing.

Keep finding your stillness.

And give your mind time to settle.

Ah, there’s some relief.

By the way, if you would like to try again with me, I plan to go Live this coming Friday, 4/3/26 at 3:00.

The Topic Will Be:

It’s All About Me:

The Difference Between Toxic Self-Absorption and Healthy Self-Love.