Tag Archive for: appreciation

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Letting go of the “rescuing” role

Dawn breaks and one just never knows what “gifts” await us.

I was standing atop a sand dune expressing my gratitude, as the sun rose. A lady’s voice… “What do you think we should do?” she asks.

Oh, she was talking to me!
A seal was washed up on the beach with an outgoing tide. I noticed myself go into “rescue” mode. Let’s do this. Let’s do that.

Oddly, there was an uncomfortableness with trying to find all the options in order to “save” this most adorable creature.
There was also an uncomfortableness, in me, about the responses from rescue centres who advised to just let nature take it’s course.

Over breakfast, something stirred inside me.

A burning desire to simply lie beside this, now named: Arctic Fur seal (who was, apparently, 2000kms out of it’s territory).

So, I rugged up and nestled in beside this peaceful being.
We looked into each other’s eyes many times. I talked. I lay. It breathed slowly and moved infrequently.
It’s whole being seemed totally accepting of whatever was to come. No fight.

As we lay close to each other, I came to see the beauty in accepting.

I accepted it and it accepted me .. that much, that I lay close enough to caress it’s back.

There was talk, silence, listening.
Every time this seal opened it’s eyes, we somehow saw each other as our eyes danced together.
Had we met before?

As the cold winds began to reach my core, and after many hours of our time together, I felt it was ok now for me to leave.
I expressed my gratitude for the magic of the gift of this Arctic Fur seal and our togetherness.

This is at the heart of BACKinTRACKtion.

Meet myself and other beings where we are at. No push to change. No desire to rescue.

TRUST

As kids, we are raised under the idea that lying is wrong.

Yet, every human being does it.

If it’s part of being human, then what’s it’s story?

What if we took a dive into what the “good reason” is behind lying?

What might we find?

As I stand today … with my passion for dropping the judgement on behaviour and the punishing or rewarding constructs that supposedly promote “good” behaviour – truth, in this case … I have come to see lying as a gift!
Yes, that’s right a GIFT!

What if … we feel unsafe to be seen, heard and valued for what is alive in us in any given moment, that we hide that part of us from the world, through telling a lie?

What if … we have been honest at some point and been punished for our honesty, that we turn to lying as an option for our own protection?

What if … we have tried to openly share with others and they have not listened, so we do not trust them to hear our vulnerable selves, so we tell them what we think they want to hear? We lie.

What if … we feel so embarrassed by parts of ourselves, that we feel like to be accepted we need to hide those parts from the world?

What if … we have watched others get punished for saying their truth, so keeping the peace on the outside becomes our go to, despite our inside being in conflict and turmoil!!

Today, I was asked “Why would you trust me?”.

So, what does trust look like?

This is what came in my response….

We hear ourselves … when we are in each other’s company – in person or written.

We hear each other. Completely. To the best of our ability and that may mean owning when we are not hearing!

Through this, safety is present.

I accept all of me .. even the expressive self .. in your company.

I feel safe to totally show up with you.

I see, hear and feel an acceptance of all that I am.

This is the foundation of trust.