Yesterday I sat down to write my weekly blog message, but when I went online to post it, I discovered that my website had crashed. For me, that’s a big deal. No blog, no email, my entire site contents out of reach. I freaked out.
I don’t know about you, but when something unexpected pulls the rug out from under me like this, when it’s catastrophic (at least in my mind), my initial reaction is to have a meltdown. I panicked. I cussed. I got so angry.
In full-blown freak-out mode, I suddenly realized what was happening. My heart was racing. I was sweating. While I had gotten all worked up, the toxic emotions and thoughts were wreaking havoc on my body. It was time to apply some of the messages I write about and speak about. If I can’t walk my talk, what’s the point?
Although I couldn’t meditate, I told myself “be still and know” and I took a few slow, deep breaths. It was enough to help me regain a sense of balance and remember that all is in divine order. Always.
For years I studied successful aging, and the topic I found most fascinating was the mind-body connection. We can do a lot of damage to our bodies when we let our emotions run wild too long or too often. What I was feeling and thinking yesterday morning was sending toxic chemicals throughout my body and setting me up for health problems down the road.
I had to return to center, not only to help my body, but to better deal with the website problem. So I reminded myself that the world wouldn’t come to an end if my site was down for a day. I played two of my go-to songs when I am stressed: “As long as you are breathing…” one started soothingly while the other promised “it’s gonna be alright.”
That helped me cope with the next few hours on the phone with my website host company and my tech support team. And this morning, my website was back up.
Unfortunately, a high volume of spam was sent from my email address, and to anyone who received that junk, I sincerely apologize. (Do not click on any links in those messages!) Additional security measures have been put in place to make it next to impossible for this to happen again.
The longer we live, the more we learn. Using our accumulated wisdom can help keep us sane and healthy. It certainly can make maneuvering through tough times better. So the next time you find yourself in crisis mode, take a moment to breathe. And remember it’s going to be alright.