The Sky Is Falling and It’s Raining Shoes.

I laughed and muttered, “can you put that in writing?”I was raised in a family that believed the next shoe may drop anytime, and you must watch out for what life has in store for you just around the corner.  Even though we were told we could “trust that life will take care of us”, there was always the counter belief that “life is hard and you have to watch your back”.  By the time I left home, I was sure that life held all sorts of surprises for me and I had better be prepared by expecting them.  Sadly, I wasn’t thinking rosy happy surprises either.Since I’m betting that I’m not the only one out there raised by that generation of thinkers, I was motivated after class to think about this and write.Something primal and deep inside of me stirred when Tunde said “we’re really all okay, it’s really going to be okay”.  Everyone laughed and smiled; but do we really believe this?

How often are we motivated by the fear that we’re not going to be alright?

I question what motivates me to do well, make money and save for the future.  What motivates me to exercise, eat right and live a healthy life.  What motivates me to be a good friend and neighbor?  Am I driven to live this way because it’s who I am or am I motivated by fear?

Many of us were raised by a generation that saw tough times either as children themselves, or had been raised by parents that had lived through the depression. Our parents believed that the next shoe could drop at anytime and wanted to protect us.

Even when my own life is humming along and I relax for a while;  I soon catch myself silently looking over my shoulder wondering when all this humming along might go silent.

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, we’re all taught that really…. we can relax as (insert your term here please) Mother Earth, God, the Universe, Buddha, or your higher self knows best for you and takes care of you.  But do we really believe that life can be that good?

I still wonder if I’m really safe.  Can I really relax? Can my life hum along without a problem?

It has taken me many years to let this belief go and yet, it sneaks up on me at the oddest of times; when life is humming along quite beautifully!

I know on a very deep level life is meant to be wonderful.
I am acutely aware these days when I start to look for that other shoe to drop or the sky to fall.  I’ve finally trained myself to watch my thoughts….when my emotions warn me that I’m sad or anxious or angry; I know I’m actually in fear. It’s all FEAR.

When I catch myself feeling that fear, I visualize turning my head away from the image in my mind and saying no way!.…
I deserve this happiness. Life is meant to be good. Life is not meant to be hard or a struggle.

Sure struggles come and life throws us curve balls. When that happens, we deal with it.
But tainting my life with the fear that “it may not be okay and I’d better watch out,” just doesn’t work for me anymore.

It really is going to be okay. We really are okay.
Tunde said so…..
xo

Image Courtesy of D. Sharon Pruitt at Flickr Creative Commons.