There is no wonder that we in America are anxious, overwhelmed, and have come to believe that Chicken Little was right, that The Sky IS Falling! [1]. Media is unrelenting. Our constant bombardment with images of war-ravaged places, injustice, abuse, violence, and worldwide hunger literally activates our fight, flight, and freeze response incessantly, 24-7. There’s no break from it without a concerted decision to choose another way to interact and engage in the world. And then there are the flood of social media posts that appear to be proof positive that we are not enough…messages that we are not popular enough, thin enough, smart enough, accomplished enough; The result is people having a fantasy driven, social media informed low self-concept that informs poor decisions and choices. There are boat loads of people who grit their teeth through the 24 hours ahead, without joy and happiness…living for that beer, Netflix binge, bag of chips or tweet to calm their nerves. Life slowly becomes something to be endured.
There really is another way, and you don’t have to move to Tibetan Monastery to find it. We can release our inner Chicken Little and live in a place that is at least 80% of the time balanced and calm. I’m not talking about medications here, but about the POB Program, which involves tangible tools and a process of living that incorporates and synthesizes much of the wisdom around spiritual and physical wellness over the ages. While many of us have know what we need to do to find a calm spiritual center (ex. Pray more, do service work, meditate, reduce those bad habits), we often do not embrace the action, as we get de-railed and find ourselves sabotaging our own efforts…scratching our heads in disbelief, and wondering how on Earth to get there! For me, Pursuit of Balance (POB) is a path I have found that works. It makes systematic inroads into turning knowledge into action through a spiritual process.
I walked into Pursuit of Balance (POB) through the desperation, isolation and utter confusion brought on by the COVID 19 tsunami in my life. I was lost and despondent. Separated from the life I had built, the one I knew and loved, there appeared to be way too much space and broad possibility as I watched myself aging by the day. The irony of starting over at 60 whispered in my ear doubts with loud messages of “winding down” and “playing small”. POB came along….an opportunity that promised me a more balanced life, one where I was closer to the voice of my Higher Power…the guide that could lead me to joy and the serenity I longed for. I had nothing to lose.
In those 5 months I discovered some beautiful windows to my Higher Power, to the place where I can release my fear and worry and live in my spiritual center more fully. Seeing and finding my Higher Power in the strangest places, listening more deeply to my intuition and not my manic, fear based Inner Chicken Little. I have knowledge, tools and practices that can keep me connected now. I feel grounded and connected and my choices and decisions around the chaos in my world are less reactive now. I have learned how to walk in serenity amid my own mistakes, disappointments and pain. As time goes on, and I continue to practice the POB program I am quickly brought back to my spiritual center, and each day becomes a gift regardless of the life I am presently in.
As a POB coach I have seen many folks experience some version of my story. Walking away from the unrelenting inner voice of terror and the whispering incessant voice of self-doubt is absolutely possible… Check it out!
Dede Armstrong, MS, MA, SRCD, POBC
Pursuit of Balance Life Coach
[1] The name "Chicken Little" – and the fable's central phrase, The sky is falling! – have been applied to people accused of being unreasonably afraid, or those trying to incite an unreasonable fear in those around them. The first use of the name "Chicken Little" to "one who warns of or predicts calamity, especially without justification" recorded by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is in 1895, Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 2004. ISBN 9780877798095. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
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