What do I mean by ecstatic experience?
I mean a rush of pleasure, joy, and energy that leaves you tingling all over and screaming YES in your mind if not aloud.
I mean a state of epiphany, that glorious spark of genius that knocks you right out of that rut and into a place of clarity and new vision with the power to totally change your life.
I had no idea what this video was about when I clicked play. When the speaker mentioned a study involving 120 babies, I was hooked. I'm so glad I watched it all the way through. It made me think of dance in a whole new way. Not just dance, but everything that I do, everything I believe, and everything that I teach...yes, it was that good of an epiphany for me. Experiencing this video filled in the gaps enough that I could finally see a clear picture, the answer I've been searching for, what I feel is the key to healing myself of PTSD.
He's a good illustration of what anxiety does. It makes us cling to habits, thoughts, and beliefs that keep us stuck. Better the bad things we know than the bad things that could happen, according to the philosophy of fear.
Lately, I've been struggling with Writer's Block. I've been stressing over money and bills. I've felt stuck in all of my projects, I gained back the little bit of weight I'd lost, and I found myself looking for a cave to hide in with a blanket and a familiar feel-good book.
My plan today was to give myself some self-coaching after I dropped my son off at daycare, but of course I had to check Facebook first...
...which turned out to be a good thing for once. Because one of my friends posted this video, had me in tears and then bouncing in my chair, then dancing wildly around my room.
This is the video that inspired me this morning. Make sure you get up and dance at the end! <3
Dancing feels good. It gets my feel good hormones surging. It makes my heart pump and my breath come in gasps. It makes my muscles tingle and my skin warm. It makes me smile, and it clears all the gook out of my head, making space for inspiration, answers, and self-encouragement.
I can think of one or two times in my life that I tried to shake the blahs by dancing. It helped. You'd think I would have made a habit of it.
You can bet your proverbial butt I'm making it a habit now!
If you have a cell phone with an alarm feature on you at all times, it's simple to make a new habit.
All you have to do is pick a time, set your alarm, and every time your alarm goes off DO whatever it is you are trying to make a habit of doing.
JUST DO IT. No excuses, no snooze button. You are replacing an old habit with a new one. You have a habit of doing something else at the time you choose, even if you aren't aware of what that habit is. You've been doing that other thing for months, years, possibly decades. That's a lot of practice, and your body and mind have a good memory.
You have to do the new habit at least 22 times before it will replace the old one. After about three weeks, you won't need your alarm anymore; however, use your alarm longer than you think you need to. Celebrate the positive changes that come into your life as a result of your new habit, to keep yourself motivated whenever you feel tempted to skip it. :)