Crisis = Opportunity
In the Chinese language, the same character used to express ‘crisis’ is also used to express ‘opportunity.’ When we find ourselves immersed in a crisis, we can feel stressed, oppressed, depressed, emotional, insufficient, remorseful, and vulnerable. Our FOTU, the fear of the unknown, is heightened. Our bodies sense danger and go into fight or flight or ‘survival mode’ in order to fight this enemy, ramping up our adrenal glands, and releasing cortisol into our system. Remaining in this state when there is truly no clear and present danger can lead to all kinds of ailments such as high blood pressure, depression, and that unneeded cortisol shows up around our waistlines in the form of belly fat.
The body does not distinguish real trouble from fake trouble or real fear from fake fear. When you watch a horror movie and someone is being chased through the forest, our heart rates increase. Our brains do not discern whether or not we are actually in that forest. We have to provide it with perspective and moderation. Our brains are smart, but they are not that smart.
Recently, I lost something of very high value. I mourned this loss for about two weeks, ascending and descending a ladder of anger, sadness, and disbelief. I felt wild. I cried and caved at the injustice. I bemoaned the severing of my normal existence. I sat quietly and stoically and silently trying to accept the truth of the matter. The truth was, I was the recipient of a spiritual drive by. A universal slap. A stinging reminder of impermanence. A sobering look at my dusty path.
My body probably thought I was dying. It didn’t know what was going on. It just reacted to my rage and woe and pity and released its steady cortisol supply that kept me awake and alert in my sorrow. Pining away over my past which I could do nothing about with tears blocking me from seeing my future clearly.
I am a fast pain processor though. Soon, I was able to wipe the sorrow from my eyes and say the tiniest of prayers. It was only two words – thank you. A few weeks later I was able to see quite a bit further and that little ‘thank you’ began to blossom into a field of gratitude. I hated what happened, but as usual, I was able to arrive at a place where my perspective extinguished the fire of anger and soothed the feeling of loss. I was able to look back over my life and see that each and every time I endured a loss, I won. I prevailed. I came out better. Scarred but better. Broken, but better. Hurt, but better.
Crushing is a crisis for an olive. Crushing is a crisis for a grape. Crushing forever changes their form but crushing never changes their essence. Crushing concentrates its prey. And in the case of the olive and the grape, the oil and the wine is their new opportunity. They can now be used in a different way. It takes somewhere between 18 – 27 olives to make just one tablespoon of olive oil. Olive oil is a powerhouse and is proven to lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. It is valuable and its effects are not likely to be attained by simply eating the olive fruit in its original form.
Some things have to undergo a change in order to achieve their greatest use. And that is exactly what happened to me. I was crushed into a higher form of me. I was crushed into yielding more power, realizing my value, and now I can go freely into my calling and onto my path without wavering and hopefully something I say will help unclog some cognitive arteries, some blockages, some stagnancies. Funny thing. Red wine is also found to be good for the heart due to its high level of resveratrol. This substance, found in the skins of the grapes is found to increase longevity in mice and delays age related decay. This reminded me that if I can endure my crushing, I too, can resist the toppling or ‘decay’ that many cannot, when they’ve had little or no opportunity to build life muscle that a good crushing can produce.
The olive does not curse the oil purveyor. The grape does not curse its vineyard. And I am so glad I decided to adopt a perspective that stops me from cursing my crushing. That removes me from a mentality of crisis, allowing me to view its crushing as a benefit, to be grateful for its value and necessity in my life as I capitalize on my opportunity with my sometimes painfully won experiences.
Love, Peace, Focus, and Progress,
Tracey Alexandria Lynch
Follow me on: LinkedIn
#lemonstolemonaid #energywasters #selfcare #timemanagement #personalcare #extremelybusy #lynchpinnedlife #change #selfimprovement #lifeplanning #consciousness #ourtruelegacy #lynchpinnedlife #traceylynch #changeofperspective #crushing #lifeexperience #overcoming
