Unraveling

 

Artwork by Kate King

Let’s talk about the feeling of unraveling. I keep hearing this word, from both my clients and my friends, which seems to be an apt reflection of the profound unease and stress I think most people are feeling these days. 

Whether you’re upset about the political environment, unsteady in your relationships, or disconnected from your Self and your purpose, feeling like you’re unraveling seems to be a very common response.

Brene Brown, one of my personal favorite teachers and inspirational people, offers a powerful counter-perspective about the feeling of unraveling. Always a potent wordsmith, Brown reminds us of the dictionary definition of raveling, defined as being so tightly wound and tangled that it feels impossible to undo the knot(s). Therefore, un-raveling can offer a welcome relief that invites a person into spacious presence with what was previously too tightly entwined to disentangle. 

If you can shift your perception, change your mindset, you might begin to think of your experience of unraveling as positive. Sure, there may be a bit of instability and mysteriousness in how the unraveling will develop, but at least you’re giving yourself the openness and spaciousness to discover a new way to navigate. It’s very hard to achieve anything productive or positive when you’re tied in knots. Think about the experience of having tightly knotted shoulder blades… it leads nowhere good, right? So instead of dwelling on the knottiness, or the fear of what could happen if the knots spiral loose from each other, consider what could become of your experience if you welcome the unraveling and play with seeing it as an opportunity. Lean in. Greet the unraveling with curiosity and invite it to tea. Take stock of what has brought you to this point, what’s in your current experience, and what you would like to bring forward with you as you weave your next steps. Then allow the unraveling to take you there.

Let me know how this lands with you…