Show Off
Weekly Reading Topic for August 24, 2019: Show Off
Well, good morning, love!
I just opened a Reading for you, my newsletter subscribers and here’s what I heard in answer to the following:
What do my readers most need to hear this weekend? What is the most important message to send to my beloved readers?
The answer was: “Show Off”
What follows is your Weekly Reading.
Weekly Reading │ Show Off
Q: What do you mean, “show off?”
A: There’s a double meaning this week, and it will help us to understand the deeply paradoxical times we live in.
To show off typically means to take center stage in your own life, to brag a little, or let others brag about you. To let your accomplishments and intellect lead the way. To let your light shine, unsheltered by false modesty. That’s one of the meanings we are meant to contemplate.
Another meaning, though, and one that is equally important right now, is to turn the show off. As in, stop the drama. Switch off the sound. Stop the video, get off the platform, or turn off the television.
We are being asked to do both, right now: show off a little AND stop the drama.
So what on earth does that mean?
Authenticity. It’s not just a buzzword.
When we show off we let other people see us for who we Actually Are. We don’t pretend to be smarter, or dumber, more or less empathetic, or athletic, or talented. We don’t hide our talents and strengths. We allow our best selves to represent us in the world.
And when we turn the show off, we refuse to add to the inherently dramatic chaos the world is in right now. We don’t make More or Less of an Already Horrible Situation. We don’t wail and gnash our teeth to make a point, and we don’t hide behind a mask of snark. We don’t add to the pain, our own or anyone else’s.
And when you do BOTH of these, you will find yourself in the center of your life. Right dab in the center, where you belong.
Your skin will fit you.
Your soul will feel like it can stretch out.
Your heart will open a little.
Your “boundaries” will be clear to you, and to everyone else.
This is an interesting way to practice being both Fully Human and Fully Divine.
And this is important, now, because the world needs more people like you to take a sane, pragmatic, reasonable and reasoned stance. And if you can do that for yourself, you will automatically do that for everyone else.
If you stay calm when a problem presents itself, you will be able to discern the best solution, without getting too wrapped up in the “way things have always been done.”
You will be able to state the problem clearly, which gets you 90% of the way to a way to proceed. When we know what the actual problem is, we can start to see what needs to be done.
You will be able to propose a solution that is workable and win-win-win-win.
You will also serve as a model for your friends and family and coworkers.
We all need living examples of sanity and truth right now, and this week we are being called to develop even more skills, even more, self-clarity.
So show off, and turn the show off.
When we see clearly, for ourselves, we are able to know the truth. And the truthiest truth is this: trust yourself. In general, your gut is giving you the right answers.
And if you notice that you are NOT trustworthy? Make adjustments. If you find yourself saying one thing and doing something else, procrastinating, turning away from loved ones, mulling a problem too long, or spiraling in a circle of shame, see that and name it for yourself. That too is truth-telling.
None of us are ready to start throwing stones. All of us live in glass houses.
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We need to be as clear-eyed about our own habits, mind-fucks, and mistakes as we are about others. In fact, if we are not clear about those, we cannot hope to help anyone else, no matter what our intentions may be, or how hard we work.
So once again, we are guided to put on our own oxygen masks before trying to help others or fix problems.
The good news is this: our bodies have a built-in show off/show off mechanism. And it only takes one minute to turn it on!
The key is to switch your central nervous system from fight/flight to rest/digest. Your oxygen mask is on once you’re in rest/digest. And it’s easy, because the Vagus nerve is in charge of your state, and YOU can hack your Vagus nerve.
So in the end, you’re in charge of your own state of mind. Always.
Big Hint from the Universe: you MUST develop a practice, now, of triggering rest/digest every single time you are under stress. Nothing else will serve you better in the short or long term.
The breathing exercise below can make your life more manageable in the space of a minute. And that can only be a good thing for the rest of us.
So use this, as many times a day as you need to. Any time you feel yourself constricted, upset, stiff, painful, angry, frustrated, irritated, sad, make sure that you are in rest/digest.
(For some of us, this will need to be done fifty times a day. That’s OK. Just keep doing it. Going into rest/digest over and over will help train your Vagus Nerve to stay there longer, and longer, and longer.)
How to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve and Trigger a Rest & Digest State:
The Vagus nerve is a beautiful branching nerve that starts in your brain and descends all the way down to your pelvis. It’s called the Vagus because that word means “wanderer.” As it wanders around your face, neck, torso, and pelvis, it connects 100% of your organs to your brain, keeping them all in two-way communication.
And when your Vagus nerve registers that your lungs are breathing at the rate of 5-7 breaths per minute, it advises the rest of your organs (including your brain) that all is well.
It’s really that simple. Breathe 5-7 times per minute, and your Vagus nerve will start to calm you down.
So let’s work with it now to feel a little calm, shall we? It’s easy.
Close your mouth, and draw in a breath through your nose for five seconds. That’s One Mississippi, Two Mississippi, Three Mississippi, Four Mississippi, Five Mississippi.
Gently hold your breath for one second, One Mississippi.
Breathe out through your mouth for five seconds. One Mississippi, Two Mississippi, Three Mississippi, Four Mississippi, Five Mississippi.
Gently hold your breath for one second, One Mississippi.
Repeat for at least four more in and out-breaths.
Five, One, Five, One, Five, One, Five, One, Five, One, Five, One, Five, One, Five, One, Five, One, Five, One …
It takes just a minute of breathing this way to trigger the calm, relaxing state called Rest & Digest. In this state, our cells repair themselves, our digestion restarts, and our mind can exercise good judgment. We lose the tunnel vision and stiffness of Fight/Flight. Our cortisol and epinephrine/norepinephrine levels plunge.
So, breathe, deliberately, five in, five out, for at least a minute, every time you feel any level of stress at all. It can only be helpful to you!
It will help you to stay calm so you can “show off” authentically. Not bragging, just being clear about what you are and who you are.
It will help you to stay calm so you can turn the “show off” authentically. You won’t need to be more of anything, because you will know that your show is doing just fine in the ratings.
Don’t be afraid of ego as you show off, because that will cause you to second-guess yourself. Instead, allow your ego to tell you how great you are.
At the same time, let your higher self turn the show off by judging the truth of what is being said 🙂
After all, we are the only ones who get to judge whether we are worth being here, now. Don’t negotiate your worth with anyone else. Ever again. You are the final arbiter on that, and you don’t need any more reason to be confident than the fact that you are breathing, right now.
Hopefully, at the rate of five to seven breaths per minute.
I am always here to serve in any way I can.
Much Love to You,
Molly
PS: Thank you for sharing this with anyone who could use it!
PPS: This is a pretty good article written in lay language about the incredible Vagus nerve, and why we should be working with it directly.
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