Strong is not a bad word
It’s everywhere.
Have you heard it?
There a lot of talk about not wanting to be strong anymore.
And I was on this bandwagon for a minute myself! I was tired of the things not killing me making me stronger!
LOL…I didn’t want to be strong anymore! It was exhausting!
But then I had to pause to think about what I did want…
And that changed how I saw being strong.
When we think about not being strong, what are we really thinking about?
We are thinking about working too hard, dealing with or taking on too much, pushing ourselves past the point of comfort.
These are nuances that we should pay attention to instead of just not wanting to have to be strong.
Being strong is good. It is our birth right. It is a blessing and honor because it means we are alive
We say that in nature only the strong survive. But think about the animals that survive in nature….they honor themselves and they honor their true nature. Animals in nature rest, eat, play and love.
Plants are definitely the most gangster because they refuse to not grow. They can be burnt down, knocked over or buried! But if they see an ounce of sunlight they are going to grow.
The strength in nature isn’t a burden, it is a blessing.
Let us not forget, that although it may not feel like it with our digital environment, we are still just humans (aka animals) with a natural desire to be strong. Our environment may not be very hospitable, but our ability to be strong in it is not a bad thing!
And let’s be clear that the opposite of strong is not soft. The opposite of strong is weak
And because you ARE strong, you can enjoy the feeling of softness. But you don’t really want to BE soft.
Things that are soft are easy to mold, manipulate and be used by others. You don’t want to BE that, you want to be the person ENJOYING that. The type of person who enjoys that is STRONG. If you are soft, can you really enjoy or appreciate the experience of softness?
Please note, if we decide that we don’t want to be strong anymore, we will be boring, flat, lacking vitality, beauty or interest.
Have you noticed that the most exciting and worthwhile things in life require strength?
To experience love, adventure, wealth or love of self you have to be strong.
To love yourself or another, requires strength!
You cannot be soft and adventurous. LOL…you’ll hurt yourself!
And believe it or not, it requires strength to generate and hold onto wealth!
YOU grow strong in these things and because of them.
So, as you end the year and you are refusing to be strong….drill down a few more layers and get more specific about what you don't want.
I have a feeling that you DO want to be strong, but maybe you want to…
Rest
Be vulnerable
Be held
Have community
Release
You CAN be strong AND all of these things.
And unless you get clear about what you really NEED, you wont get it.
Just not wanting to be strong is a futile wish, because as long as you are alive you WILL be strong. And when you really think about it, you don’t want to be the opposite of strong, which is weak.
You want to be strong and enjoy softness.
There is a difference.
So give thought to what is aching in you and address that AND give yourself the experience of softness.
xoxo,