When was the last time you felt the ground rock and roll under you? During a wild concert as you danced? Or perhaps in California where that ground can become terra-un-firma in an instant? Or maybe, like me, you had a case of vertigo that taught you the overpowering reality of gravity. Unlike my many earthquake experiences, there was no safe space to hide from a world that spun in circles around me, nothing to hold on to, and no expectation that this seismic event would end. But of course eventually, with some medical intervention, the world stopped spinning, but the aftershocks were profound.
The planet shakes to release the stress of the tectonic plates diving under, dragging along side, or crashing into one another as the earth expands and shifts and realigns. And that is exactly what I needed; a forceful, undeniable, inner realignment that thrust me from my deeply embedded patterns and beliefs. It can take a radical upheaval to move us from the ruts we foolishly believe protect us, onto the un-explored path that our heart has actually been craving.
So I redefined the experience as a tectonic shift with a series of aftershocks, a soul earthquake. A few days later I emptied out my closet and hit my favorite resale shop for “realignment” clothes. I walked miles a day, focusing on the horizon as my new goal. Rather than assuming my novel would not sell, I invested in marketing. I shifted my dog training routine, workouts, daily schedule. And I said “I love you” to those I do love.
My balance is restored, my mind is clear of tumbling wobbly fears, and I feel “grounded” in my life. The earth has been shaking and shifting for billions of years, and is still strong and beautiful and resilient. I can embrace this gift of change as part of a brilliant life cycle, one that opens my heart to love and adventure.