Resilience

As human beings, we are hard-wired for control. We seek after, grasp, and cling to control in an attempt to make ourselves feel safe. We are especially vigilant in these attempts when life places uncertainty before us.

We are living in uncertain times. We don’t have to look far to see the ways in which the collective human species is grasping after control. Neither do we have to look deep to see the ways in which we, ourselves, are equally seeking after control.

The reality is that control is an illusion and the formula that suggests control equals safety is a bold-faced lie. In fact, the opposite is true: the quicker way to peace and contentment (ie: safety) is to completely let go of control and let life run its course.

Letting go of the compulsion to grasp after control is exactly the posture I am taking at this point in both our collective as well as my own individual journey. This is a posture that demands a bit of trust/faith, but even more so, it requires diligence.

Diligence is the ability to make a commitment and stick with it. Diligence demands discipline and persistence. As an imperfect individual who at times is excruciatingly human, it is easy to fall off course – to lose my sense of commitment and become distracted by externals which attempt to trigger my fears. Self-awareness supports me in knowing when I have strayed from my committed path and lost the inner peace that comes in letting things take their course. Diligence puts me back on the path and leads me back to the peace of letting go.

Let me give you an example from my own life. At this point in my journey, I am acutely aware of certain things coming to an end (or at the very least dramatically changing). These things provide the financial resources for my basic needs including shelter and food. Interestingly two of these things seem to be ending at exactly the same time. Together they provide for 80% of my current income. YIKES.

In the past, the imminent collapse of income would have freaked me out. I would have been bombarding the internet with information on my programs and services, hastily applying for jobs, losing sleep over worry, and likely experiencing break-through panic. Yes, I am aware of the anxiety that threatens to shove me off course, but my response to that anxiety is to hold my ground. Life has taught me that when something leaves, it is only creating room for something better to take its place. Life has also taught me that I am being provided for – maybe not through the accumulation of wealth, but through exactly what I need IN THIS MOMENT. While life has called me to be creative, it has never really let me down. I don’t know what will be and I am not being given a glimpse. I do know that I will be ok, and even if I’m not, I will be fine. If nothing else, life has taught me resilience. (as one friend recently said, this is one word I too would like to retire!!!!!)

But, how do I know? How can I be sure? How can I let life take its course when it sometimes looks like complete and utter collapse is pending?

In a word: PRACTICE. PRACTICE. PRACTICE.

Every moment of every single day is a practice. Are we at peace or in a state of panic or confusion? If the latter, I turn to my practice. When it’s the former, I remain in my practice. Returning again and again and again to the practices that help me maintain peace, equanimity and to meet life from a place of wisdom.

When the shit hits the fan, and I am overwhelmed with life, the world, my own unhealed wounds, I turn within and if that fails, I turn toward (that which some might call) God. Just yesterday, I was begging “God/Self” for relief. Then I asked for healing, letting go of my need to avert the inner pain I was feeling, and let Life/God take its course.

This is how it is with our world. As the world around us writhes in its death throes, seeking to trigger our fears and we are tempted to grasp after control, the only thing we can really do is let the events take their course. When not immersed in the detailed actions of the pretenders in office and the silence of the supposed balances and checks, I see a bigger picture. Something new trying to be born. As this new is coming forth, it is breaking apart the lies upon which the world has been built and showing us where there are kinks in the chain. As the new is coming forth, that which has long basked in their illusion of power and control are freaking out. Their fear of losing power is driving them to grasp, wrestle, tantrum, cling and rage. As we would do for any other toddler, let them rage. As they are not ours to protect or save, we let them tantrum. Eventually, they will either grow tired or destroy themselves. Then there will be room for the emotionally mature grown ups to step in, clear away the debris, and start the building of something new.

In the meantime, it is our job to stand back, allowing Life run it’s course.

Support through Uncertain Times

If you are struggling to maintain peace during these uncertain times, I can help. Through one-on-one mentoring, I can support you with practices that help us to reclaim peace and clear the inner wounds we carry that stand in the way of our knowing peace.

Email: lauri@lauriannlumby.com to learn more.

I have been profoundly honored to be invited to present for a wide variety of corporate gatherings. This coming week, I have two such events. On Thursday I will be presenting on Mary Magdalene for the Healer’s Playgroup out of the Twin Cities, MN, and on Saturday, I’m presenting: Supporting Resilience in Teens: Mental Health and Wellness for Dancers for the Wisconsin Dance Council annual conference. I’m grateful for these and other organizations who understand the value of personal development and are committed to bringing these resources to their employees, members, and clients.

It was so exciting to have Lauri, with 30 years of expertise in the field of human development, visit our craft-centered writing group, Much Ado About Writing. Her in-depth knowledge of enneagram types was the perfect complement to our discussions of characterization, and her presentation summarizing each of the types – their main traits, fears, and compulsions – had us all seeing the characters in our works-in-progress (and ourselves) in a new light. If you are looking to inject fresh energy and perspective into your writing group’s discussions of craft while deepening your understanding of human temperaments and interpersonal relationships, invite Lauri to come chat with your group about her work!

Kate Penndorf and Valerie Heller, Much Ado About Writing

Lauri Lumby partnered with my company Nutritional Healing to offer her Authentic Freedom education to clients of all backgrounds and needs. We offered a half-day workshop focused on ‘the mindful body’ for self-development that helped our clients learn how to bring awareness and joy back to eating. Lauri helped attendees focus on saying goodbye to things such as emotional eating, self-medicating, limiting beliefs, low self-esteem, and other bad habits. My clients also learned how mindless munching and emotional eating doesn’t serve us, and what steps we can take to become aware of what our body truly needs and become more body-aware with each bite we take.

Additionally, Lauri helped my clients beat stress and prevent any moments of emotional eating during one of the toughest times of year – the holidays. Lauri taught attendees how to acknowledge and recognize any triggers as they show up during the holidays, and how/why we often turn to food and alcohol to numb these feelings. From there, my clients were taught basic practices for dealing with these triggers.

I would recommend the work of Lauri Lumby on an individual basis as well as in a corporate setting to make an impact in helping individuals do the deep work we all need for true healing!

Kimberly Stoeger, Nutritional Healing

Ms. Lumby has been a returning implementer for Currie Management Consultants. Inc. We’ve been in business over four decades as consultants to industrial equipment manufacturers, dealers and distributors. We have included Enneagram work as part of our ongoing Leadership and Executive Development work. The Enneagram, and Lauri’s work, have become essential parts of our programs. Lauri engages our clients extremely well, delivers with precision, and her impeccable work ethic is highly professional. She is a respected colleague of ours and our hope is that this relationship grows and continues into the future. Experts like Lauri are necessary for developing strong corporate culture, and for building teams of effective leaders and executives that work with purpose and intention.