mindful action — Blog — Athena Wellness

iPod as Oracle – or… How to Invite Moments of Clarity

Have you noticed how your biggest moments of clarity arise out of the blue without warning or effort? Ever wish you could find ways to summon them?

Early in my career, I was desperate to find purpose in the work that I did. As I diligently climbed the corporate ladder, I struggled to bring meaning into my workdays.

My commute time was my only opportunity to connect with myself each day – to break through the emotional numbness that offset the high stress levels. For me in the 1990s, that meant listening to playlists on my iPod, yearning to connect with something that made me feel a flicker of aliveness before stepping into the concrete and glass skyscraper devoid of the seasons.

The connecting moments I lived for were the ones where some lyrical phrase would make me feel something, like mainlining a dose of truth, a fix to get me through the soul-numbing day ahead. It helped me think beyond my circumstances and invited me to dream of a bigger life. It also hurt like hell, seeing no way off of that treadmill of routine in the near or not-so-near future.

Midlife, Professional Women, Well-being, Wellness, WomenKathy RobinsonMay 1, 2022wellness, wellbeing, women's wellness, mindfulness, transformation, transformational change, mindful action, clarity, moments of clarity, inviting clarity, insight, inner wisdom, inner knowing

What To Do If You're Feeling Helpless About World Events

Sitting in my kitchen this morning, I heard a faraway siren. Immediately, my mind flashed on those a continent away, who, like me, were undisturbed in their homes just a few weeks ago, before the bombs began to fall.

I thought, “What would that be like?” as I superimposed televised images over the peaceful springtime view out my window. I was briefly transported to a war-torn town in a makeshift shelter with no escape. In my body, I felt my heart rate quicken, throat tighten and breath shorten. I was in fight or flight mode without moving a muscle.

When I refocused on my reality, I immediately acknowledged my countless blessings. But that feeling of gratefulness was overshadowed by a sense of helplessness. Then I remembered a story a mentor of mine, Christina, had once shared…

Midlife, Professional Women, Well-being, Wellness, WomenKathy RobinsonApril 15, 2022wellness, wellbeing, women's wellness, mindfulness, transformation, transformational change, mindful action, peace, Thich Nhat Hanh, helping Ukraine, helplessness

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