Phetasy News - Everything is Okay
Phetasy News - Everything is Okay
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Greetings from the Phetaverse!
One of my favorite newsletters is James Clear’s “3-2-1”. Every Thursday he drops 3 ideas, 2 quotes, and 1 question to consider. James is probably most famous for his book, Atomic Habits, in which he explains how to make small micro changes in your routines that can have big, long-term effects. I highly recommend his book, but 3-2-1 is fantastic and just so happens to drop when I’m writing my blurb for my Friday newsletter. This week’s question to reflect on was: “Aside from my thoughts, am I okay?”
Peter Tunney, a modern artist whom I love, made a piece my friend bought that says in huge stencil EVERYTHING IS OKAY over newspaper headlines. I love this piece because isn’t that so often the case? If we’re only focusing on the headlines, it can seem as if the world is spinning out of control. When we are lost in thought, or doomscrolling, or future-tripping, it can seem like everything is awful.
The dystopian books and movies got it all backwards. They always had us logging into virtual reality to escape the horrific conditions of our present reality. In modern day, we log into our handheld doombox to fill our minds with terror and if you look out the window it’s like a Disney movie. Birds chirping. Squirrels playing. The sound of children laughing off in the distance.
If we have the ability to pull out of our own spiral and come into the present moment, often, everything is okay. That’s not to say we don’t have to deal with struggles and tragedies and hardships—but more often than not—in the words of my favorite comic book character, Calvin, “My brain is trying to kill me.”
I had a yoga instructor who used to hold very common poses like Warrior I, for twelve breath counts. We, practiced yogis, were used to flowing through these poses without a second thought. Holding them was unbearable. Warrior I is awkward and about four breaths in, your thigh starts to burn. Even more annoying was his mantra, “What are you making up about this experience?” Usually it was something along the lines of: This sucks, I’m hungry, this sucks, I’m hot, this sucks, how long do we have to stand here? I hate this. Our yoga instructor would encourage us to observe what we were telling ourselves and perhaps reframe it, or at the very least, focus on our breath. I’m getting stronger, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breath out, I can stay here forever.
So much of life is reframing our current circumstances. Whether it’s going through a tough time in your marriage, or standing in line at the grocery store, or dealing with your kids, or sitting in traffic, this week ask yourself, “What am I making up about this experience?”
Thumbnail artwork by Lara Cullen.
Email laracullenstudio@gmail.com to inquire or contact her.