In earlier posts, I've talked about the Rumble Strip as a metaphor for how bad feelings are simply designed to wake us up to the fact that we are not calm and can't trust our thinking and judgement.

The problem is that we've become so accustomed to driving on the rumble strips, we've forgotten that life can be calm and peaceful.

If you're upset (driving on the rumble strip), you can use Somatic Experiencing (close your eyes, locate sensations, notice how they change as you continue to breathe for 2 minutes - see earlier posts) to get back on track. Even that is a great help and better than nothing. But how would life be if you didn't need to do that in the first place?

If you're driving along the highway, the trick is to notice when you're about to, or have just hit the rumble strip. The sooner you notice, the easier it is to correct course. And your driving quickly improves.

If you've been driving on the rumble strip for miles, or started driving up the bank or down the ditch you might need to call a tow truck.

Similarly, the more often you're experiencing calm, the easier it is to spot the first signs of being upset and then quickly return to calm.

If you let it build up and spend a lot of time being upset, the more difficult it will be to get and stay calm.

So pay attention to changes in your state of mind. Get good at noticing it early. And take prompt action if it's going in the wrong direction.

Tony Piper • Ship 30 for 30 2023, Day 23