And How Are You?

I’m really not ok but its ok and everything really is ok, OK? Oh and thank you for asking.

What if we really told the truth about how we are feeling in the moment we are asked. Typically, right before I train a private client or teach one of my fitness classes, I have some anxiety, sometimes irritation or just feel like I would rather be some other place, doing some other thing; anywhere but where I am and someone asks, "How are you?" 

Moment of truth, smile like most of us tend to do because we don’t want to run the risk of revealing too much.  Or make the impulsive choice to vent and dump which I make a practice of not doing before I teach and certainly not to class participants as I think about energy and how it affects everyone else consciously or unconsciously and it isn’t my intension to intensify negativity. I am quite selective who are my recipients of my “verbal vomiting” as it typically occurs only with my inner circle of close confidants.  But there are times when I have done exactly what I set out not to do, YUP because I’m human. When I feel like I cant catch my breathe because I’m in the midst of an emotional breakdown/breakthrough or my body is in freak out mode with anxiety coursing through my being, My answer to the question, "How are you doing" which often, lets face it, there are many who ask and don’t really want to know and just want to hear “fine thank you.”  And haven’t we all done the same to others?  Sometimes its because we feel rushed or not having patience or sometimes its as simple as not giving a shit, plain and simple.  Which is also a beautiful reminder that if I’m feeling like I don’t give a shit, that’s on me to course correct because something is happening inside that doesn’t feel aligned and its time to get quiet within.

If my response to being asked how I am, doesn’t elicit a knee jerk “Good” or “Great” (and in keeping it real, “I’m great” doesn’t come out of my mouth often because its just not in my vocab but probably should be. (YUP the dreaded “Should”).  I will often say, “Feeling a bit challenged but I’m ok and all is well.”   And that’s my truth because right now, I’m being extremely challenged in so many ways, and so many of us are, but yet I know from the depths of my soul that all is truly well. We hold so much fear in showing our vulnerability but the truth is we all feel moments of being raw and vulnerable and scared. As we speak from our truth of how we really feel in the moment we are asked, it opens spaces within us to increase integrity and authenticity in the way we show up and the miracle of setting others free as well.