As I’ve been living life traveling and housesitting, someone asked me when I was going to settle down.
It made me think of a couple of things. First, when someone gets married, buys a home, and has children. Second, when children are told to settle down while they’re having fun playing or expressing emotions such as sadness or frustration.
Later that week I was feeling pretty settled down while meditating as the airplane I was on flew through some turbulence (a huge change from the days where I couldn’t even fly without anti nausea pills). In that moment, I remembered something that I have over and over again since I learned to meditate and have seen in my students as well: that a person can spend 30 seconds breathing deeply and be more settled down than they’ve supposedly been for decades.
Perhaps it’s human nature to settle down, but what settling down actually means has been lost/externalized to societal norms and expectations.
A related aside: Dr. Gabor Maté suggests that “what is considered normal in this society is actually toxic to human well-being.” Listen to the full clip here.
Humans crave the feeling of safety and novelty too. Who doesn’t relax into comfort? Who doesn’t perk up at adventure or a good surprise? But how often are the experiences we seek to be safe authentically manifested? When are they just for show to fit in, and when do they include real love that is actually fulfilling?
Love from which wings, prosperity, and elevating relationships sprout forth comes from a deeply settled and free flowing well of peace within each individual human heart.
Wild blessings,
