When Our Illusions Collapse: Ground Zero By Louise LeBrun Author, Speaker, Educator and Founder of the WEL-Systems Institute We can talk about it... ponder it... even anticipate it... but once we’re in it, our bodies pack a powerful punch in awakening us to a new reality. When our illusions collapse, beyond the internal voices that seek to capture our attention, the effect is most potent in its visceral cues as life as we’ve known it, begins to fracture and separate; causing the body to tighten, torque and pull into itself. We begin to recognize that profoundly uncomfortable – and often terrifying! – moment when we realize that we are being pulled out of one world view without having another firmly in place. We watch with breath held tight as that emptiness opens up in front of us, prying loose our grip on what has felt so real, and sucking us into the free-fall of no-thing upon which to rely. Our minds and bodies are flooded with the effects of our sense of ‘knowing’ rapidly disintegrating, leaving us with an internal line of enquiry moving at the speed of a cascading curtain of light, leaping from one cell to the next; spreading the powerful message through the body of, ‘Alert! Alert! Danger ahead!’. Bifurcation looms! That seemingly endless moment when sound stops; we separate from the physical sensation of our own body; and our sense of the perpetual swirl of that disconnect lifts us into the Great Unknown. Bifurcation is Ground Zero... that place of the all-or-nothing moment within which we have the freedom to become any and all things… if we dare. In that nano-second of our existence, we still get to choose: “Do I stop this process; do I hold my breath, pull back, move away, avoid... or do I create the space that becomes the permission for it all to simply be in that free-fall; to be an invitation to a greater expression of my Self?” Yes, it takes courage to do that – but perhaps more than that, it takes a curiosity that is greater than our fear. As we ponder that inevitable transition from certainty to possibility, consider the following framework as the scaffolding that can make the trek more manageable: * Stop! Take a breath... relax your body... and allow your Self to be fully present in the moment. Long ago, my son was walking me through an emergency kit that he had prepared for me. Fully expecting a collection of very useful and practical tools, I found myself laughing out loud as my first discovery was two mini chocolate bars on the very top! His message to me? “The first thing you do is stop... take a breath... and calm yourself. Taking action in a state of panic will not serve you in a challenging time.” How did I get so lucky to have such wise children? * Create Space to consider, reconsider, redefine, and redesign. Any change requires Space, Movement and Flow. Without first creating the Space, we are limiting ourselves to wandering around in an existing context that is already full of habits of mind and body. Creating Space... making room to wander and wonder... enhances our willingness and ability to make room for something that is not already there. In that process, possibility and potential are given the requisite time, consideration and patience that the unknown often requires in order for it to settle into being known. * In that Space, entertain new people, new thoughts, new conversations and new choices before seeking closure with new decisions. Trust that the choice is always yours to make. Know that no one can make you do anything you do not want to do. Sit back and listen; allow the insights and experiences of others to create new spaces between your certainty and your surrender. In that seemingly empty Space, magic can unfold! * Pay attention to how to engage this unfolding Great Adventure! As you choose to enter in an exploration of how else you might choose to live your life, today, consider: What is your internal process for rediscovery? How willing and able are you to allow yourself to do nothing, while you make room for all-things to enter into your awareness? How strong is your inner dialogue of judgement – of yourself, of others and of your determination to be right about what you already know? Where are your strengths and your vulnerabilities as you seek to grow, evolve, expand and become more in the enquiry into your own life? What about you can you trust; and what stirs up the fear inside, where you live, about your freedom to choose? * Focus on the questions and let go of the need for answers! Give yourself the freedom to not know. Allow one day to follow another, devoid of the certainty that we have long been told we must have in order to be effective and successful in the living of our lives. As our realities shift – whether personal, familial, community or global – we must find within ourselves new ways and intentions to give shape to how we assess and redefine our process of choice. * Extend the pause… until it feels right to do otherwise. Take your time. Set your own schedule. Do not allow yourself to be bullied into an outcome that you are not ready to create. Our histories tend to lead us to pack thinking, having taught us to trust that if others are doing it, it must be the ‘right’ thing to do. In today’s world, you can’t trust that – and I’m not sure we ever really could. We are faced with the sometimes-daunting spectre of taking responsibility for our own individual and unique personal, familial and community needs. Collectively, these will change the world! In today’s world, it’s very difficult to escape the effects of stress. I am noticing that there is an undertone... like white noise or an almost imperceptible hum... that reverberates through the body. We know deeply and intensely. We know that things are not as they once were. We know that something is happening, on a scale and at a pace that points to no precedent that we might conveniently repeat. At this time in our individual and collective history, we are being called to reclaim aspects of ourselves that have long been dormant; that have been submerged in a sea of pack thinking and collective agreement, without mindful consideration. As we move into a more sustainable future, we need to discover that we are very willing and able to live, otherwise. The key is to recognize and respect the extended moment of bifurcation… the space within which the actual collapse is a living thing. In that moment… which could feel like a breath or a series of lifetimes... there is noting to do but let go... and allow the space to empty/fill at the same time. As one moves out, another moves in – and we become, anew. Stay present. Stay awake. Stay open... and allow what might be to become a thread in the tapestry of your ‘reality’. As our illusions collapse, we are either lifted up to a higher-order expression of our own Being... or pulled back into an already-proven reality that we have no desire to call our own. We get to choose – and the power is in the process we embrace. Louise LeBrun has been changing lives - including her own! - for more than 25 years. In times of uncertainty, agitation and fear, she believes that what is inside us will shape what unfolds outside of us, as evidenced by the choices we make. Her original and extensive collection of books, CD’s and guided experiences have been helping women to trust the truth of their own experience, redefining and reclaiming leadership for a new world. For more information, see her website. OMPLACE HOME