You're a seeker. You've invested in yourself and you've done some work. You've taken steps and made huge bounds. You have way less stress and way more love. You've created a life that is totally supportive of your everyday.
And then someone invades your space.
Every button is pushed and every boundary is pressed. Suddenly, your peace and tranquillity is gone and you are under siege in your own life.
Your routine is interrupted, your quiet time is now noisy. Your thought processes won't flow and the leaps and bounds you've been taking suddenly seem to move you backwards.
How did this happen?
Has all your hard work gone? Has the forward momentum been undone?
The answer is ... No. It's a simple case of slipping back into pre-conditioned responses.
You were conditioned to behave a certain way in certain situations. Your reactions are simply a response to this long-term conditioning.
Here's three simple steps to end the siege and regain control of your life:
1. Stepping out of conditioning starts with recognising that you've slipped into a pattern.
We've been trained to look outside ourselves for our answers. This leads us to a somewhat automated life: we act, react and feel without thinking about it.
What are the things you react to? What are the things that annoy you? What are you thinking and feeling when these things happen? I'll bet you're annoyed at what someone else is doing or saying.
The first step to stepping away from this is realising that your reactions, actions and feelings are yours - they're not caused by someone else, they're created by you.
In every situation, in every minute of every day - you have a choice how you feel.
The next time someone does something that really gets you fired up, take a moment to remind yourself that in every moment you have the choice to feel better or feel worse. Once you've made your choice you can then choose how you want to react, act and feel in that moment.
2. What's your favourite song?
Music has been associated with healing, both physically and emotionally, throughout history. Music has long been seen as a prescription for fear and anxiety and also as a powerful tool to restore health and normalcy.
If you've ever been to the gym and taken your 'tunes' with you, you'll know that a workout to music often gets you into a groove and helps you to remain engaged with the workout for longer.
When someone invades your space, you can change the energy in your body by simply turning to music.
Find your favourite song that gets your blood pumping and your heart singing. Then crank it up and let yourself connect to the song.
Before you know it you'll find yourself 'bopping' along to the music ... and your energy completely changed. The best thing about this step is that it's free, it's almost always accessible and it's totally personal to you - so it's a great way to re-establish your boundaries and stand strongly in your I AM.
3. What is your escape plan?
One of the best ways to detox from your day is to get outside!
Find your favourite places outside and use them as your 'bolt hole'. When someone walks their toxins through your life and you can feel your buttons being pressed, make sure you take some time to get to your favourite place.
It might be the beach. It might be the river. It might be a bush walk. It might be at the back of the paddock at the back of your property. It doesn't matter where it is - simply find the place where you can relax and breathe in fresh air.
The more you 'bolt' to your favourite places, the easier it will be to relax into them. The more you relax into them, the easier it will be to surrender the impact and control that others have in your life.
Remember - how you react, act and feel in any situation is always yours to control!
There are loads of tips and tricks on how to think and live differently in 'Keep It Super Simple' - you can buy a copy from www.sheiqlife.com/shop or call me on +61 438 624 868 to discuss how I can help you to implement small steps to simplify your life.
Bronwen Sciortino is a global thought leader who empowers simple connection, and is the author of Keep It Super Simple - Tips from a Recovering Perfectionist. Join the conversation by subscribing to the tribe at www.sheiqlife.com; Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.