Hitchhiking
through
the Dark Night
of the Soul
3.
Hitchhiking
through
the Dark Night
of the Soul
Hitchhiking
"It’s one thing to talk about hitchhiking across the country. Doing it is something else entirely. No matter what adventure we resolve to take, it often takes encouragement from someone else to get us out the door."
Lesson:
Just do it. Whatever the dream is, do it.
Happy Hitchhiking Rules
“You can take fear on the road, or you can take trust. Take trust and have a better time.”
Lesson:
Whatever you really want to do, do it.
Approach the Car with Eyes Wide Open
"...eventually I learned that I can’t share my emotions with everyone. Some people can’t hear about someone else’s pain without trying to fix it, or even worse, judge one for having it...
I have a lot of supportive people in my life, but eventually my list of who I would reach out to when I needed to talk shrank to a smaller, highly reliable group of people."
Lesson:
You don’t have to go through the hard stuff in life alone. You don’t need advice as much as you think.
Trauma
"I decided to quit my job and launch a self-improvement business on how to make money doing exactly what you wanted to do to help the world...
The feelings of anxiety and depression returned. Without a job, a team, a place to go to work, and all the structure that came with it,
I was adrift."
Lesson:
Accountability and structure are my friends.
Off Purpose
"I became mired in a federal project that required me to travel to 10 states in 10 weeks and lead workshops to organize collaborations that would carry out the highly ambitious goals of the project...
I didn’t believe in the project as designed, which was a first for me in my career. The experience created a profound cognitive dissonance, and the intense travel disrupted my routines. It triggered another episode of depression and anxiety that lasted a couple of months."
Lesson:
It’s easy to take purpose and routines for granted until you suddenly don’t have them anymore.
Inner Peace Costs $19,000
Millions of other people suffering from some form of trauma will never get this much support. They will be left to work it out on whatever battlefield they find themselves—their dysfunctional homes, the streets, jails, etc.
Lesson:
Serenity is priceless. Pay whatever you must to get it. Make it available to those who cannot afford it. Even one person’s serenity can spread throughout a community.
Navigating Loss
"Our society denies death in such a profound manner that it can be easy to feel confused and unfinished with the process of saying goodbye to loved ones.
Death is such a natural part of life, and so is grieving."
Lesson:
Death is built right into life. One cannot be alive without dealing with death. It is here to stay.
Toolbox
I have been exposed to many tools but learned to keep the toolbox simple. Here is a short list of what has worked for me.
Shake It
"It was a way to eliminate some of the kinetic energy that builds up. I usually start by shaking my arms and legs for a full minute. Sometimes I jump up and down or even move my entire body in whatever manner matches the feeling."
Ice It
"My next strategy is to put an ice pack on my face and forehead. This technique acts like deep diving in the ocean and can work wonders to bring calm to my central nervous system."
Discharge It
"The body knows what it is doing and if I get out of the way, it will discharge suppressed feelings through tears, shaking, crying, yelling"
Yoga & Meditation
"While I am moving my body into different postures, I know I’m making my body and mind healthier every time I do it...
If I choose to meditate when I’m anxious, I know that this is one more time that I’m building a lifelong habit that’s important to me."
What's Next To Do?
"My subconscious is registering that I have made decisions about my new life. I will feel better as I live into these decisions...
So, what is next to do to create my new world? Who can I call? What can I schedule to do? What does a great week look
like this week?"
Purchase
Hitchhiking
through
The Dark Night
of the Soul
Hitchhiking through the dark night of the soul is a metaphor about trusting oneself and life. This book will give you new insights into the soul’s purpose for anxiety and depression and help you to emerge from the dark night with a strong sense of well-being.
