This week marks the final week of my series of blog posts about how I dealt with difficult situations in a creative way.
This week’s situation?! When the power went out in my building the 48 hours before my last performance of 2013.
One could see how this might have thrown off my performance, but instead it did just the opposite and totally grounded me. It brought me completely back to the basics and what is necessary and essential in life (and it isn’t a whole lot!)
Of course, this required a choice on my part, the choice to accept the situation, letting go of the fact that things weren’t perfect or how I would expect them to be.
Functioning from the place of my choice, the experience was totally profound. It completely connected me to my core and the core of our existence as human beings. It became the ultimate example of getting creative…
-I steamed my veggies using a lighter to ignite the gas and cooked by the light of my flash light
-I charged my phone when I was away from my apartment and made sure I had a full charge when I came home
-I took early morning walks to purchase a cup of coffee from a local coffee shop
-I lit candles in my room and ate my dinner by candle light, which was magical in its own way
-I went to bed early because I had nothing else to do, no other distractions to keep me awake
This experience totally connected me to the basics of life. What we need, and hint, hint it isn’t all the electronics we operate so freely with – light bulbs, stove ignition, internet, cell phones, iPads, computers… Mainly we need a bit of food, a warm bed and shelter from the cold.
Connecting to the basics of life is a deeply supportive practice. It connects you to your roots and only by having firm and supportive roots can you grow big and great. By connecting to your roots can you accomplish great tasks (like having a great performance!)
No matter what you do, you are ultimately supported and nourished by the ground. This ground supports you as you walk and catches you when you fall. This ground nourishes you by growing the food that fuels your body.
By connecting to this ground and the roots beneath it, you connect to all the abundance of the Earth and the strength to continuously grow and learn.
You can be BIG, you can be larger than life!
With every step you take you are connecting to the ground, to your base of support. This is not based on your opinion, it is based on the fact we are physical beings on this earth.
It took me a power outage in December to really connect to this deep power and wonder of support that holds me and grounds me each and every moment.
Luckily you don’t have to have a power outage to connect. All you need is one breath…
So take a moment, right now, to breathe and connect to your base of support, your grounding, your roots.
One breath is all you need.
Emily Anton 