Stay Grounded with Four Legs
I was rewatching Eat, Pray, Love and if you’ve seen this movie then you may remember Ketut. He was the medicine man that Liz Gilbert visited on her trips to India before and during her transformational-inspired trip that became a bestselling novel. Please don’t judge me when I say that it’s not my favorite movie and I never seem to have the will to watch it past Liz’s stint in Italy. This could be directly related to the fact that I adore Italy but have no desire to visit India, and not much more to visit Bali (I cannot be on a plane for that long. I just cannot). But I digress…
The first time Liz meets with Ketut, as he is saying goodbye, he gives her a picture of a character he had drawn during meditation. The character had four legs, and what he said to Liz was something that stuck with me.
“To find the balance you want, this is what you must become. You must keep your feet grounded so firmly on the earth that it's like you have 4 legs instead of 2. That way, you can stay in the world. But you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart, instead. That way, you will know God.”
Now, my friends, that’s some damn good advice, especially for a space cadet like me that lives and breathes in her head and fights tooth and nail to remain there at all times. But what does that really mean in practical terms?
I’ve mentioned before that the head isn’t the best source to look for truth. Inside our minds lie our insecurities, influences from outside sources, insecurities and opinions that belong to other people, and an endless supply of “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts” (I should like her. I shouldn’t eat that. I shouldn’t have said that. I should have attended that event. I shouldn’t feel so resentful…etc.) When we look at life through the window of our minds, we’re looking through the hazy looking glass of social and cultural norms rather than from the lens of our authentic and innermost selves.
Which one do you think paints the most honest picture of reality?
When we remain deeply grounded within our true selves, we are more likely to remain genuine in our thoughts and behaviors because they are rooted in our truth. That’s a fact, girls and boys. Or, perhaps I should say I have experienced both sides of that coin a million or so times and have proven that statement to be true more times than I care to remember.
Try this: Next time you’re in a situation where you’re being asked what you think, how you feel, or to make a decision to do something, tell the person to give you a moment to respond. Close your eyes (if you can), take a breath, and focus on your heart and also on your center (right above or directly at the belly button). Don’t think. Don’t judge. Don’t second-guess. Just listen to what comes up and I can guarantee that it will be the correct answer. How will you know this? It will come out easily and without a strong emotional tie. Why? Because it’s the truth. Your truth.
That’s the thing about the truth: It’s easy and unemotional because it just is what it is. It’s all the what-ifs and the presumed fallout from telling the truth that confuses us into believing we have to censor ourselves. Don't be fooled; the heart knows way better than the mind.
Let your heart take the lead for a little bit and see what happens (I already know but I won’t ruin the surprise…)
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If you want some help living from your heart, I can help with that. Reach out and see what happens (I already know but I won’t ruin the surprise…)
