The Safety of Now

My friends and I joke that you have to have high self-esteem to be the parent of a teen. Every morning when I come down the stairs to start my day I can anticipate the gauntlet of commentary from my son and daughter. “Are you really going to wear that today?” “Didn’t I tell you to donate that sweater?” The morning critique flows like the coffee from my Keurig.

My son who is a shoe aficionado likes to remind me that I have no "shoe game". While my footwear may not impress him, I can say that I have found the safest place in life is in my shoes.

The quip “stay where your feet are” is a great anxiety intervention. Anxiety pulls us out of the moment and into some fear-induced delusion we feel so intensely we're convinced it must be true. A quick, effective remedy from this anxious grip is to reconnect with the present moment, and for me the present moment is wherever my feet are. In moments of worrisome distress, my shoe soles become my soul's sanctuary. When I look around at this moment, 99% of the time nothing’s wrong. Here is much safer than there.

Next time you find yourself on a worry-trip that takes you everywhere but where you are, come back to the now. The safety and reassurance you’re looking for may be right there in your shoes... stylish or not.

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