Wonky
I have had several friends call me over the past month with the same complaint:
I just feel wonky.
I had a general idea of what “wonky” meant, but I thought I should at least look it up before I jumped to any conclusions about what ails them.
Unsteady, wobbly, off-balance, or not working right
I can easily relate to how they are all feeling. It was a rough January for many. And, my own bubble of happiness burst more times than I can count.
Sometimes I become unsteady by world news. Sometimes I am thrown off balance by an unkind word from a loved one. Sometimes life just isn’t working right, and I find myself stuck in old patterns.
When I feel wonky, my instinct is to isolate and run away. Of course, that only makes it worse. Separation breeds weakness.
My life-changing experience with wonky started when I suffered through a short bout of vertigo. Vertigo is the sensation that everything around you is spinning, whirling, and wildly out-of-balance while you remain perfectly still.
My doctor said the cure for wonky vertigo is slow movements, deep breathing, and a healthy dose of Vitamin B. That experience taught me more than I expected.. Now, I am better prepared for the wonky moments in life. When stress hits and life feels like it is spinning out of control, I remember to take slow movements, deep breaths, extra Vitamin B – and a little something my naturopath friend calls Vitamin BE.
Vitamin BE is the ability to BE with the discomfort of change as our world undergoes a massive transformation. It is an invitation to stay present, BE in this moment, and let go of the need to control everything.
The human need to control everything comes from a place of fear. No individual will ever be more powerful than the collective strength of a united community. Control will never be more powerful than love.
A wise person once told me:
Peace is not the absence of conflict; it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.
We are all humans with unmet needs as massive change washes over our wonky world. No one thrives alone. When life feels wonky – unsteady, wobbly, and off-balance – we need to resist the urge to isolate and retreat. The cure is to make a conscious choice to BE connected and united with other people. Take a walk outside. Ground yourself. Breathe. Stay focused on the present moment, and BE with the transformation.
Wonky becomes wonderful when you walk with people who believe in the collective strength of a united community.
