I adore my kid. And… sometimes he drives me nuts. To be fair, at 18-years old and a senior in high school getting ready to graduate in a few weeks, there is a VERY good chance that I drive him nuts way more often than he does me 😊.
A cool thing happened on Sunday after my family and I all met for Sunday brunch that reminded me (again!) about how powerful it is when we shift ourselves first. And that sometimes when we do that – weird, cool, beautiful, magical-seeming shifts can happen with those around us.
Let me set the stage a bit: there were 8 of us meeting and we were coming from 3 different places. Originally Nik was going to drive by himself, but things changed – as things do – (can you hear the annoying “mom-ness” in that phrase?) so Nik and I drove up together being slightly irritated with each other. Nothing huge, we were just both tired and sort of “over” each other. I was “over” him being annoyed when I asked about some senior/college “stuff” and his plan for getting some of it done. He was “over” me trying to make him do things when he is an 18-year-old who has always been a really good student who usually gets things done.
We all met at the restaurant, and Nik and I shifted easily – as is so often the case when other humans are around. Brunch was lovely! But then instead of Chris driving Nik home (which was definitely Nik’s preference), Nik had to drive first with his grandma and I (6’ 4” basketball player stuffed in the back of my Soul – nice!) until we dropped her off, and then with just he and I the rest of the way home. Nik had his Airpods in and we were both just quiet as we drove.
And then I did something awesome. I don’t say that to brag. I say that because it took some intention and effort – which is hard sometimes. I shifted myself. I did it to make myself feel better, not to change Nik. That’s an important part. I shifted because I knew it was a kind, loving, powerful thing to do – both for Nik and for myself. Here’s how I did it: I started dwelling on what I thought were Nik’s Divine Self/Higher Self qualities. At Nik’s highest level who is he? If Nik’s Higher Self was sitting next to me right now, what qualities would I notice?
Wow, cool. When I asked myself that, here were the qualities that I saw/felt so easily: huge strength of being… funny… loving… beautiful wisdom… “I got this, mom”… competent… steadfast… gentle… strong. (As I’m writing this, I can feel it again.) So, as I was reaching for those qualities, Nik and I were still just sitting there driving home. Nik was listening to rap songs through his Airpods, scrolling on his phone, having no idea what I was doing. And I’m telling you all of a sudden everything felt totally different in the car. A big energy-draining weight felt like it got taken off. And the feeling left in the car was just light and easy. I LOVE that feeling!
That would have been a big enough deal. But then, without him saying a word, Nik takes his elbow and reaches it out and touches mine with his. And that teeny tiny gesture felt like magic. Later I’ll ask if he remembers doing that and/or feeling things shift in the car. But for now, I’ll just keep basking in how beautiful it all felt.
That’s your provocation for May: take someone living or passed and ask yourself to find their Higher Self qualities. Use your mind and heart and soul’s remembrance and visuals and imagination and try to feel for the answer to, “What are the qualities of her/his Higher Self?” That’s the whole provocation. Try it first with people you know really well, because the moment you ask the question the Universal Intelligence will flood you with knowing! What a cool way to raise your own vibration! And in that – us shifting ourselves to a higher vibration first – lies the cool possibility of helping others shift to a higher vibration too. That’s a win-win!