Stress is caused by being ‘here’ but wanting to be ‘there’ ~ Eckhart Tolle
I don’t know about you but there have been quite a few times over the past year where I have found myself ‘here’ and very much wanting to be ‘there’; wherever ‘there’ was when we were in lockdown especially. Sometimes on a physical level and also in the more philosophical level for the ‘here’ and ‘there’ that Tolle is talking about.
‘Here’ can very much denote being stuck in some physical place at times, stuck at home, stuck waiting for public transport, and it can also mean stuck in limbo when we feel uncertain about our future prospects, or how to move forward in a certain situation.
I wonder if the word stuck jumped out at you when you read that quote from Tolle in quite the same way that it leaps out at me each time? Is that a reflection of my recent experience of feeling a little stuck and stymied or is it perhaps what he intended as he was writing it out?
Thinking about your own situation for a moment – what have been your most recent experiences of feeling stressed because of the ‘here’ you are in; and where was the ‘there’ that you wished to find yourself in instead?
How did you manage the stress caused by the dissonance between the ‘here’ you find yourself in and the ‘there’ you would wish to be in? Are you still struggling a little, or a lot, with stress?
There are lots of helpful tips online nowadays but if you’d like to talk to a chaplain about this, or anything else, you will be pleased to know that chaplains will be on the Park on Mondays (11am – 1pm) & Wednesdays (12pm-2pm) from 6th June weather permitting.
In light of covid restrictions & ongoing social distancing requirements chaplains will continue to provide an outdoors peripatetic session starting on the Terrace at the Engine Rooms and then around the duck pond and woodshed areas for the later part of the sessions.
You are also still very welcome to call me directly on my mobile: 07526 378529 either to chat or to arrange a time to meet, or you can email info@mitechaplaincy.com where you can request a call-back.