Red Lights Can Stop You When You Least Expect Them!

Here's my story. When I turned 40 (nearly ten years ago), I was diagnosed with M.S. (Multiple Sclerosis). Literally and figuratively, I've spent the past decade searching for balance. You might say that I've conducted a very personal ten-year experiment on my central nervous system, the results of which have opened my eyes to a new way of living well in this fast-paced, high-tech world.

I've concluded that living "in balance" requires a consistent effort, because change is our constant companion. By shifting our awareness, and embracing a powerful 3-step process that I've come to know well, we can contribute to a grassroots effort, a campaign of epic proportion, to slow down, STOP the instanity, integrate BALANCE, and then GO, only this time in a new gear. This is the formula I use for balance and I'm passionate to share it with you.

What happens when we exceed the speed limit or run a stoplight? In many cases, we see flashing red lights in the rear view mirror. Before you know it, we’re handing over vital documents and explaining why we were unable to abide by the laws that were put in place to protect and keep us out of harms way. Yes, traffic lights were installed for our safety to keep the flow of traffic and our lives running smoothly, without incident.

The first electric stop light was invented by Garrett Morgan and installed in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1920’s. Interestingly, that first model only had two lights, red and green. But, it wasn’t long before engineers realized that motorists needed something to let them know to prepare to stop. It was then that the yellow caution light was added to the traffic light.

Everyone is familiar with the three colored lights of the traffic signal, but we seem to pay most attention to only two, just like in the early days, red and green. Like the fair-haired stepchild, the yellow yield or caution light is often ignored, or merely seen as a flash as we speed past! So, what do you do when the light turns yellow? For many, that’s the signal to step on it and avoid the oh-so-dreaded red-light delay. In our non-stop culture, being forced to stop is viewed as a negative, when actually, stopping provides an opportunity to reach that un-reachable item from the back seat, readjust our mirrors or position, or simply…take a break and a breath.

During the first two years after my devastating diagnosis, I began a cycle of regular exacerbations (disruptions of the nervous system), each lasting about a month. Every time, I was forced to stop, miss work for prolonged periods of time while I regained my balance, then go back to work again. It was during one of these “cycles” that it dawned on me. Stop, Balance…Go!

When I began to research the human nervous system, I was even more surprised to find that the autonomic nervous system uses the same 3-step process for repair! There are two components that are in opposition called the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. When your sympathetic nervous system is called into action (green light) by outside stimulus, it uses energy. Your blood pressure increases, your heart beats faster, and digestion slows down. The result is catabolic, in other words, breaks down the body. When the sympathetic nervous system is turned off (red light) and only when it is turned off does the parasympathetic nervous system begin saving energy (yellow light). Your blood pressure decreases, your heart beats slower, and digestion can start. This process is called anabolic, repairing the body. We need to consciously activate this process more often to balance the scales and keep ourselves well!

Have you ever thought about the abuse your nervous system takes on any given day? It’s almost always pumping adrenaline and preparing you to fight or flight. All this, and there are no tigers chasing after you, no dinosaurs nipping at your heels; just the life that we have come to know as “everyday.” While our nervous systems haven’t evolved much throughout time, technology has, and it’s going to require intervention to turn off the adrenaline flow and rejuvenate. Clearly, you can either make the conscious decision to implement the Stop, Balance…Go process, or as in my case with M.S., it will be implemented for you. You decide.

Throughout my years of healing, I’ve repeated the cycle of Stop, Balance…Go more times than I can count. Each time I get myself settled from a minor disruption, which I’ve come to appreciate as mild reminders (or caution lights), I resume my activities. But, if those activities exceed the limits and comfort zone of my nervous system, I am gently but urgently nudged to repeat the cycle again. The “myth of balance” is that it only takes one cycle to bring about permanent balance. Not so. There is a process for the maintenance of balance that is ongoing – thus the word maintenance. That process is Stop, Balance…Go.

Today, as I look out into my world, I see many of my women friends and colleagues experiencing their first big red light awakenings. That’s why I’m passionate about sharing this process for saving lives. Because you see, for most women, traffic isn’t flowing very smoothly, and for some, the commute has reached a break-neck speed that is dangerous and threatening to all who share this road of life.

Come explore how you can restore the magic and well-being in your life, put yourself back in the driver seat and enjoy the ride. Visit the Workshops/Retreats page for more details about Stop, Balance...Go, 28-Day Balancing Act workshops.