When we are in the midst of a traumatic experience,
Our mind and our body frequently will lose a sense of agency,
A sense of a belief in the ability to create change in the world around us.
This is a guided exercise to help you reconnect to your internal sense of agency.
As always,
I invite you to welcome in the soothing,
Havening touch,
A warm,
Loving hug,
Arms crossed across your chest,
Fingertips on your shoulders,
Hands moving down your elbows and repeating that motion,
Palm against palm as though you're washing your hands under warm water or gently brushing your fingertips across your eyebrows or around your cheekbones.
All of those experiences will enhance this guided work.
Now let's welcome in a soothing,
Gentle breath to whatever cadence feels comfortable for your mind and your body right now.
And allow your mind and your attention to reflect back across the course of your life and identify a time where you feel really good about a goal that you completed,
A moment where you felt really proud of an accomplishment.
Invite your mind to move slowly back across the course of your life until you've found such a moment that your mind and your body goes,
Yes,
In that moment,
I felt capable.
The word agency is simply a fancy word for feeling like you're able to make things happen.
And now that you've found this moment of making something happen,
Invite yourself to explore the actions and the choices that you made leading up to that event.
And now let's expand a little wider and reflect on ways across the course of your life that you've added value to situations or to other people,
Times where you've shown up and helped somebody or even created space to make somebody else's life a little easier or more fluid.
Notice the ways that you interact with and are able to influence and have a positive impact on the world around you.
Even something so little as slowing down a little bit on the freeway so that somebody may merge in front of you can completely transform another person's day.
And those small micro actions are you creating change in the world around you.
Continuing this gentle reflection,
Let's bring mindfulness to some positive choices that you've made that have enhanced your felt sense of creating change or having impact on the world.
What does it feel like in your mind and your body in these moments,
Be them big or small?
Even the fleeting smile exchange between two people that results in the lightning of a footstep or the acknowledgement of a little bit of joy and kindness in the world.
Notice those micro moments,
Those choices that you have participated in to make happen.
And as you're noticing your mind and your body,
Exploring and remembering these experiences,
See if you can open up to these memories,
Inviting these feelings and welcoming and gentle healing breath and inviting this energy to fill you and to expand into your mind,
Your body,
And your heart.
You have made things happen.
You are effective.
You have the ability to create change in this world and you will continue to do so.
And allow your attention now to continue to expand and bring your attention to any other feelings that might be arising.
Perhaps a feeling of self-respect,
Internal strength or confidence,
Or one of my favorites,
A sense of possibility.
Now,
If you happen to notice any resistance,
Any information arising from your loving friend,
Amy the Amygdala,
Welcome in a gentle breath and thank her for working so hard to keep you safe.
And invite her to think about the possibility of possibly exploring to remember what it's like to reconnect to a sense of capacity and self-agency in the world.
You have built a foundation.
She has helped you build this foundation.
And together you have the ability to continue to guide your life.
And you have the ability to connect and develop an even stronger sense of capacity,
Of strength,
And agency in your life.
Remember that you are special.
You are deserving.
And you get things done.
And you make a difference in the world around you.
Turning your attention back into your mind and your body,
Thank them for going on this journey with you.
And knowing with gentle loving care that they have your back,
That you are not alone,
And that you have inside of you courage,
Strength,
And agency to build the world you want to live with.
