Aligning Your Inner and Outer Posture: Moving from Fear to Purpose

Earlier this year, I was receiving physical therapy for an injured shoulder.

At one point as I was doing my exercises with a weight, the therapist says, "Stop. Look in the mirror. You are over compensating this move by tensing up your right shoulder and putting all the strain in that area. Do you see how your shoulder is curled in? Ask yourself why you are doing that. Think about it--what are you afraid of?"

I paused a moment to think it through and responded, "I think I did that because I was fearing hurting myself so I tensed up."

That's when she explained that my fear induced response was actually what was causing me to eventually get hurt. Instead, what I needed to do with the weight is to prepare my entire body--to have the correct posture and the correct movement and control to complete the task. If at this point, I still see my body overcompensating, then the weight is too heavy and I have to go down a notch.

It's always interesting to me how the way our physical being works is often a reflection of our inner being. My example with my shoulder made me think of our daily lives.

How often do we overcompensate by thinking or doing too much when we are trying to prevent something negative from happening? Only to find that our anxiety or actions bring us the negative results we were so fearfully trying to avoid?

When you have a challenge you are struggling with, the first place to start is to ask ourself: How is my "inner" posture? Am I centered? Am I starting from a balanced, healthy place? Am I working from my values, my purpose and what I stand for, or am I coming from my fears and worries?

The second step after you assess that you are in a healthy mindset, is to make sure that you create a plan of execution that is balanced; you are not going to rely on one thing--such as overthinking or overdoing.

You will give the matter thoughtful consideration and THEN move forward with action. The action you decide on will be based on reality--what you CAN do, not what you can't.

So if you have limited control in a situation, then you may decide your plan of action will be to dedicate some time praying for the proper outcome or jotting your feelings down in a journal..

Whatever your plan of action--it has to be doable. Your body will let you know if it's too much--and that's when you have to listen!

So next time you feel yourself overcompensating in life, check in with yourself: Ask yourself what you are afraid of. Own that. Accept it. Then with your intellect, create a proper plan of action to follow through. A centered, balanced approach will carry you further than fear ever could!

If staying centered feels like a struggle, let’s connect. Sometimes, finding that balance takes guidance. Together, we can work towards a life guided by purpose, not fear.