 | We read plenty of reports in the media regarding stress, mental health, alarming rates of anxiety, self-harm and the even more frightening escalation of suicide in the 'developed' world. What then can be the cause of such tension given we can access our potential? When free of ‘manmade’ encumbrances, we naturally carry inherent potential from a very young age. |
This seems to change over time as we absorb expectations that can override our inherent known potential to what we think we ‘should’ do, look like, meet, eat, align with etc. Before we had a need to ‘fit in’ we were happy to be who we are, free from any real ‘need’ to conform.
Perhaps an analogy helps to further explain this tension we can feel with others and within our bodies: if we consider the school-yard or group activity of ‘tug-o-war’, a popular and common game that has people on opposing teams and a long rope between the teams. Each team has an anchor-man (person) and helpers to tug the rope their way to cross the ‘winning line’.
Consider for a moment the feelings of tension and anxiety when being on that team with the vision and desire of winning the game.
The whole time the rope is being pulled in different directions, we can feel the tension of winning or losing, just from an organised game between people. The game brings grunts and strains as well as giggles and joy. What is the feeling when you are winning and what is the feeling when you are losing?
The physical feeling when you win tug-o-war is felt in the tension on the rope, – the other team either lets go or is overwhelmed by the strength of the winning team. The release of tension in the rope and the resulting 'slackness' is what is considered ‘victory’. The jubilation and euphoria of victory is often at the behest of the losing team, the winning team might embrace and celebrate oblivious to the losing team being disappointed. It is relief from the tension of having been in a contest. Relief from what could have been a loss but is turned to victory.
The physical feeling when you are losing tug-o-war is one where you hang on, dig in and even though you might slip, you hang on to the rope. As the team slowly tires and when the inevitable collapse or stumble occurs, the 'over the line' momentum means you are finished. The rope slips out of your hands, or people fall over, letting go of the tension that has built up during the ‘tug-o-war’ game.
Similarly there is also an energetic tug-o-war that we play out with each other in daily life. It has similarities to the physical game with a rope. It is a tension that:
The tension and constant anxiety from an energetic or emotional tug-o-war is one we can experience every day, sometimes we are more aware of our feelings than at other times.
If we give ourselves the space to observe the energetic tension, we can sense what seems like irrational behaviour by people who are in the tug-o-war game, playing it out in real life.
More often than not, when we become a player in the tug-o-war, we have a bit part that has us reacting with a jibe, or we contribute by adding 'I heard that…' The stakes are high in the tension of energetic tug-o-war. We get 'Status' that we bring to the war, be it gossip, a new thing to brag or show, or a story that is one that will evoke a response of recognition for the storyteller.
Our need for ownership, acquisition and accumulation of security in assets can bring comfort and is something that is driving us to 'better ourselves' but are we in reality engaged in a tug-o-war that brings no fulfillment?
With comfort comes isolation, what is the benefit in that? Is the tension alleviated? Are we fulfilled or does the constant tension contribute to our isolation and anxiousness?
Examples of unhealthy tension can also be experienced daily in absorbing social media, news stories of violence and harm, reality television programs, sports competition and the endless newspaper and magazine columns given to reporting politics, which do nothing to evolve us.
These activities all carry drama and tension, which put us in a hamster wheel – a treadmill of tension that perhaps unconsciously affects us all and contributes to the anxiety that is prevalent in today’s society.
Unimed Living and Universal Medicine have helped me to keep developing my energetic awareness. Without this energetic awareness we seem to be on a hamster wheel that is encouraging us to focus on the stuff that really does not grow or evolve humanity, and does not place value and support for who we really are.
We do not need a tug-o-war to raise our awareness but it certainly helps to appreciate and recognise the level of tension we live in, and that we often run with. There is a better way, it is not without tension, but it is available for us to communicate without the competition and exhaustion and endless tug-o-war.
Acknowledging the potential we all carry is vital, but it is superfluous when the potential is wrapped up in an unhealthy tension and anxiousness. We can see what this does to a person, their body and their existence.
Unhealthy tension and anxiousness can disable and harm us by spinning us off to where our potential is less available due to the distraction of thinking we are something we are not, keeping us well below all that we know we can deliver.
Letting go of the rope – the endless feed of trivia that we can be affected by, can free us from constant tension and anxiety, leaving us to enjoy our essence – our innate and known potential.
Andrew U., Australia
Perhaps an analogy helps to further explain this tension we can feel with others and within our bodies: if we consider the school-yard or group activity of ‘tug-o-war’, a popular and common game that has people on opposing teams and a long rope between the teams. Each team has an anchor-man (person) and helpers to tug the rope their way to cross the ‘winning line’.
Consider for a moment the feelings of tension and anxiety when being on that team with the vision and desire of winning the game.
The whole time the rope is being pulled in different directions, we can feel the tension of winning or losing, just from an organised game between people. The game brings grunts and strains as well as giggles and joy. What is the feeling when you are winning and what is the feeling when you are losing?
The physical feeling when you win tug-o-war is felt in the tension on the rope, – the other team either lets go or is overwhelmed by the strength of the winning team. The release of tension in the rope and the resulting 'slackness' is what is considered ‘victory’. The jubilation and euphoria of victory is often at the behest of the losing team, the winning team might embrace and celebrate oblivious to the losing team being disappointed. It is relief from the tension of having been in a contest. Relief from what could have been a loss but is turned to victory.
The physical feeling when you are losing tug-o-war is one where you hang on, dig in and even though you might slip, you hang on to the rope. As the team slowly tires and when the inevitable collapse or stumble occurs, the 'over the line' momentum means you are finished. The rope slips out of your hands, or people fall over, letting go of the tension that has built up during the ‘tug-o-war’ game.
Similarly there is also an energetic tug-o-war that we play out with each other in daily life. It has similarities to the physical game with a rope. It is a tension that:
- we hang onto,
- there is nothing more important than winning,
- we work with others but really we have an investment for ourselves to win,
- we dig in,
- we make it about an outcome and
- we get anxious when we don’t get the outcome we want.
The tension and constant anxiety from an energetic or emotional tug-o-war is one we can experience every day, sometimes we are more aware of our feelings than at other times.
If we give ourselves the space to observe the energetic tension, we can sense what seems like irrational behaviour by people who are in the tug-o-war game, playing it out in real life.
More often than not, when we become a player in the tug-o-war, we have a bit part that has us reacting with a jibe, or we contribute by adding 'I heard that…' The stakes are high in the tension of energetic tug-o-war. We get 'Status' that we bring to the war, be it gossip, a new thing to brag or show, or a story that is one that will evoke a response of recognition for the storyteller.
Our need for ownership, acquisition and accumulation of security in assets can bring comfort and is something that is driving us to 'better ourselves' but are we in reality engaged in a tug-o-war that brings no fulfillment?
With comfort comes isolation, what is the benefit in that? Is the tension alleviated? Are we fulfilled or does the constant tension contribute to our isolation and anxiousness?
Examples of unhealthy tension can also be experienced daily in absorbing social media, news stories of violence and harm, reality television programs, sports competition and the endless newspaper and magazine columns given to reporting politics, which do nothing to evolve us.
These activities all carry drama and tension, which put us in a hamster wheel – a treadmill of tension that perhaps unconsciously affects us all and contributes to the anxiety that is prevalent in today’s society.
Unimed Living and Universal Medicine have helped me to keep developing my energetic awareness. Without this energetic awareness we seem to be on a hamster wheel that is encouraging us to focus on the stuff that really does not grow or evolve humanity, and does not place value and support for who we really are.
We do not need a tug-o-war to raise our awareness but it certainly helps to appreciate and recognise the level of tension we live in, and that we often run with. There is a better way, it is not without tension, but it is available for us to communicate without the competition and exhaustion and endless tug-o-war.
Acknowledging the potential we all carry is vital, but it is superfluous when the potential is wrapped up in an unhealthy tension and anxiousness. We can see what this does to a person, their body and their existence.
Unhealthy tension and anxiousness can disable and harm us by spinning us off to where our potential is less available due to the distraction of thinking we are something we are not, keeping us well below all that we know we can deliver.
Letting go of the rope – the endless feed of trivia that we can be affected by, can free us from constant tension and anxiety, leaving us to enjoy our essence – our innate and known potential.
Andrew U., Australia