The Most Marvelous Thing I've Seen...

…my 3-year-old jumped around on the beach pretending to be a frog, his nekkid tuchus up in the air.

I marveled at his bravery. 10 minutes before, he had been clutching to my pants, watching his sister delight in dipping her little toes in the water.

Watching him peel the layers of fear and anxiety in real time was a masterclass in uncovering ease and freedom.

Take note.

My son is privileged because he is surrounded by parents and caretakers who do not pressure him to perform. We track and follow his flow, confident that he will get to where he has to get on his own terms and at his own pace.

In he meantime, he is allowed and encouraged to keep doing what he is doing until he is done.

When I tell you and my clients that staying where you are is an option, I mean it. Stay where it feels the safest until it doesn’t feel safe anymore, and the alternative feels juicier.

This willingness to stay where he was built safety and, honestly, a bit of restlessness that led to curiosity.

At some point, staying fully clothed and watching the Mediterranean Sea with fear felt more constraining than venturing into the unknown of trying to jump in the water.

Curiosity took over and lingered until I called out, “It’s almost time to go home.”

“Set a timer!” my son called back.

The timer was a playful invitation to visit his edge.

Game on, I thought, and deliberately kept pushing the timer back before it rang.

My son turned curiosity into a game and thus ignited his desire to act.

How can you gamify the process of tackling your own unknowns?

Fueled by curiosity, my son took the tiniest actions, slowly and messily.

First, the shoes came off. Pause. Hesitation.

Then, the socks. Pause. Hesitation.

Then, he checked in with himself to see if he felt safe for the next step.

At that point, he was already delighted at the prospect of dipping into the water.

There was no forcing. He simply took a slightly scary but not too scary step after the other until he found himself elated, making little frog noises.

His delight was so infectious that both his sister and I joined in the jumping around.

I’ll spare you the pics of me jumping around like a frog, and will instead invite you to take the next tiniest little step in the direction of that scary (but not too scary) edge.

I am here to marvel in delight as you do.

P.S. Even if you’ve never experienced something like this before, surround yourself with a group of pretty amazing people who will give you the space and trust to edge closer to ease and delight. Come to Mallorca this Fall for what I am now calling an anti-retreat (this is not Karen’s Lululemon retreat) because you deserve to hop around nekkid like a delighted frog (ok ok, or whatever your version of that is ;-p). Jump over to the link here and grab your spot.