Hello, Warriors!
I’ve been writing and coaching about burnout prevention and recovery a ton lately. It’s my passion. I feel as if I’ve been planted on this earth to help be a mirror to others’ pain points while championing them to make the powerful choices they desire to rock their own world.
Let’s go beyond the world, for a moment. If you were to think of the role you play in our solar system, what comes to mind? Yes, that’s quite the question, so let’s make it multiple choice.
You can be the Sun or you can be the Moon.
The Sun is fabulous because everyone is happy to see it, it warms the whole planet and never once asks what have you done for me. It’s toasty, bright, sheds light and provides life for planet Earth. It’s often worshiped. Those are all pretty amazing qualities.
If you are the Sun, here are some downsides. The Sun is a star that never sleeps. It is always “on”, and maybe that’s a familiar experience for you if you are on your way to burnout. Sometimes people need to protect themselves from you or else they get burned. Every planet revolves around the sun, and we on Earth cannot live with out it. Maybe you enjoy being needed, but man, that’s a lot of pressure. And the worship thing is totally overrated.
Are you being the Sun? How’s it working out for you?
Let’s take a peek at the Moon.
The Moon plays some very interesting roles as well. It can instill some crazy when it’s full. Did you ever hear how people’s moods are impacted, that there’s a higher number of births, and an increase in ER visits during the full moon? And the art of eclipsing. Sometimes we get in the way of others trying to shine their light. It’s a great example of the ego at play. Yes, there are those elements. In my humble opinion, there is even more we can learn by being the moon.
Reflect light – Reflecting the light back that comes your way is a wonderful thing. Shine back to people their goodness and love. You don’t have the pressure of being everything to everyone, like the Sun, but mirroring the light is fabulous too. I’ve never seen someone who wasn’t happy to see the moon either.
Embrace cycles – This is a leg up on the Sun. Not like it is a competition, but when we live in cycles, we can recharge. The Sun never sleeps, remember? The moon, while always present, has a way of revealing different facets, and they are all beautiful.
Cause Waves – Just by being your authentic self, you can cause High and Low tides. Keep on causing waves. We may not be as predictable and chartable as the moon, but we can train people how to interact with us vs. by trying to not be who we really are.
Become New – Every once in a while, its time to go off the grid and take inventory of what’s working and what’s not. Go dark for a bit, and then become new again. (I never saw the sun do that!)
Love to yourself and Back – Just like in the book, Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, the Little and Big Nutbrown hares compare their love magnitude to the moon and back. If you are the Moon, it’s important to love yourself too. Love others, and always—always—come back home to yourself.
Live Full – Sure, we talked about a little crazy in the full moon. But there’s so much more magic and manifestation that happens when life is FULL. It’s a source of light and sight and swooning lovers. There are times the cycles have us go dark, but know there’s always fullness just around the corner.