SFW 4th of July Reassurance

Transcript

The 4th of July for a lot of people can be stressful. It can be difficult. There's a lot of things going on, a lot of people moving around, a lot of explosions for some reason.

That just seems to be the way it's celebrated and for days on end. So what I thought might be helpful today is just a little bit of a little reassurance, a little relaxation. We'll do some breathing together and I'll leave you with a little something that hopefully brings you some comfort if you're feeling uncomfortable today.

If that's with your family, if you need to just step out to the side and make a little bit of time for yourself, some space for yourself to breathe. That is exactly what this audio is for and I hope you're able to use it and I hope it brings you some comfort. If it's just any other random day of the year and you need a little comfort and reassurance and perhaps things are not going quite how you would like them and you need a step back, there's absolutely no reason you can't use this year round.

But today is a day that for some people is especially tumultuous and to those folks I want to say everything's going to be okay. Take a deep breath in through your nose. There you go.

And out through your mouth. Excellent. If you have noise cancelling headphones or you can turn this up a little louder or get somewhere where you can't really hear anything else, I would advise that because what I'd like you to do is be away from the things that are loud, from the things that are frightening, from the things that are stressful.

I want you to be away from that for a minute and just be with me. We're by a lake. We're sitting on the grass, you and I in the sunshine.

Deep breath in and deep breath out. There's a breeze coming through. We can see it ripple across the lake as it comes.

Tassels your hair a little bit. It catches the side of my cheek. It feels very good in the sunshine.

It was getting hot and then the breeze came through and now we both feel perfect. Breathe in. Breathe out.

There's something stirring in the tree above us. Nothing big, probably a squirrel or something. They're always running around and playing, aren't they? Making those scratching sounds as they go up and down the bark, chasing each other.

But nothing to be concerned about. Look up. There he is.

Hey, bud. Now look back out over the lake. How peaceful and calm and serene it got when the breeze blew by.

Small waves are lapping at the shoreline as you lean your head over onto my shoulder and I catch you right in that spot between my shoulder and my chest. You're not going anywhere. I wrap my arms around you and you can feel them squeeze tight and warm.

Reinforcing some of the warmth from the sun. Keeping it in. Keeping it close to you.

Heating up your entire body next to mine and just enjoying the feeling of you. The way you feel leaning against me. The way your clothes feel.

The way that little dress looks. The way your leg feels as I run my hand up and down your calf. There you go.

Everything's going to be okay, I promise. Everything's going to be just fine. Take a deep breath in and out.

Stay with me. We're still by the lake for another minute or two. And I think we'll just sit here for a little while, propped up on each other.

I'll put my knee up if you like. You can lean on that. Would you like to rest your head in my lap instead? That might be an interesting vantage point to look out over the mountains and the lake and see everything that's stirring so far off.

Birds and trees. One flying over. But none of it's disturbing us.

You and I are here and you and I aren't going anywhere. And you and I are going to be just fine in each other's company. And when we're done sitting here, we'll go back to doing whatever we were doing before and everything will be okay.

It may take some time. There's an adjustment always coming from somewhere comfortable to somewhere, well, maybe less comfortable. But it's nothing that you can't handle, I promise.

Do all of the things you need to do to keep yourself safe, to protect your peace. Not a single one of those things is selfish if it's for you. Not one single thing.

Use your earbuds. Put music on if you need to. Whatever you can do to get away for a minute.

Remove yourself physically. It's not rude. It's certainly not rude.

You protecting yourself is of the utmost importance and you have my full support in doing so. No is a full sentence if somebody would like you to do something that you are not interested in or steps outside of a comfort zone that you are not prepared to take on today. And that is okay too.

Anybody who gets upset at your no, well, they're not upset for a good reason and you are absolutely in the right standing so protect your peace. I want you to unabashedly demand time and space for yourself if you need to. Just a few minutes.

A deep breath in and out. Very good. Everything's going to be okay.

Keep your head up. It will pass. Tomorrow will come and the next day and the next day.

The thoughts and feelings and discomfort and pressure of today will in time become a memory of something that you outgrew or perhaps the memory of a first step in many more to come where you put yourself first and ask for what you want. Deep breath in. Deep breath out.

You've got this. You're capable. I promise.

I'm proud of you.