Medicine Monday: ELK

I often draw this card when I’m close to being peopled out ~ too many people around asking too much of my time, my energy, or sometimes just placing expectations on me. Elk is about the strategy of pacing yourself til you get to the next pitstop.

I also often draw this card when I’ve taken on too much. Pacing is often about stopping along the way to reassess the plan of getting to the finish line.

At stressful times in life, sometimes the only defense is to pace myself and go the distance. Elk is about time and energy management. I catch myself not protecting my time, being too free with it, giving too much of it away to others, etc. I don’t want to lose the spontaneity of life, but I also don’t want to resent the passage of time.

Once in a while, I’ll catch up to myself in the evening, about 10pm, and realize I’m feeling anxiety, regret or resentment. Although we went to dinner, or spent time a wonderful evening friends or went to an event, I’ll realize how late it is, and that I’ve sacrificed home time with B in the process. I kick myself for not managing my time better. These instances teach me a lot. I could just keep repeating the pattern, or I could learn something about my own personal pacing. And so for a good decade now, I've been teaching myself to parcel out my time and energy carefully, so that I get everything I want and need to get done. A happy, rested and stress-free me is better able to share and contribute with others. And then I have no regrets.

Elk being a herd animal, going the distance with others can also be a strategy for making the journey easier. Sharing the journey is another way to pace yourself because it’s easier with help, with friends, with camaraderie. Strength in numbers. I know some people who have felt the sting of depending on others, and being let down, and now they would rather be so independent as to never lean on others again. And I’ve been there. An understandable extreme. But an extreme nonetheless. I was talking to a friend about this just the other day. It’s like the story about the man who stood on top of his roof in a flood, convinced that God would rescue him. A boat and a helicopter came to rescue him, but he turned them away, saying he was waiting for God to help him. He drowned, and asked God why he didn’t save him, and God says, “Well, I sent you a boat and a helicopter! (you idiot!)” Ego can often be the enemy of stamina.

The Holidays will be here soon. I can’t think of a better reminder for this time of year than this card that cautions us to pace ourselves, take frequent pit-stops to reassess, and watch our energy and social interaction level … all to make sure we get to the other side without being too stressed, overwhelmed, tired and miserable. Personally, I rarely let the holiday do that to me, and have boundaries in place to assure this. Boundaries… that’s another card (armadillo) for another day. But stamina and strategy and pacing will get us through even the most difficult periods in life.

Medicine Monday Banner Artwork owned by me. "Medicine" is a Native American term meaning wisdom and value.

The Medicine Cards are used for introspection, not fortune-telling. Card and Concept copyrights belong to the authors, Jamie Sams & David Carson, and the artist, Angela Werneke. I share this as a unique resource for reflection.

Labels: Medicine Monday

posted by Shephard @
10:02 AM |