....giving it a name

Yogis,

“Look, there’s Ralph!  I like Ralph!”

That’s me talking to Phoebe as I spot a woman up ahead walking a dog.  Mind you I have never seen her or her dog before.  I have absolutely no idea what his name is, and Ralph is the first one that comes to mind.  So Ralph he is. 

Phoebe’s largest fear is a dog approaching us on leash.  Off leash – no problem.  Us approaching from behind – piece of cake.  A dog barking at her from behind their fence – barely a glance.   But head on, leash to leash – watch out.

But I began to notice something.  As she would snarl and bark at a passing dog while I held on for dear life, I would ask the owner its name (if they could hear me over the raucous or weren’t quickly scurrying away with their dog.)  Then the next time I would use its name as we approached. 

I began to sense a very slight shift in energy when a name was used.  For a while I worked with this new found technique, but then decided to take it a step further.  Why not ‘name’ every dog since I don’t have the chance to have an exchange with each owner. 

Naming your fear………………….

Fears.  We all have them and they hold us back from reaching our highest potential.  Naming them is the first step toward facing them.

If this was showing promise for Phoebe, what about me?  I noticed that I was taking shorter and shorter walks and avoiding most public areas.  What was I afraid of?  What was my actual innermost fear?  Embarrassment.  Sounds laughable, but I realized that I have a fear of being embarrassed.  This all had more to do with what other people thought than about Phoebe or me. 

I named it. “ I am afraid of embarrassment.” 

Once we give something a name, it is as if we are shining a spotlight on it.  Bringing it into the light so it no longer lurks in the dark shadows under the bed waiting for our bare ankles.  In the naming alone the fear loses a piece of its power.  Unnamed fear hides and grows.  A name defines its shape and size.  A name gives us the ability to step back to observe it, give it space and take the time to feel it. 

Each fear is an opportunity.  A chance for growth.  How much more expansive I would become if I had no fear of embarrassment! 

I turned it around. “ I release the fear of being embarrassed during encounters on my walks”.  Repeated over and over and over, while walking a block further, then another, then another.  Naming.

“Oh look Phoebe!  There is Fred!  I love Fred!”

What should I take on next,
SARAH