Believing the Hype

A huge storm was headed our way. The news declared it so a full 24 hours in advance. They said damaging winds, hail, flash flooding and tornadoes are expected.  Since I have a dog who senses rain an hour in advance and then paces and whines until it is over, I feared the worst.  I had to search to find the new prescription the vet had given me to try out during a bad storm and this storm could only sound worse if the weathermen added hurricane, tsunami (though I live in IL!) and alien attack!
I got home from teaching a yoga class about an hour before doomsday and quickly took the dogs for a walk to, hopefully, tire them out a little.  As the skies darkened, neighbors yelled out things like "stay safe" and "they say there will be damage". Upon returning home, I doled out half of the new pill and took the dogs down in the basement. My son turned on the news to drown out thunder and we settled in to watch the minute-by-minute radar that the weatherman was explaining with concern.

On the TV, the storm was depicted by yellow and, at tornado spots, red. There was a lot of yellow and red. I typically like storms but was worried about this one. My daughter was still at work, my husband as well.  And I wasn't certain how the dog would react to a huge storm or the new medicine, for that matter.

As my son and I watched the weatherman's green screen for about 45 minutes, it became evident the huge storm was splitting; some went north of us and some went south. We were right in the middle where there was a clearing, a space. While many towns did get some of everything that had been predicted, all we encountered was a minor thunder storm.  I felt a little bad I had drugged out the dog for that! I had succumbed to the hype. I definitely wouldn't use that word if I lived in the towns that did lose power and see tornados and I did have a legitimate concern for my family's safety.

We went back upstairs to calm and I wondered where else in our lives do we fall victim to other people's hype?  (Not blaming the weathermen, here,either!) The word hype means to excite or agitate.  Who do you know that seems to purposely get you going? And, why do you let them? Do you have the tools to keep your energy calm and balanced even though someone or something is trying to pull your fire alarm?  What memories or stories do you retell yourself that only serve to agitate you? Why do you reread those chapters?

Woodrow T. Wilson stated, "One cool judgment is worth a thousand hasty counsels. The thing to do is to supply light and not heat."

Imagine you are trying to live your life under the hype you are not worthy. Whether you or someone else characterized you as such in your story, it is negatively impactful to all you are and do.  Constantly reminding yourself of your unworthiness is the heat Wilson refers to; it's fueling negative energy. The thousand hasty counsels are, not only the people around you who add to this hype, but it is the chatter in your head that adds to and even allows this conversation. You need to go higher up. You need to consult with your Higher Self, your voice within, that says STOP. The voice that calmly says how many more times are you willing to be pulled down? And isn't it time you honored yourself enough to intuitively know and feel your amazing worth?
 
It's very interesting to search for a quote about hype.  Many celebrity quotes come up but they are mostly about not believing the hype they hear as to how great they are.  Ironic? I will leave it at that.
Whatever hype you fall victim to, whether it is worth, failure or a hoard of other options, consider that reading this right now is your sign to release the hype that swirls about you. Invite in a calm energy and grant it the space to stay. Om namah shivaya.  And bow to the light within yourself.

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