I’m a do-er, or I have been for much of my life. Faced with an obstacle or set in front of a problem, I would do, solve, work, push, accomplish.

And when I wasn’t able to do, solve, work, push, accomplish my way out of something (more often than not the emotions I was feeling) I’d eat to distract myself from the discomfort of inaction. Stuff down what was going on inside with handfuls of crisps and piles of sugar.

But I’ve realised that sometimes what we’re faced with in life doesn’t call for action. It calls for space. For time. For listening. For quiet. For reflection. For accepting all that is going on.

For feeling all the multitude of emotions underneath. Whether it is sadness, anger, upset, gloom, guilt, shame.

And when I let myself surrender to the inaction of simply being, I am alive to what’s going on for me. And I can let the emotions pass through me.

I can just be.