It’s always funny in a cartoon to
see some little creature, usually a mouse, create a big shadow of itself to scare away a much larger attacker, usually a
cat. The mouse moves
the focus of the cat’s attention from his little self to his larger and less
identifiable shadow. When the cat sees
the shadow, the cat makes assumptions about what must be casting the shadow. Those assumptions are formed from the cat’s
own fears, insecurities, and anxieties, such as those that say a large
shadow must be caused by a large creature which must mean danger.
While shadows exist and give us information,
they don’t tell us everything. They may
distort, exaggerate, and distract. They
have no power and cannot cause any harm. For instance, as with the mouse, a
large shadow does not guarantee something large or dangerous is behind it.
We get distracted by shadows, too, particularly emotional shadows fueled by our own insecurities, anxieties, and
fears ... just like what happened to the
cat. Earlier this year, I worried about
and felt burdened by a task I didn’t want to do. I procrastinated, made excuses, and waited weeks
to get it done. I was looking at the
shadow, meaning the distortion and exaggeration of the task as I created in my
mind and emotions, instead of the task itself.
When I finally did the task, it ended up taking much less time than I
imagined and wasn’t as difficult as I was sure it would be. My task was really a mouse when compared to
what I had built it up to be.
Whether we say we’re procrastinating,
worrying, feeling burdened, overwhelmed, insecure, anxious, or any other
related descriptors ... it always means we need to double-check our focus,
assumptions, and perceptions. Are we actually looking at a shadow?
Often, just as I did, we focus on the uncomfortable and less
identifiable feelings instead of what’s behind them and what’s really going on. So the discomfort and feelings themselves become
our shadows. Focusing so much on those
uncomfortable feelings makes them bigger, more intense, and use more of our
energy than they may actually deserve. In
my case, focusing on the feelings instead of the task led me to believe the
task would be more difficult than it actually turned out to be.
There is an answer ... Let your
feelings wash over you, like an ocean wave, so you are better able to see the
reasons for the feelings and discomfort.
Just like shadows, emotions themselves are harmless, informative, and
only part of the picture. Once you determine what’s behind the feelings and what’s really going on, you might just find an insignificant mouse.
Seeing through our shadows and
uncomfortable emotions isn’t always easy. Maybe your own situation is more complex. If you’d like some help with your
overwhelming feelings and dealing with what’s behind them, think about
contacting me or another licensed professional.
