Protection mode causes us to focus our attention on fear and danger, and so we see more danger. It causes us to retract and pull into ourselves, and then separate from others seeing danger in them from all sides. Sometimes we are being attacked because we are so highly focused on protection. It is the universe’s way of telling us that we need to break down those walls and let people in. Yes, that can cause us harm, but protecting ourselves from harm eliminates the option for many joyful things, which is just as harmful as taking a risk. You cannot find love if you do not seek a relationship or trust anyone. You can’t get a broken heart, unless you consider never having loved a broken heart.
Taking that idea one step further and linking back to maturity, protection is an “other and me” focused endeavor. You cannot be thinking or focusing on us in protection mode. You will make immature decisions from your walled in castle. In addition, protection mode focuses on away from. It is escape mode. You are spending your energy running away from what you fear. There is no joy in running away, hiding, protecting and being in a survival state. It is not about learning to zip up and protect yourself better. It is about changing the focus to what are you willing to run toward? What are you willing to risk to bring the joy and peace you seek into your life? All it takes is willingness to experience life completely, all the joy, all the sorrow, all the love, and all the hate. Yin Yang at it’s best.
Protection mode tries to upset the balance of Yin Yang and keep out the dark and unpleasant side of life. You cannot do that. It is not possible, and will cause a fundamental imbalance of energy if you try.
In life, our greatest successes will come when we are focused on what we want to move toward, not what we are running away from. What do you want to bring into your life? If you are seeking love, move toward opportunities to find it. If it fails, so be it, move on to the next opportunity and try again. The only thing you have to lose is the chance to love. Yes, you might be hurt, and you will learn some valuable lessons in that pain. The next time you move toward something, you will see it more clearing and know if it is working or not faster.
Some think about running toward something vs. running away from everything. Running might not be the best word to use. I would probably see it as more of a flowing toward, or fighting against. More like a river than a race. It might meander here and there, some rapids now and then, some excitement and opportunity to crash, and also peaceful and beautiful natural sights to see as you float along some places. In protection mode, you are continuously, fearfully, expending all of your energy avoiding the rapids by paddling upriver against the current. You cannot get to the peaceful part of the river if you are actively avoiding the flow of the river and fighting against it. You have to allow a river to flow and take you with it. You have to be one with the flow. That is how a master kayaker manages a rapids. They learn to go with the flow of the rapids around the obstacles, through the obstacles, and keep going, resiliency.
- Be a branch on the water
- Flow with the twists and turns
- Bob with the waves
- If you get stuck on a rock, be patient and relax
- The flow will unstick you in due time
- Let the water flow over you and cleanse your soul while you wait
- When you get unstuck, continue to flow and bob along enjoying the ride
- It is a grand adventure this life
- Don’t fight it, flow with it
Namaste,