Now I can’t remember how I came up with this phrase. Maybe I stole it. If I did, I apologise to the first person who used it. But it struck me at the time that sometimes crap is all you have to work with and the only thing you can do is turn it over, aerate it, and turn it into fertiliser for your growth. 

Toxic positivity will tell you to look for the upside, put a smile on your face and know that everything is gonna be fine. I will write another post of toxic positive and spiritual bypassing but for now let’s focus on crap. Before you leap to the positive spin on a challenging situation you have to face the crap.

Life has its moments where no matter which way you look at the situation, things are not going well. These are the moments that test you, that take a big bite out of your confidence and can just leave you feeling like you will never get up again. 

Relationship breakdowns. Illness. Major accidents. Financial hardship. Job loss. 

When you are amid these times there is no sugar coating it. It is okay to feel bad and acknowledge that you are struggling to cope. It is okay to be angry, scared or deflated. 

Ignoring the negative feelings or pushing them down so you can cope can be the best initial response to a crisis. You have to take charge, make decisions or support others. So spending time in self-inquiry is probably not helpful

But covering up the crap for too long will just lead to it being trapped in your subconscious and trapped in your energetic and physical body. 

You have to turn it over. Bring the thoughts and feelings up for air so that they can be seen for what they are. So that they can be analysed, processed and digested. 

Turning it over can look like:

• Being willing to shut of distractions so you can reflect on what has happened, how you feel, and what the next steps are. Distractions like online scrolling, watching Netflix or drinking alcohol. 

Instead go for a walk without a podcast playing or calling anyone. Walk in silence. 

• Taking time in the morning to meditate for five minutes and then journal for another 10 or however long you have. Allow whatever thoughts come up to flow. It doesn’t have to make sense and you don’t need to arrive at a conclusion. All you are doing is aerating. Bringing thoughts into out of your head so they can breath and be acknowledged. 
• Writing down all the negative thoughts or feelings and burning the paper
• Allowing yourself to cry. 

Once the negative feelings and thoughts have been seen and experienced you will find they don’t have the hold over you they once did. Those bad experience will still be there, you may still feel angry or sad but in a way that doesn’t weigh you down or keep you stuck from moving forward. 

Those experiences become the fertiliser for your growth. Your roots are deeper allowing a stronger foundation of resilience. Your branches grow higher allowing you to reach for your goals.