Grounding

In Die Hard there’s this moment early on where someone suggests that a stressed out John McClane calm down by taking off his shoes and socks and making fists with his toes. He tries it, and by god, it works! Granted, this leads to a comedy of errors as he tries to take back Nakatomi tower while barefoot, but that’s neither here nor there.

What’s important, and what stuck with me, is that an action movie from the 80s had a whole side plot about the usefulness of grounding.

If you’ve read my recent posts you know that I’ve experienced some upheaval recently; lots of sudden change for myself and my loved ones. I didn’t expect a reminder to ground to come from my favorite Christmas movie (yes, Die Hard is a Christmas move. Don’t @ me) but there it was.

So this past week I’ve spent a lot of time feeling my feet on the ground. There’s something powerful in the reminder that this earth beneath our feet is there, holding us up. It’s also been a powerful exercise to trust the ground beneath me to hold me, and to soften and let go of any clinging I’m feeling.

Plus it’s a powerful reminder that I’m not alone – this earth beneath my feet is connected to billions of other people. They’re all going through their days and lives being held up by the same ground, breathing in the same air and returning to the same atomic soup when they die, becoming more air and ground for others to use.

So no matter how big a problem may feel, remember you’re not alone. Take off your shoes and feel the ground beneath your toes. Just remember to put your shoes back on if Hans Gruber storms the building 😉