Lifes A Bicycle Presentation to CAPA Feb 2017

Academy of Creative Living
Life’s A Bicycle
You Can
Balance Your Life
Just Like You
Balance A Bike!
©2017 Sharon M. Barnes, LCSW, PLLC
www.TherapistForSensitiveAndGifted.com

Sharon M. Barnes
Therapist For Sensitive and Gifted
MSSW – Masters of Science in Social Work, SDSU
LCSW – Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Colorado
Local Counseling/Psychotherapy
Online Distance Consultation
Presentations, PlayShops & Retreats
Professional Development
I provide Jungian-oriented depth work to help you:
 Release your Creativity
 Heal your Past
 Transform your Pain
 Become Fully Alive
 Find & Fulfill your True Purpose

Life’s A Bicycle
Thanks, CAPA!

Life’s A Bicycle
HTTPS://DELIVR.COM/2W8A7
You can Find the Complete
Presentation Here:

Life’s a Bicycle
Every time You RIDE a bike
or even SEE one,
I invite you to Remember —
To Balance Your LIFE
Just Like You Balance a BIKE
All You have to do, is:
 Tune In
 Tune Up
 Take off

Maybe
you can relate . . .

Do you -
Feel overwhelmed with too many demands on
your time & energy?
Suffer from Compassion Fatigue – caring for
everyone else before yourself?
Feel frazzled from being tugged in too many
directions at once?
Feel stressed?

Would You Like to
GET and STAY balanced
Thrive AND Reach your goals
Become STRONG and FLEXIBLE
Build on body-mind skills you ALREADY have
Go BACK to Kindergarten for some FUN!

Why?
Life = Stress (Holmes Rahe)
Stress can make you sick
= Life can make you sick?
–It did to my husband Gary (1989)
–It did to me (1990)

Who?
Who gets the most negative
impact from stress? CASIGYs™!
Creative, Curious, Complex
Acutely Aware
Super-Sensitive
Intense, Intelligent, Introverted and/or
Gifted
YOU?

What you’ll learn -
THE MOST COMMON SINGLE MISTAKE
HOW TO CORRECT IT
3 WAYS TO CHECK FOR THE SOURCE OF
TROUBLE
WHAT NOT TO DO
2 QUICK AND EASY THINGS
3 KEY LIFE BALANCE SKILLS

Life’s A Bicycle
Can You Ride A Bike?
What was it like to
master the skill of
riding your bike?

How’s Your Ride?
Smooth?
Bumpy?
Got a flat?
Anyone run into any bumps today? Last
week? Last month?

How Balancing Your Life is
Like Balancing a Bike!
• Both are Mind-body skills
• Both require Dynamic--not static--balance
Dynamic Balance
o Accommodates shifts in body, mind & emotions
o Responds to changes in weather & traffic
o Flexes when the road or path varies
o Adjusts to continual movement

3 KEY Life Balance Skills
1. Tune in
2. Tune up
3. Take off

1.Tune in

Tune In
Most Common Single
Mistake
–Ignore it
How to Correct It
–Tune In

What I don’t know can’t hurt me!

©2016 Sharon M Barnes, MSSW, PLLC
Barriers to Feeling Our Emotions

1. DON’T FEEL!
oDon't feel sad
oDon't feel mad
oDon't feel bad
oDon't feel too glad/happy
oDon’t feel __________

So We Stuff our Emotions
The Result?

Emotional Volcanoes

Emotional Floods

Have You Had This at
Home or School?
Emotional Icebergs

Emotions are like Ocean Waves
o natural phenomenon
o energy
o don’t ask permission
o respond to the weather, moon & earth’s movement
o Our 1st reaction is to
o When we fight them,
o Learn to READ them
o Learn to RIDE them
FIGHT THEM
WE LOSE
stay SAFE
have FUN
©2016 Sharon M. Barnes, LCSW, PLLC.

Signs of Bike Imbalance
Wobbly
Slow down
Fall
Work harder
???

Signs of Life Imbalance
Irritability/over-reactions
Anxiety/Depression
Fatigue
Inability to concentrate
Dis-ease
Sleep disruption/changes
Appetite/eating
/weight changes
Overwhelming emotions
Life crisis or chaos
Decreased or Increased
sex drive
Increased in mistakes or
accidents

Imbalance [ Stress
Short Term Effects of Stress
Increased concentration
Increased endorphins block
pain
Second wind
Increased fuel & oxygen
Increased energy & strength
Decreased allergic reactions
Blood diverted to muscles
Digestion slows/stops
Blood sugar drops or raises
Decreased sex drive
Increased white & red blood
cells
Faster blood clotting

Imbalance [Stress
Long Term Effects of Stress
Increased error rate
Decreased endorphins/
increased sensitivity to pain
Weight changes
Shaky nerves
Intolerance to heat or cold
Impaired immune system
Increased chance of high blood
pressure, heart attack, stroke,
and aneurysms
Blood sugar drops or raises
turn into Diabetes &
hypoglycemia
Increased damage to lungs
from air pollution & smoke
Increased digestive problems
Increased fatty deposits
Decreased sex drive,
increased sexual
dysfunction

Prime Times for CASIGY™
Imbalances to Occur
Leg-lifting experiences
Marriage
Divorce
Change of job
Change of residence
Change of family size
Life transitions
Hunger, fatigue, boredom
Illness
Death
Loss of Job
Financial difficulties
In abnormal circumstances,
abnormal feelings are
normal (Bryan)

3 4 Ways to Find
the Source of Trouble
1. Stop
2. Look
3. Listen
4. Feel

What do you find when you
stop, look, listen?
Pandora’s Box contained
o Shadow
o Evil
o Monsters
oHope

What do you find when you
stop, look, listen?
How are you feeling today?

Here’s Some
Daily
Dynamite!
o What’s happening?
o How am I feeling
o Physically
o Emotionally
o What color flag is flying
on my inner beach?

GREEN Flag = Small waves = ALL
CLEAR
YELLOW Flag = Medium waves = CAUTION
RED Flag = Big waves = DANGER
BLACK Flag = Tsunami = GET OFF THE
BEACH
PURPLE Flag = Something’s in the water
= BEWARE
What Color Flag is flying on Your Inner Beach?

We all have Caterpillar Days

2. Tune up

Tune Up
The Art of Bicycle Maintenance
HOW to Tune Up:
Check
Clean
Lubricate
Adjust
Replace or Repair
Repair Shop

Tune Up
We Resist Tune Ups
Time
$
Pandora’s box
Take care of others first
???

Tune Up
Why Tune Up?
Smoother ride
Less effort (Abe Lincoln)
More pleasant ride
Care for yourself so you CAN care for
others

Flight Attendants’
Secret Formula
Put on your own oxygen
mask first
– BUT we’re supposed to love
others first!
WRONG!
– Love your neighbor AS
YOURSELF
• Your love for others is
limited by ….. YOUR
CAPACITY TO LOVE
YOURSELF!

We’re Afraid the Dam will BURST

To save the dam,
open a flue
HOW? Release your
emotions
• in small amounts
• often

Why Release Emotions?
All body cells have memory, not just the brain
Too much pressure in a pressure cooker
make an explosion
Too much tire pressure causes blow outs
What you feel, you can heal (Gray)
What you resist, persists
Chaos allowed to progress leads to order
Positive disintegration leads to a
higher level of development

Why Release Emotions?
All body cells have memory, not just the brain
Too much pressure in a pressure cooker
makes for an explosion
Too much tire pressure causes blow outs
Chaos allowed to progress leads to order
Positive disintegration leads to a
higher level of development (Dabrowski)
What you feel, you can heal (Gray)
What you resist, persists

Catch & Release
You have to

Catch & Release
before you can

Catch & Release
Let’s DO it!

3 4 More Things CASIGYs™ Can
DO to Restore Balance
1. Breathe (8-4-7) x 4
2. Give thanks
3. Stretch
4. Laugh

Life’s A Bicycle
IF You Can
Balance A BIKE,
You Can
Balance Your LIFE!

Life’s A Bicycle
Handlebars
o Connection point
o Steering mechanism
o Help support rider’s
weight
o Mounting place for
lights, levers, brakes,
etc.
o Come in many styles

Life’s A Bicycle
Saddle
o Connection point
o Support, stability
o Does it ‘sit well’?
o Lower it
o Change the angle
o Adjust your riding style
o Get a post with springs
o Get one suited to your
needs

Life’s A Bicycle
Pedals
o Connection point
o You push on the pedal to
propel the bike
o Some pedals allow you to pull
up on the upstroke also to
increase power even more

Life’s A Bicycle
The Right Fit
o Frame size
o Wheel size
o Soft or hard seat
o How high the
seat rides
o How many gears
o ???

Life’s A Bicycle
Frame
o Provides the main
structure for the bike
o Is made differently for
road vs trail riding
o Affects handling &
responsiveness
o Affects rider comfort
o Affects power transfer
efficiency to the wheels
o Need to flex vertically

Life’s A Bicycle
Wheels
o Make it a vehicle
o Provide the
movement

Spokes
o Pull the RIM inward toward
the HUB
o transfer power from your legs to
the wheel
o Support your weight
o Even tension on all spokes is
key
o Bike wheels may have 28 -144
spokes
o Would you like to draw your
wheel(s)?
o How many spokes does your
bike/life have?
o How much tension is on each of
your spokes?

Life’s A Bicycle
Tires
o Cushion your
ride
o Give traction
o Help with
handling

Brakes
o Slow it down
o Stopping power
o Hold it still
Life’s A Bicycle

What’s the HUB around which
your life revolves?

Life’s A Bicycle
Gears
Are for efficient use of energy
Help your knees
Get you there with less effort
How many gears do your life
have?
How do you shift gears in your
life?

Helmet
o Brain bucket –
protects the head
o Minimizes injury in a
fall
o Not limit vision
o To be effective, needs
to be worn properly
Life’s A Bicycle

Ego & Soul Working Together
Life’s A Bicycle
o We need a strong ego
o We need Soul to lead
o What does ego have to
sacrifice to give up the
control?
o How can your ego
support your Soul?
o How can your ego
protect your Soul?

We All Need Cocoon Time

3. Take off

Take Off!
It’s about the Journey . . . AND the
Destination
1. How’s your journey going?
2. What’s your destination/goal?
1. Is your goal something your ego and soul can agree on?
2. Does your manner of traveling fit or suit you?
3. Get Started. . . Exploring new territory

Exploring New Territory:
Hands-on Learning
“The significant problems we have cannot be solved at
the same level of thinking with which we developed
them.” (Einstein )
Einstein used Combinatory Play to break new ground
– His new ideas came through images during playful times
– The harder work was translating them into words (Hadamard)
Our hands know what our frontal lobes do not (Jung)
Carl Jung developed Active Imagination

Creative Exploration I
Making something with our hands that represents
the challenges or dilemmas we face:
Bridges mind and body and spirit
Bridges “right’ and “left” brain/ uses the whole
brain
Bridges conscious and conscious mind
Promotes soulfulness and spirituality
Helps us learn beyond mere thinking
Is practice for exploration in
new territory

Creative Exploration II
Bypasses the inner censor to access deeper
awareness and higher creativity
Utilizes Inductive Reasoning
Improves problem-solving skills
Increases imagination
– “Imagination is more Important than facts/knowledge”
(Einstein)
Does not require unusual
artistic ability or creativity

Creative Exploration III
Creating = High Level Learning
(Bloom's Taxonomy)
Ancient Wisdom-Chinese proverb
– Tell me and I'll Forget
– Show me and I'll remember
– Involve me and I'll understand
Five Steps to Completion:
Creating
Evaluating
Analyzing
Applying
Understanding
Remembering

1. Connect
Body, Mind,
Soul, Spirit, Self
How?
oGet ride of distractions
oGather materials
oSet a timer
oGet comfortable
oRelax with Belly
Breathing

2. Identify
1. Identify a current stressor
a)What does your mind go to at stoplights, in the
shower, when your brain has downtime?
b) What sticks in your ‘craw’?
c) If you had a Magic Wand, what one thing would
you use it to do or change?
2. Write it down; Set this aside

3. Create
There is no right or wrong approach to use
Pay attention to what attracts you or jumps out
at you
Prepare with deep breathing & relaxation
See with third eye; listen with inner ear
Proceed with action: make something that
represents or symbolizes the image(s) or
sound(s) that you perceive
You are the judge of what and
when is “enough”
www.TherapistForSensitiveAndGifted.co
m

4. Contemplate
Stop, look & listen (again)
What colors, shapes & textures do you
see?
Give it a voice: What does it say to you?
Activate Your Imagination:
– Have an imaginary conversation with your creation
– Focus this conversation on the
current dilemma
– Follow the conversation (in your
imagination) wherever it leads you

5. Crystallize
What does this demonstrate about
– What you need to Tune In, Tune Up & Take off?
– What you can do to help yourself and/or your
employees, students or children balance their
complexity, sensitivity & intensity?
– Whatever else came up for you?
Make a record: write or draw
what you have perceived.

There’s a Time to Leave The
Cocoon and Fly

Take Off!
It’s about the Journey . . . AND the
Destination
1. Get Started. . . Explore new
territory

Take Off!
2. Stay on Track
o Trail hard to follow?
o Things take longer than
expected?
o Distractibility
o New ideas that come
o Which idea(s) to follow now?

Take Off!
3. One Pedal
at a Time

Take Off!
4. Pace Yourself
o Is this a strength or a
stretch?
o Elk medicine helps

Take Off!
5. Pedal, pedal,
pedal
o Requires stamina
o Requires
commitment

Take Off!
6. Finish
o Barriers in the way of
completion
o How much discipline
does this take?
o What else does it take?

Take Off!
7. Celebrate
• Good job! Well done! Yay for you!
• Are you good at this?
• Barriers to celebration
• How can you celebrate your own
victories?
• How can you help others close to you
celebrate their victories?
• What’s a good way to celebrate your
victories of today?

Life’s A Bicycle
You Can
Balance Your Life
Just Like You
Balance A Bike!

Lifes A Bicycle Presentation to CAPA Feb 2017

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