On the Edge and Centered
February 17, 2025
We live in a world that constantly tugs at our attention. Whether it’s unfolding right in front of us, within our community, across the country, or in the lives of the people we serve, there’s always something demanding our focus. It’s easy to get swept up in the noise, the urgency, the endless stream of things happening “out there.” The latest crisis, the next problem to solve, the constant pull to react—it all keeps us looking outside of ourselves.
And yet, everything we see out there also lives within us. The world is within us too.
We’ve all heard the saying: What bugs us most in others is something we need to look at in ourselves. But what if that applies to everything? The fears, the frustrations, the chaos—we don’t just witness them in the world; we feel them within us. If that’s true, then the real power, the real opportunity for transformation, isn’t just out there. It’s inside us.
To the degree that we can integrate all parts of ourselves—the light and the shadow, the strengths and the insecurities, the familiar and the unknown—we expand our ability to respond to life with clarity and creativity. The more we own our whole selves, the less reactive we become to what’s happening around us. We no longer feel as though life is just happening to us—instead, we recognize that everything we need to navigate it is already inside.
Rather than feeling pulled in a hundred different directions, we begin to move from a place of deep knowing—where our responses come from wisdom, not just reaction. This is where real change begins.
In tennis, the best players always return to return to the midline after every shot. Why? Because staying centered gives them the greatest ability to respond to whatever comes next. If they chase every ball without resetting, they get pulled off balance, making it harder to play effectively.
A player might get drawn into a corner, rushed up to the net, or pushed way beyond the baseline, but a skilled player knows they can’t stay there. No matter where they’re pulled, they always return to center—because that’s where they’re strongest.
Life works the same way. How do we come back to our midline during challenging times?
Maybe it’s a practice—meditation, movement, deep breaths.
Maybe it’s a felt sense—we recognize when we’re off, even if we don’t always know why.
Maybe we don’t notice until our body tells us—through stress, exhaustion, or even injury.
Maybe it’s just an understanding—knowing that clarity and peace are always within reach, no matter what’s happening around us.
No matter where life pulls us—into stress, uncertainty, or overwhelm—our midline is always there, waiting for us to return.
What brings you back to center when life pulls you off track?
Do you recognize when you’re off, or do you need something (or someone) to remind you?
What would it look like to trust that peace and clarity aren’t things we have to find—but things that are always within us, waiting for us to return?
Maybe just this conversation is enough to help us pause, reflect, and reconnect with ourselves. Let’s find out.