132: Reset
I’ve never really considered myself much of an athlete, but when I was in fifth grade, believe it or not, I made my school’s sixth grade girls basketball team. Now, this might seem somewhat impressive. And to be fair, I wasn’t terrible; surely I showed some promise and potential during tryouts. But you should also know, my school was a new, tiny private school and this was their first ever basketball team. I’m not even sure there were enough middle school girls to make up an entire roster, so I guess they decided to extend the invitation to us fifth graders. Also, I was much taller than my peers back then, so I think it was probably my height {rather than my athletic ability} that sealed the deal.
Anyway, I made the team that year and continued to play basketball all throughout middle school. I enjoyed learning and practicing the fundamentals and different plays with my teammates, but I will say, the actual games made me pretty nervous.
Because, even though the stakes were low in the grand scheme of things, our team were a pretty competitive bunch. There were a couple of us who were a bit more timid {hi, hello, it’s me}, but as a whole, we played pretty hard. Fighting for rebounds, forcing turnovers, barreling down the court whenever we could. Games were frequently intense and chaotic, and trying to keep up with it all could feel pretty intimidating.
That’s probably why I always appreciated it when our coach would offer a particular piece of guidance from the sidelines. If we’d made our way down the court too quickly, if a play wasn’t going according to plan or if there was just a general sense of chaos and confusion between teammates, we’d often hear him shout, “RESET! RESET!”
Whenever I heard those words in the middle of a game, I’d breathe a sigh of relief. Because then, we knew exactly what to do; we knew what that call meant.
Basically, it was a directive to start over. To return to our assigned place and position {I was a forward, by the way}. To refocus and seek a familiar point of reference. It was a chance for us as a team to take a step back, set things up, and begin again. So, we’d find a way to get the ball to our point guard and then assume our shared formation on the court. In the middle of the game, for me, a reset was always welcome.
It was true then and it’s still true now. The context has definitely changed {while I still enjoy watching basketball, it’s been decades since I’ve played}, but a reset is still something I find I often need. Maybe you can relate?
A reset can be helpful in lots of different circumstances, and a reset can look lots of different ways. For some of us, it looks like tidying up a living space or cleaning out a closet. Sometimes it looks like returning to a familiar routine or a ritual we know well. Sometimes it looks like an apology or like offering forgiveness. Sometimes it looks like breathing in some fresh air or getting a good night’s sleep. It all matters and it all counts.
Today, though, I want to extend an invitation to reset in a very simple, particular way, in a way that has been helpful and grounding in my own life recently.
Several weeks ago, I met with my spiritual director. It was probably pretty apparent that I was arriving flustered and distracted, caught up in the whirlwind of the day, the week, the month. Rather than offering a prayer or a reading to begin our time together, my spiritual director instead invited me to sit quiet and still for a just few minutes, while paying attention to and considering three things: my surroundings, my body, and my soul. She offered to keep track of the time and I got to it.
I started with my surroundings and noticed the sound of the rain tapping against the window I was sitting next to. I took several deep breaths and listened in. Then I moved to my body and as I continued to breathe, noticed it felt heavy, tense, and tired. Finally, I considered my soul. There was a lot to sort through there, but I did notice a tiny pop of hope I wasn’t necessarily expecting, that I probably wouldn’t have recognized otherwise. And that day, I needed to see it.
It was a simple invitation that has since become a simple practice I continue to engage. I find it’s a way for me to reset, in the middle of it all. And in a world that continues to swirl, I wonder if it could be a helpful way for you to reset, too.
Shall we give it a go?
If you aren’t there already, I invite you to find a spot where you can focus, just for a few minutes. I’ll keep track of the time, offering some space for reflection and a few prompts along the way.
It’s important to note that the three “categories” I’ll invite you to pay attention to are not necessarily separate from one another. They are very much integrated. But sometimes it can be helpful to break it down and give each our undivided attention; it gives us the opportunity to zoom in and notice something we might not see otherwise.
Also, keep in mind that this practice is not an evaluation or an opportunity to critique. It is an invitation to notice, to check in, to consider your right-now experience, however it might look or feel. As always, lead with kindness and compassion. Alright, let’s begin:
Let’s start with your surroundings. It might be helpful to engage your senses. What do you see, hear, smell, taste or feel? Basically, what do you notice around you?
Next, consider your body. What do you notice there?
Finally, take some time to consider your soul. What do you notice within?
Now, this reset practice just now, in its entirety, took about two minutes. You could certainly extend that time if it would be helpful. But you could also sprinkle two-minute resets all throughout your day.
When life is overwhelming, when schedules and to-do lists stack up, when headlines and responsibilities feel too heavy and burdensome to bear, I’m learning it can be helpful to reset and check in as often as possible. As author and spiritual director Emily P. Freeman recently shared, it’s important that we
“let nothing take [us] so far out of [ourselves] that [we’re] unable to show up as [ourselves].”
In recent weeks, this practice has helped me do just that. And I hope this practice—or maybe a variation of it—might help you do the same.
Today, if life is a whirlwind, if you find yourself caught up in a swirl of chaos and confusion, remember to reset. To refocus. To return to the presence and movement of God with and within you, so that, together, we might continue to become the people God calls and invites us to be.
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