When Simone Biles nearly fell off the balance beam, I know I was part of a global collective gasp. It was only a split second, but it could have been enough to trash the rest of her routine (it would have for most of us!). But, what happened next was such the mark of the champion that she is.  

She shook it off.   

Sure, maybe she rehashed the moment later, perhaps over and over again. I know I would have. But, my guess is she didn't. Perhaps she reviewed it briefly with her coach, but then the focus turned to her final event the next night. And, again it was so clear that she held no residual regrets, because as we all know, she nailed her spectacular floor routine and won Olympic gold. In fact, all through the Games, there are two things successful competitors and champions have in common. Number one is they never give up. And, secondly, they shake off their stumbles, low scores and slow finishes. It's the only way they can be their best to show up and win or place the next time.

It got me thinking about how often we hang onto things, or allow past issues or circumstances to hold us back from showing up and being our best.

What would happen if we shook it off? It sounds easy. But, so often it doesn't feel easy.

We might say something we regret, or someone says something or does something that rocks us. Or we didn't succeed like we wanted to on a presentation, or interview, or performance. Then, we rehash it in our minds or with our friends and family, until we're simply stuck in the moment, energetically at least.

To my way of thinking, a good way to shake it off is to start by asking yourself what it might feel like to let it go. Stop the thought and sit with that question.

What would it feel like to shake this off? 

What you're really doing is releasing the feeling that has you stuck, the feeling of rejection, or failure, or fear that you're not good enough, whatever it is. Reiki Master and energy healer Cheryl Blossom suggests paying attention to where the stuck feeling sits in your body. Is it your stomach, or your heart, or your throat? Once you have awareness to where you feel it, then you can breathe through it to release it. Cheryl has coached me through this exercise and it's very effective. 

Then, the next thing you know, you're no longer in the past, but fully in the present moment, ready to show up for yourself.

So, next time something happens that threatens to hold you back, or stop you from doing the next thing? 

Be like Biles. Shake it off. And, show up.

Related:

In Alignment - A Life Philosophy 

How to Never, Ever Give Up

Two Ways to Recognize & Let Go of Fear

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Cindy Yantis is the Thought Changer Blog creator & curator. She is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles. For more info: CindyYantis.com