when going into the unknown the only thing that can be done is the next right thing...

​I recently watched Frozen 2 on Disney+ because:

1. I figured it would only be a matter of time before my voice students would be interested in singing the songs,
2. I, despite the overplaying of Let It Go, really enjoyed the first one
3. I will watch anything that Kristen Bell is involved in #SlothMeltdown.

 
What I want to talk about today pretty strongly relates to two of the movie’s biggest songs, “Into the Unknown” and “The Next Right Thing.” If you haven’t seen the movie, then you might not know the story and how these songs fit into the mix, and I won’t spoil it for you. But what I want to touch on is what to do when things aren’t going according to plan.

 
Sometimes, with the best of intentions, we make plans. And sometimes we fall off of the route or despite even our best efforts things don’t go according to plan.
 
In your journey to health and wellness, perhaps you have pain and that is why you are interested in the Alexander Technique. You will have to learn that what feels good or feels right to you, is likely what got you into pain in the first place, and you will have to break ties with using “feeling” as your guide. This feels a lot like stepping into the unknown. If you want to do something, not in the habitual way you have trained yourself to do that thing, you will likely feel like you are staring into the mist. There won’t be a sense of which way will be the healthier way to accomplish this task. You know that the way you did this before isn’t going to help you, but that seems to be the only course of action. So how then do you accomplish a task if not by habit?
 
F.M. Alexander developed a series of orders to give himself as guiding principles that helped him when going into that unknown. He was constantly telling himself to do what he had reasoned was the next right thing starting with allowing his neck to be free, his head to go forward and up, and for his back to lengthen and widen. Keeping these reasoned, proven directions in his forethought, he was more able to, without relying on feeling, reason out the next right thing towards accomplishing that task.
 
Now this is a bit of an oversimplification, there are going to be times where the pull of the habit is too strong and you may fall back into that rut, but you can always get yourself back out by returning to those guiding principles of neck free, head forward and up, and back lengthening and widening.
 
During this time of uncertainty in the world and in many of our lives, we are walking into unknown territory. What we need to remember are our guiding principles in life and trust, hope, and know that they are leading us into a better future. We cannot control everything; for most our circumstances are beyond our control right now, but we can control our thoughts, not giving into fear and panic even when those ruts “feel” like the only course of action, our actions, when hoarding or selfishness may be very tempting, and our emotions, when depression and anxiety are touted by news and media sources, we can resist and put our minds on the next right thing and be so much better prepared for everything that comes next, not only during this time, but for the rest of our lives.