Your Check Engine Light On?

You’re driving down the road and you hear a telltale ding from the dashboard. A little, but bright red engine symbol flashes up up in front of you. It’s the dreaded Check Engine light—something’s amiss with the vehicle and you’ve been given a blatant heads up, a warning, that you something’s wrong. It’s a sign that you need to take appropriate action. While a few may fluff this off as a non-issue, most will heed the warning and take the vehicle in for service to see what needs addressing. The check engine light is a signal from the vehicle’s computer bank, its health monitor, so to speak. It’s the vehicle’s early warning system that catches potential danger before anything serious happens. If there’s anything unusual, this health monitor will report it, allowing you to take action before anything serious happens as a result of neglect.

Similar to the on-board computer of a vehicle, we also have an onboard system of alerts and indicators, throwing red flags when things are off and we’re not on our natural path of growth. However, these conscious and subconscious indicators are far more subtle, lacking the flashiness and audible alerts of our vehicles. Recognizing our internal indicators requires a certain level of tuning in to receive their signals. If not tuned into the frequencies they broadcast, or off on some other channel, and you can miss your own early warning signs of eminent danger. Such was my case, as I found myself driving down a less-than-optimal life path, ignoring the subtle hints getting thrown in front of my car.

It had been a great day heading towards evening and the subsequent sunset. The sun was blazing through the clear skies through most of the day, as storm clouds began to build off to our west. I was already neck-deep in dinner preparation for a quick, light meal before heading down to the beach for a planned evening walk. We were in that window of Summer as early September splashes a tapestry of fiery reds, warm oranges and pastel purples and pinks across the sunsetting skies. Watching the day close out was a fitting end to the weekend.

Yet the anticipation of these mesmerizing sunsets had become increasingly more interrupted by what could only be described as a subtle, physical unease and consternation. The energetic distortion of the oncoming Monday morning had gradually built up out of nowhere and made its presence known. 

When things are off and we’re not on our natural path of growth, you start to recognize patterns of discomfort,  misalignment, and other feelings of discord. These can be emotional swings that seem out of character, attempts to bury and sense felt, usually in the body. Discord can show up in any number of forms as a coping mechanismThese can happen long before the head or mind gets its fingers into the mix. This was no more readily apparent than with as number of my Sunday evenings.

Most ignore the signs, the senses, what their body is telling them. Be aware. Recognize when this happens. Sit with it, and take time to really feel it. Be the observer, not the victim. Take these as gifts, warning indicators like your check engine light on your car. Find out and ask what these feelings or sensations are trying to tell you. Then, begin working towards something that feels right.