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This meditation helps you break out of limiting status quo thinking by visualizing a crab trap. This is the Meditation Minis podcast with your host, Hypnotist Shell Hamilton. Close your eyes, take three deep breaths, and let yourself just begin to settle into your own little relaxing place inside. Maybe you find that as you continue to just breathe and be, perhaps thinking about the sound of ah might help you take it a little deeper, quiet the mind a little more, or at least give you something to focus that mind upon so that when the thoughts come in, that you can let them go by just thinking in your mind, ah, with the breath in and the exhale again. And imagine now what it would be like to be under the sea. Maybe it's a clear Caribbean kind of blue sea, or maybe it's more of that East Coast darkish green. And imagine that you're you're under the sea in a quiet little place with sand and rocks. Maybe a few sea creatures floating or drifting by. And you come across a crab trap that looks kind of like a big basket. And imagine what it would be like if you were a crab going inside, feeling hungry, and you can sense the food in there, and then easily you're able to escape again. Until that day that other crabs join you while you're in the trap. And before that, it was easy. You could just go in and eat and leave again, and everything was wonderful and fun. Life was light and easy, but then that day that others followed you in. And each and every time any one of you, even you, try to get out of the crab trap. Everyone pulls each other back. And sometimes you're the one pulling somebody back. You know, when when a friend of yours or loved one shares about something that they're excited about and you you poo-poo it and you put it down, that is you pulling them back down into the trap of the status quo. And who are you to really say? And of course, we want to protect our friends and loved ones. We don't want them to get their hopes up too high because then they'll get dashed down again. I understand that. But it doesn't have to be that way. Let them enjoy that time, that excitement, because we all know what it feels like to do something and feel excited about it. And so embrace that and push them up instead, rather than grabbing them and pulling them back down into the trap. What would it be like in your life? What would change and rearrange for you, for those that you care for, and everyone that you come into contact with too? If you refuse to be the crab that pulled them back, but instead gave them a lift up purposefully, out of choice, remembering that we are here to play. This is in many ways a very magical world. And that's not to say that there aren't difficult things within it, but the more we bring this attitude of being a part of the solution, lifting others up, then real change can be made, even in those much more difficult areas and things. To be that vehicle of change in little ways throughout your day, sending those waves of positive energy out, and each and every time you feel yourself wanting to reach up and grab that person back down with those words or that action, lift them up instead. Refuse to be the crab who's pulling everyone back down into the trap. And see yourself walking in life strong, your shoulders back, looking for opportunities to lift people up, strangers and friends. And of course, everyone knows that the closer someone is to us, the more challenging this gets. Because they get to see us at times when we're not our best. When we're tired or overwhelmed. And even in those moments, see yourself now stopping, taking a breath, and pushing them up out of the trap instead. Now it's true, as you go through this week and the next week and years too, there are going to be other crabs trying to pull you down. And just notice that without taking it personally, as you hear them, as you see them, as you feel them doing what they're doing, remember they don't know any better yet. This is not about me personally. This is just how people can be, especially when they're trapped in the status quo and they're scared and they just don't know how one could escape and fly free. So as you stop and take that breath and refuse to take their actions or words personally, you might even find from time to time that one of them is in that state of mind where you can look down, you can reach back, you can extend your hand and say, Come with me. Let's break free and remember the beauty, the joy, the play that life is meant to be. We can do this together. But if at times you have to walk alone, so be it. Because you can't force a crab out of the trap. Just breathe, just be. And look for those opportunities to lift others up. And in that way, you become more calm, joyous, content, and truly free. A freedom shift, a joyfulness.