What does it mean to be grounded?

I used to imagine being grounded as setting up the perfect life circumstances so nothing could ever bother me.

I'd only hang around like-minded people so I'd be surrounded by comfortable ideas and ideologies. Save enough money so I'd always feel financially safe. I'd only do things I already knew or researched well so I wouldn't have to face the discomfort of trying something new. I'd never say anything too bold so people couldn't misunderstand me.

However, if you're only feeling grounded when things are calm and safe, you're not really grounded.

You're more like a person in a doomsday bunker with your shelves stacked with canned goods and water filters. You've built yourself a perfect little cave so nothing can bother you. You're preparing for potential rejection, negative emotions, and risks by creating as much false safety as you can. You believe that if you prepare enough, nothing can hurt you.

You're not grounded. You're sheltered.

I've come to learn what being grounded actually means. It's acting in alignment with who you are, no matter the circumstances. It means knowing that people will reject you and freely allowing them to do so because you are confident in who you are. It's being kind to others, even when you got the worst night of sleep. It's committing to learning a skill for 10 minutes, even if it's the last thing you want to do right now. It's failing in a public setting and showing yourself compassion instead of beating yourself up. It's the act of continuing to take action and trusting that things will work out even though the outside evidence says the opposite. It's hearing opposing opinions and being curious about their perspective instead of judgmental.

Being grounded is the greatest superpower because life can throw anything your way and you still stay true to who you are.

Being grounded allows you to freely explore the world because nothing can faze you. In action, it looks like a skilled sailor navigating the choppy waters of life. The sailor doesn't avoid the waves, they learn to navigate them better.

I used to believe that being grounded was an innate personality trait - you're either naturally grounded or an anxious wreck. Luckily, like any skill, it's something that can be learned.

I'll be sharing a few of the foundational truths that have helped me cultivate this mindset, so stay on the lookout.