22/11/2025
When Your Inner Peace Trips Over a LEGO
By Julie Lucas–Hokin | Forward Motion Freedom
There’s nothing quite like stepping barefoot on a LEGO brick to test your spiritual growth.
You can meditate or pray for years, read every mindfulness book ever written and the entire bible mindfully adhering to all the proverbs, breathe through traffic jams, and forgive your neighbour for mowing at 7 a.m., but one rogue LEGO in the dark, and suddenly your inner peace, spiritual calmness and wisdom leave the building.
That tiny, brightly coloured square of pain brings instant clarity: you are, in fact, still gloriously human.
The Moment of Impact
There’s a sacred 3-second process that happens when foot meets LEGO:
Step 1: Shock. A sound escapes your mouth that could scare birds off a wire.
Step 2: Rage. You consider who left it there and briefly question all your parenting or tidying systems.
Step 3: Reflection. You hop dramatically on one foot and think, Wow. I might actually be overreacting to a small piece of plastic. Alternatively that instant might be the break through moment when you realise some order, some boundaries, some personal change must happen in your life. It might be the instant you realise you aren’t actually being real about life.
And there it is, the spiritual lesson in miniature: awareness through pain, perspective through wobble, and the reminder that balance isn’t a permanent state… it’s a constant recalibration.
Balance, LEGO-Style
Life is full of invisible LEGOs. They’re the tiny triggers, the offhand comments, the small frustrations that somehow manage to pierce your carefully cultivated calm.
Maybe it’s the traffic light that turns red just as you arrive, the email that starts with “Just circling back,” or the sound of someone chewing loudly when you’re already overstimulated.
These little things throw us off balance not because they’re big, but because they sneak in when we’re least prepared.
Balance isn’t about never stepping on a LEGO, it’s about what we do after.
Do we sit on the floor in defeat?
Or do we laugh, breathe, and keep walking, a little wiser, maybe with slippers on next time?
Do we make major changes in our life because the lessons have kept tapping away and this time we actually fell when we stepped on the Lego or it really did some damage.
The Compassion Bit
It’s easy to think balance means staying calm, graceful, and unbothered, but that’s perfectionism.
Real balance has room for the stumble, the swear word, the slightly dramatic overreaction, or even a massive fall where we need helping getting up again and standing squarely on our feet before we step forward.
It’s forgiving yourself for losing it, finding your breath again, and remembering that your nervous system just did its job, it detected threat and tried to save your foot.
So, next time life throws a LEGO under your path, literal or emotional, see if you can meet it with curiosity instead of shame.
Ask, What is this showing me about what I need right now?
(Other than shoes.)
The Real Lesson
Maybe balance isn’t found in stillness, but in recovery, not in staying upright, but in how we realign after we wobble. Every LEGO moment, every frustration, setback, or foot-stomping pain, is an invitation to pause, breathe, and return to centre with a bit more grace (and maybe a Band-Aid).
At the end of the day, balance isn’t the absence of chaos, it’s the ability to smile, limp a little, and keep moving forward with compassion, humour, and maybe just one less LEGO on the floor.
Today’s Balance Reminder:
The path to peace is rarely smooth, sometimes it’s covered in small plastic obstacles.
Step lightly, laugh often, and remember, the wobble is the practice.
Today's Balance Challenge: The LEGO Test
Goal: Practice gentle recovery, curiosity, and laughter when life trips you up, literally or figuratively.
Steps:
1. Notice the LEGO (or obstacle).
Today, identify one small “LEGO” moment, something that annoys, surprises, or throws you off balance. It could be a literal LEGO, a spilled coffee, a tricky email, or a snarky comment, or it might be something life chargingly huge, a betrayal, an abandonment or a what the……… moment
2. Pause and Breathe.
Before reacting, take a slow, mindful breath. Count to three, or a million and three, take a moment or a day or a week. hop on one foot while laughing, until clarity arrives, or sit quietly for as long as it takes for the realisation and solution to seep into your soul.
3. Name Your Reaction.
Say out loud (or silently): Shock? Rage? Reflection? Awareness? Identify what you felt without judgment.
4. Recalibrate.
Decide how you’ll move forward. Can you fix the LEGO situation, respond with kindness, or just let it go with a smirk?
5. Celebrate Your Recovery.
Even if it’s a tiny wobble, you practiced balance. Pat yourself on the back (or your foot, gently) dance furiously around a room cleared of Lego and any other obstacle and maybe make a mental note to wear shoes next time.
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Disclaimer:
This article reflects personal views, reflections, and experiences and knowledge. It is not a replacement for medical, psychological, therapeutic, or professional advice. If you find yourself in distress, facing difficult circumstances, or needing support, please seek help from a qualified healthcare provider, mental-health professional, or other appropriate practitioner.
