reflections
✫
In her book, The Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown writes, “Owning our story can be hard, but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky, but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”
We can't let go, move on, or be open to new possibilities when facing life's challenges if we don't feel safe getting to know all of who we are. When we don't know how to transform the darkness within, or we feel ashamed by it, then we develop all sorts of habitual coping mechanisms that, over time, lead to chronic states of self-doubt, and feelings of overwhelm, disappointment, anxiety and depression. Our natural state of being is to radiate a buoyant enjoyment of life, or a "joie de vivre," and to be in a constant connection to an energizing sense of purpose, cultivating mind states of flow and creativity. This is possible only when we refrain from the habits of mind that interfere with it. No one is born knowing how to do this. It's a skill set we need to learn. Are you ready? Message me.
0 Comments
How do you feel you move through your personal struggles, trauma, or challenge?
Emotional resilience is one side effect of being challenged, surviving the challenge, and healing trauma. But emotional growth is the capacity to bounce back after something hard, to experience growth that goes beyond merely getting back to what was "normal." How do you know if you're experiencing emotional growth? You will experience positive responses in five key areas:
Has any of this happened to you? Would you like to see this kind of change in your life after a really hard year? Tips to keep your cool and stay at the top of your game today:
1) No one can control your mood without your consent. 2) It's not what happens, it's how you respond. 3) Some people and situations are not worth a response. Let whoever think whatever. 4) Before you react, ask yourself, is it worth it? Does this move me in the direction I want to go? Photo credit: Jeff Kerby There is no relationship more important than the relationship we have with ourselves, and if we are lucky, we somehow stumble upon someone who can teach us how to cultivate a genuine, loving connection with others. This is a profoundly difficult task. It's not status quo in a world that too easily succumbs to an emotional battleground of either hating and fearing ourselves or hating and fearing others. Both lead to a destructive isolation. It takes considerable effort and humbling reflection to address our limitations such that love and kindness towards ourselves and others becomes the unshakable ground we stand upon in thought, word, and deed. Love is the great equalizer. When we step into true love, we can no longer turn against ourselves, we can no longer view ourselves as unworthy, we can no longer blame anyone for our troubles, nor can we view ourselves as in any way superior to anyone else. The depression lifts. The anxiety melts away. The exhaustion transforms into a youthful aliveness.
Become a beacon of love. The courage to do the inner work, to end the cycle of judgement and blame, to take personal responsibility for what you wish was different -- is an act of love that feeds your deepest calling. Every time you give voice to the voiceless (including the voice in you), every time you forgive the unforgivable (and free yourself from past trauma), every time you step into compassion instead of judgment, every time you open your heart when it's tempted to close, you land right smack dab in the center of your life's highest purpose. Civil rights leader, Howard Washington Thurman, famously said it best, "Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Can you hear that voice inside you? Is it really quiet? I'm here to help it grow. You are so much more beautiful and powerful than you realize. Message me if you want to chat about how to create a conscious, loving connection to yourself. Photo: Union by Android Jones (with permission) “Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.”
- Winston Churchill No matter the challenges you have faced, you can learn how to distinguish between reactivity and response and make the empowering choice for yourself. One response leads you to a stronger and loving connection with yourself and the other leads you further away. Far more than “positive” thinking, it’s true integration of the complexities and challenges of life that bring you to the seat of your true power. Each of us has our own unique expression of this. How has this shown up for you recently? [Photo from a recent adventure to the fire tower at Hunter Mountain] The essence of creation is to come into alignment with a vision of something that doesn’t yet exist. Each day is a gift and you are the director of your experience. Start by creating a dialogue of possibility in yourself.
What does that look like? What will you create? What is holding you back? You don’t have to stay stuck in the wounds of the past. You can learn to differentiate between the sound of your intuition guiding you and the sound of your traumas misleading you.
You were born to thrive. |
Archives
May 2021
Categories |