Inner Reflection

When we choose to stop numbing ourselves with whatever story or belief that drains our energy, inner reflection is a powerful tool. And our need for busyness, for example, can no longer run our lives.

At the heart of it all, here we are.

Our fast food culture is on its last legs and will be here as long as we, people, support it. As long as we give our power away to a force outside ourselves and continue to chase success or being better than everyone, human suffering continues.

Many of us have become dependent on pain and hardship, trapped in repetitive cycles of self-destructive behavior. And there is always someone or a situation outside ourselves to blame.

Doing our own work means that we walk our talk. But too often, we stay stuck in automatic behaviors and react impulsively based on ingrained habits and patterns when we are in suffering. In these instances, our wounded ego takes over and we unconsciously exhibit self-importance, self-pity, or self-doubt.

Inner Reflection of External Relationships

And in these states, we take people around us for granted. Like anything in life, relationships take investment and care. Trust is fragile and assuming we know what someone needs creates havoc. When hubris appears, it’s often a sign of a need to get energy outside ourselves and it creates an imbalance in our selves and our relationships.

And it’s shocking to see how mechanical we may become when we tap into our inner reflection. We may realize we are saying one thing and doing the opposite.

Because acting on reactionary, conditioned, and wounded patterns keeps us trapped. And not much ever changes until we become whole and no longer respond automatically or mechanically.

No one knows what is on our ‘pyramid’ of needs. There is no one size fits all unless we are a very large shirt.

A Healthy Chapter

And here we are at the beginning of a new healthy chapter in life that is opening up this Spring. It all depends on our choices and ability to let go. When we are ready, inner reflection allows us to be ready for a healthy way of life. We give ourselves permission to clear out emotional clutter and whatever no longer resonates. Because when we are in flow, change is natural and does not need to be controlled. No one knows what is healthy for us.

When more of us fully understand that we didn’t come here to suffer and solve endless problems, we begin to step out of wounds. We discern between hype and reality. What do we really need: is it to consume more and more as the world tell us?

We cannot be rushed or avoid our work through the use of “New Age” codes, or by simply or thinking positive thoughts. These techniques only lead to self-deception and suppression of emotions that eventually resurface. A genuine way to overcome negative emotions is to face them and work through them from the inside out.

Some of us are birthing healthy stories. And we are weaving a tapestry of human relationships that are grounded here. Feeling so connected to our hearts and seeing that we are one seed in the garden. And like a seed, we must have clean water and food to help us break through the earth and feed on the natural light of the sun.

Turning down the noise of fear and observing quietly without being triggered or offended. No longer fighting for our lives because someone promises a false sense of safety.

Understanding that no one outside ourselves is coming to ‘save’ us and that the caped characters are all stories of heroes that are not coming with us, unless we choose to be entertained.

Navigating Our Hearts

Our inner reflection allows us to appreciate the natural beauty and even find spots in urban jungles to ground ourselves on land and water. Swishing with the natural elements as a reminder that so much is possible.

Becoming aware that we don’t need layers of external validation to be whole. This is the beginning of a trek into the unknown where discernment is not judgment. And we walk away from anything toxic—be it food, people or situations. Not everyone is healthy for our wellbeing.

There is a fine line to be crossed now in the ‘friendships’ we created where we can be more of ourselves and giving and taking are natural flows. There is no scorecard. True relationships are wired with deep caring and love. There are no conditions and we get to experiment and grow, together, in every aspect of life.

When there is trust, relationships and community become foundational in our daily experiences. And most importantly, a healthy relationship with ourselves.

Conflicts transform into conversations with no hurt feelings and wounds. Why would we want to hurt and cause pain unless that’s all we know? So many people are wounded and write and talk about living from the heart. But when you get close, it’s just words because not everyone is truly willing to trek into this unknown and be real.

We drop the niceties and social conditioning to trek into our unknown by allowing ourselves to experiment. And trusting our hearts that what brought us here may not be the way forward. Because when we open our hearts, a whole new world opens us where we no longer need someone else’s story, book, manual, workshop, gathering, retreat or talk instructing us on how to be.

There is beauty in our questions and in becoming whole to experience the mystery of life.