We’re all expert storytellers. Most of us have a Ph.D. in staying stuck and fabricating reasons why we remain so. We even go so far as to associate ourselves with people in the same situations as we are so that we have social proof for the reasons why we keep lying to ourselves.
If the people around you are making the same excuses you are and share your narrative, then how are you ever going to grow? Do you find yourself doing anything and everything you can NOT to feel your negative emotions? If so, then you’re telling yourself the wrong stories, and it’s time to separate YOUR fact from the fiction you’ve been telling yourself.
I know that sounds harsh, but if you’re taking exception to those words then maybe you should lean into the why. It’s your disassociation of the facts surrounding the why that is holding you back from reaching the next rung on the ladder.
You can stay stuck, swallow the blue pill, and live a life of denial and ignorance, or you can take the red pill and live a life of harsh knowledge, true freedom, and the brutal reality that the journey is hardly ever easy.
Disassociation is easy. We can spend time on social media living our lives vicariously through others, binge-watching TV, overeating, doing drugs, staying in toxic relationships, purposefully living a small life so as not to unbalance the life of others, and a host of other things that makes it easier not to look inward.
But, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can face your emotions and the traumas of your psyche that are holding you back. The biggest hurdle you’ll ever have to face in this life is you. Step out of your way. Let the light shine on your face. See life as it truly is and hold on. Enlightenment is the key. Stop telling yourself stories because it makes you feel good. Life isn’t fiction, so stop writing yours that way.
That’s the first step of enlightenment. Get out of your way. Start living in the present because your past is holding you back. Your history is not an indicator of your future, not if you allow it. What’s holding you back? If your first answer is something outside of yourself then dig deeper, the answers lie within in. Once you find it, remove your blocks, rewrite your story.
Secondly, learn to quiet your mind. Learn to be in tune with the silent world within. Reflect on your experience and pay particular attention to the stories you tell yourself. It’s essential to break through the self-imposed facade that life comes wrapped in BEFORE that wrapping becomes too hard to break.
Lastly, learn to love unconditionally. I understand that may sound too hippy for some, but by removing conditions (barriers) from the receipt of your love, you’ll find yourself also removing the negativity from your life. People can’t live up to your expectations, so stop expecting so much. Love for love’s sake. Relax and let people in.
I know there is a lot to unpack in this post and while it’s short on words, it’s long in philosophy. Reading books and posts are fine, but the real work is on the inside. So, instead of me giving you all the answers (I couldn’t anyway because what is right for me may not right for you), search within. Rewrite your narrative.
Work towards enlightenment and step out of your way. You’re wonderfully made.