By no fault of our own, we are conditioned, indoctrinated, and molded to fit into our communities. It’s survival. It’s subconscious. And the job of our subconscious is to keep us safe.
That’s both helpful and hugely problematic.
One of my mentors, Erick Godsey, said: “Loving yourself is about keeping your word to yourself. Period.”
Jung was famous for saying, “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
What does that even mean?
It means that our thoughts produce our actions, which make up our habits, which make up how we experience life. Look around you. Every single thing in your field of vision was previously someone else’s thought. It all starts with thoughts.
But we carry so much because we don’t actually know HOW to uncover them and heal.
Telling yourself the truth is where you begin.
No matter the path you choose for healing (journaling, IFS, talk therapy, plant medicine, tarot, etc), you must learn to uncover your own stories with accuracy.
What does that look like?
Asking yourself:
- “What do I REALLY think about this in the privacy of my heart?”
- “What would I do if I didn’t feel I had to do this other thing?”
- “What would I actually scream to the rooftops if my reputation wasn’t at stake with the people important in my life?”
The list goes on, but you get it.
Once you crack this shell, you’ll begin a new relationship and dialogue with your soul. Your inner voice. The part of you that always knows what’s right for you and feels a little “off” when you ignore it.
Telling yourself the truth and integrating what comes up (there are many ways to do this) is the threshold you walk through to heal, transform, and step into the life that is most aligned and joyful for you.
Your truth will never steer you wrong, but it takes practice to really hear it.
Try it for yourself
This is for the moments when the noise gets too loud and you just need a way through. It consists of writing, a period of powerful feedback, and important integration questions to close out the session.
You’ll need:
- A quiet space to write
- Access to ChatGPT
- Unfiltered honesty, an open mind, and a willingness to meet what’s there
If you’re craving clarity, feel strongly about something and don’t know what to do, or just want to feel a little more like yourself again, CouncilWork is a powerful place to start.