I recently realized that one of the things that has held me back from connecting with you more over the past couple years has been a fear of saying the wrong thing. I do a lot of experimentation on a regular basis with how I think, and so, my thoughts about life and what’s possible are always evolving.
So, what if I share my thoughts with you about something and then later change my mind and feel like a hypocrite? Or worse, realize maybe I shared something with you that could cause harm in some way, even if I was originally coming from a place of positive intent?
I was talking to my biz bestie about this problem recently and she asked me, “What ARE you sure of? That you’ve felt sure of for a long time and is highly unlikely to ever change?”
I felt such relief as so many ideas poured out of me!
And I’d love to share them with you :)
Here are The Things I’m Sure Of:
We’re all souls/energy ⇒ while we are experiencing life in seemingly “separate” human physical bodies, ultimately we are all souls/energy/spiritual beings with access to infinite wisdom and infinite potential. Which means YOU are a spiritual being with access to infinite wisdom and infinite potential.
There’s very little we can actually perceive in the world ⇒ our “monkey minds” can convince us that we know The Truth and that what we are seeing is what is Reality. But in actuality, our brains filter out all but a tiny fraction of what’s happening around us (through a network of neurons in our brains called the Reticular Activating System, but I won’t get too deep into the neuroscience weeds with you today 🤓). And it’s actually super important that we are able to focus in on that small percentage through our own unique lens, because otherwise, life would get pretty overwhelming pretty fast! And probably would become fairly meaningless, too.
You can trust your own inner guidance (and experiment with getting clearer on how your own inner guidance sounds) ⇒ Each of us has a unique way of receiving guidance from our internal guidance system (our higher selves), and we can develop that language in the same way that we develop language and dialog with people in our lives. Our bodies provide immediate feedback about what will be right for us, specifically. Sometimes, we can get persuaded to do things a certain way, or eat a certain way, or move a certain way based on what works for them… but the only way to make sure that this same direction will work for you, specifically, is to learn to hear your own inner voice.
Who you are, your essence, is perfect, pure, and innocent, (and so is everyone else’s) ⇒ in this day and age, it’s easy to look around at others on opposite ends of the political spectrum, let’s say, and believe they are bad, wrong, guilty, etc. But ultimately, because of what I believe from #1 above, we all are ultimately pure, divine energy, and when we recognize that divinity in each other, all the problems, divisions, and conflict that we experience can start to melt away. Which means YOUR essence is perfect, pure, and innocent, even if you were raised to see yourself as “bad” or “wild” or “wrong”... you’re simply not!
Everyone is doing the best they can with what they are experiencing ⇒ This is very much related to what I wrote above, but it’s worth acknowledging that everyone comes into this world in a different environment that heavily influences the life they will live. And that we are all doing the best we can. Which means YOU are doing the best you can right now, too, and the more you allow yourself to see that, the more empathy and compassion you’ll have for yourself (and others!).
We all have purpose ⇒ Sometimes we think of our life purpose as being the one thing that we will DO for work while we’re alive. But I think this perspective is both limiting and ultimately detrimental, because who we really are is so much more than a job title. Perhaps you were born into this life and knew almost immediately you were meant to be a doctor, or a farmer, or an artist. But even then, your purpose in life is not to be a doctor, or a farmer, or an artist. Your purpose, I believe, can be a moment-to-moment thing that evolves over time and has much more to do with what you feel as you’re doing something meaningful that fulfills you and has a positive impact on the world. For example, writing this email to you, in a way that is heartfelt and authentic is my purpose in this moment.
In relationships, nobody is right 100% of the time (and there may not even be an actual “right” or “wrong” at all) ⇒ our monkey minds (aka our egos) would have us believe that we are ALWAYS right, and that it’s actually not safe to be wrong so we have to push back HARD when someone suggests we may have been wrong about something. But this is a fast track to relationSHIT, because needing to be right creates disconnection and discord. It separates us. And ultimately, what we want is to feel connected, to feel seen and loved and supported, no matter what… even when we really screwed something up royally. And from a “higher” perspective, there’s no such thing as right or wrong anyway… whether it’s an idea, a feeling, or an experience, it’s all part of the experience of growth, expansion, and learning. And when we see our ideas, feelings, and experiences in that way, we can feel so much more compassion and closeness in our relationships. And we can be on the same team with the people in our lives, instead of expending huge amounts of energy trying to “win” by convincing others of our “rightness”.
I feel grateful to you for reading this list and considering what I feel certain of.
And I also feel curious… what’s your list of things you’re sure of? 🙂
Just comment and let me know!
With Love,
Jana