Are you being real with yourself and others? Are you even aware of how you feeling, thinking and acting? Do you just go through each day on autopilot, not acknowledging your worth to yourself and the world?
We are all human beings and we’ve all been there. The thing is, if you want to be truly happy and at peace, you have to be real with yourself.
So, what does that look like? It’s a fact that most of us have been hurt as small children. Our parents did the best they could with what they knew at the time. Even though we were abused emotionally, physically, or sexually, someone we loved dearly died, our pet ran away – the list is endless. It’s what we did with the emotions regarding those experiences that matter. The trauma is not what happened to us but what happened inside us as a result of the trauma.
You see, for example, if your dad left the home when you were small, you eventually got over it and learned to carry on. But, if you never dealt with and healed from the emotions of that experience, you’re still carrying them with you. They may be feelings of abandonment, hurt, anger that he left, guilt – maybe he left because of me. Now you have feelings of abandonment, hurt, anger and guilt that you’ve learned to stuff down somewhere within you. They didn’t go away. The feelings and energy of those feelings are still in you.
Now you’re in your teenage years. You decide to smoke because everyone is doing it. You want to fit in. then, as teenagers do, they say something or do something that really hurts you. You get mad and say or think, “I’ll show you”. You end the friendship. But the feelings are still there. Buried on top of the other feelings you’ve buried from you dad leaving.
Skip ahead a few years and now you’re married with a child. Your husband does something and you get furious. You can’t understand how he doesn’t see how he hurt you so bad by what he did. In reality, what he did really wasn’t as bad as you perceive it to be but, because of your buried emotions, you over react. You know deep down you’re over reacting but can’t seem to stop yourself.
All things that happen in our lives happen to teach us something and if we fail to learn the lesson, the universe will give us another chance and another and another.
We need to be real with ourselves and go to those places of hurt, anger, abandonment and guilt so we can heal those areas, clear the energy of those emotions, and make space for the joy and excitement life has to offer.
Begin Being Real Now
Take a few moments in silence. Find somewhere you will not be disturbed. Maybe put on some soft music and get comfortable.
Begin by focusing on your breathing. In your mind's eye imagine watching your breath go in and watch it go out of you on the exhale. Breathe in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Do this for 3 to 5 breaths.
Notice anywhere in your body that you feel tense or tight. Ask yourself what the tension is. If you get an answer, great. If nothing comes to mind, just keep breathing. Watch your breath go into the tightness or tension and as you exhale watch tension leave your body with your breath. Continue to do this until you feel no more tension. Give yourself gratitude for taking this first step in being real with yourself.
Breath work enables the old stagnant energy of the past to leave your body and makes room for new energy, therefore, new feelings, new ideas and creativity will begin to flow through you.