How You Can Find Yourself When You are Feeling Stuck
Four practices that can bring you clarity instantly
There is a sacred process of coming home to one's self. It requires deep listening, dialogue, self-analysis and relentless commitment to your process.
It cannot be compared to another's journey. It is unique in the way your signature is yours and only yours.
In my own journey of arriving home I find that I am letting go of this traumatic response to protect myself from people and avoid relationships.
In our quest for truth I think rather than constantly striving for more to find validation we can work with what we have and build on our fundamental core values.
These core values are what one creates for themselves and is one step towards freedom. When you are in touch with your core values you know what is right for you regardless of outside influence.
You are conscious and aware of the inner voice within.
You are conscious and aware of the messages your body sends to you.
As I’ve started to rebuild my identity after trauma I am discovering who I am and what makes me feel at home.
I am discovering what my deep core values are which I think if you are a survivor sometimes that it is hard to identify and proclaim as yours.
A sacred practice of being with myself in the quiet and listening to my own inner voice gives me peace. It gives me a chance to find my center and apply these tools in my every day life.
By pausing and finding stillness in your breath you can settle into space and wisdom.
Here you can access your truth and inner compass.
By being committed to these 4 practices you will access a wisdom that is truly yours. You will find your own inner truth in whispers and nudges.
Deep listening.
We listen all the time in everyday conversation but how often do we spend time listening to ourselves?
I think what is so great about yoga is that it invites you to listen to your breath, your body and your thoughts.
You become the observer of what you feel and how you are engaging your mind with each pose you do.
One yoga pose that students love is the REST pose, savasana. You lie on your back with your arms out wide and legs relaxed. There is nothing required from you but to rest and be in your experience.
Try this for yourself today.
Before you go to sleep, lie in the savasana pose and listen to the gentle hum of your breath. Listen to the thoughts you are having and let go of judging yourself.
This gives us the awareness to notice what we want to grow into and let go of.
Dialogue
Beyond our ability to listen to ourselves is creating a dialogue with our own inner voice.
What makes you feel joy? What is causing you suffering? What thoughts are creating unrest for you? What brings you peace? How can you begin to create this for yourself?
Create a dialogue with yourself through the art of journaling. Brain dump everything you are thinking and feeling for a few minutes. Imagine you are your own mentor for a second.
What would your wise self say in response to the brain dump? What new insight or perspective shift would benefit you in this time in your life?
Whenever I feel stuck I go for a walk and talk with myself.
What do I need? What am I really feeling right now? What would make me feel more aligned with my true self?
These questions can really provoke some new ideas and opportunity to be in your flow state rather than feel stuck.
Self-Analysis
As you start the practice of listening and creating a dialogue with yourself an awareness is created. From here we can start to dive deep into self-analysis and really discover what it is you are doing and why.
If I am fearful I will go to my worst fear and ask myself “And then what?”
For example, a fear I am finally starting to heal from is being cheated on. It was very traumatizing for me and has hindered me from trusting fully any partner.
By asking myself “And then what?” gives me an opportunity to go down the rabbit hole and also find repair and truth.
“And then what if my partner cheats on me? I will betrayed. I will feel abandoned. I will feel stupid and hurt. I will take care of myself better this time. I will get help and support. I won’t suffer alone”
Practice self-analysis with one of your stuck points, fears, or insecurities. What are the behaviors you are creating as a result of these? How can you find support and healing through a different approach that would make you feel free and uplifted?
Relentless commitment
We can’t make any real change unless we are relentlessly committed to our own personal growth.
If you are consistently inconsistent with the self-work you are doing then you won’t find yourself out of your problem. You will only find yourself feeling like you’re on the hamster wheel getting nowhere.
Publicly announce the work you are doing on yourself and what you are working through. Telling on ourselves is really a great way to keep yourself accountable to your own commitment.
Real transformation begins when we are completely fed up with the way we are doing things and are willing to do what it takes to create a more core-aligned life.