I had to get to myself again. Did I want the same things? Did I have the goals? Was I going to stay on the same path with the same plans? I suspect this may sound familiar. You look at the person in the mirror and this stranger stares back at you. A stranger asking you uncomfortable questions. One question underlying all the others. “Who are you?’ “Who are you, now?” Who are you at your core?”
An unsettling question, to be sure. “Who are you at your core?” I still ask myself this question almost every day. Blessedly, it is a question that can become a north star or compass that guides both better decisions and actions. If you are searching within yourself to discover for the (perhaps for the first time) who you are at the very center of your This the being is truly crucial first step to navigating life’s transitions small and earth shaking. Make no mistake, this is daunting to undertake a journey into your deepest inner self. You’re bound to find things that pleasantly surprised and invariably shock and disturb you. I mention this not to dissuade from, but rather to tempt you into undertaking the deep dive to depths within.
While delving into the core of your being is not an endeavor to be taken lightly but it can be immensely rewarding. Done properly you are highly likely to confront what C.G. Jung called the Shadow Self. Particularly in Western Culture this is often seen as a bit taboo or at minimum a bit intimidating. But if you can face your Shadow Self you will it oft find has a mirror twin. I call it the Incandescent Self. There are as many ways to conceptualize this self as there are individuals in the ‘Verse. For myself, I think of it as the divine spark that makes one unique and animates the inner life. Like so much in this world you can’t have one without the other. After all, to cast a Shadow, you MUST in fact have a source of light. There is no Shadow without that Light.
When I assure you that the first step is the hardest, I speak from experience. True Talk, I couldn’t take my first steps alone, I had to have help. A lot of help, in fact. Including my wife of over 20 years. She’s my number one Shadow buddy. I highly recommend having a Shadow Buddy to do this kind of self-exploration with. That may or may not be with a romantic partner, but with someone you can trust. For the record, my wife has called in professional pinch hitters on more than one occasion. I still have the pros on my roster as a matter of fact. Hey, girl’s gotta do what girl’s gotta do. Like the Flight Attendant always says, “put on your masks first. Self-care doesn’t have to mean Solo-Care, people!
The point that I am meandering, is that to figure out where to go next or when to go next; often what you must you do is figure out WHO you are in this moment first. And if you are very brave, WHY you are? In fact, you may be asking why over and over. Like a those nesting dolls, with ever smaller figures one inside the other, there is usually another why hiding inside another. To get a true root of what may truly be the issue troubling you need ask far more than even one or two whys. Are you that brave? Whether alone or with your Shadow Buddy? Friend, Foe or Pro? Are you ready? Are you ready to confront you Shadow? Are you ready to meet your Incandescent Self? Are You ready to get to know the most fascinating person in your life? The one in the mirror.
This is the Wyld SoothSayer reminding you to Be Human, Love Your Essentia & Live Laterally