Embracing The State Of Exploration
“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”
— Carl Jung
No one cares as much about you as you.
It’s not even close.
As much as we like to believe our family and friends will do anything for us, they won’t.
As much as we like to believe our care systems are looking out for our best interest all the time, they aren’t.
I’m not trying to bum you out here on this beautiful Friday morning. I’m trying to be realistic.
I just believe that the most effective way to truly create wellbeing is to find a way to rely less on outside forces and to know yourself as deeply as possible.
We weren’t taught this in school. We aren’t being taught this now. But to truly know yourself is the most heroic act.
Going deep.
Exploring.
Coming out the other side of a challenge with more information allows you to become more empowered and confident in your ability to take care of yourself.
When you are faced with something difficult, and you find your own path to overcoming it, you re-wire your brain for growth and you evolve from change in a more holistic way.
This is both an art and a skill.
The skill of exploration is more than just a mindset, it is a state of being.
A trust in your mind and body, and your ability to allow them to work together to guide you in your pursuit of change and transformation.
The art of exploration is embracing the ebbs and flows of life with a fundamental belief that whatever is happening in your reality is there to provide you with more knowledge and wisdom that will make you stronger, more resilient and more balanced.
In the modern mental health paradigm we hear a lot about the importance of “doing the work”, but no one really describes it well, and there is no real blueprint for it.
It’s often portrayed as something difficult.
• Sitting on the hard floor of an ashram for months until you become enlightened
• Fasting for days on end until you become a shell of yourself.
• Taking a psychedelic and puking your brains out to purge away the demons.
I’m not convinced this is the way it has to be.
Yes, there will be difficulties, but this is where embracing the state of exploration, not just the mindset of it, is so important.
This is where the skill and art combine and exploration becomes enjoyable.
The state of exploration is in the trust you have in being able to listen acutely to what your unconscious mind is trying to share with you.
But that can be difficult.
Your unconscious mind does not have a language, it speaks in symbols, metaphors, signals, and sensations.
The ultimate skill then, is to develop the patience you need to decode these messages and the courage to face what they reveal.
It’s about creating a dialogue with your inner self, where you learn to interpret its language and integrate its wisdom into your life.
This is a life-long journey, so don’t kid yourself in thinking that you’re going to have it all figured out before you start work again tomorrow.
Build the skill of exploration and you will become more knowledgeable about yourself and the world around you, and the challenges you face will come and go with ease.
Contemplation
As you take some time to reflect today, remember a time when you faced a difficult challenge in your life.
Maybe you’re in the thick of something in this moment.
Maybe you just came out the other side of a really intense experience.
Take a minute to contemplate.
What emotions did you experience during this challenge, or are currently experiencing today? How did they, or are they shaping your thoughts towards this challenge? And how are those thoughts shaping your actions?
What symbols or signs appeared or are appearing to you during this time? Is it a sensation in your gut when you think about this challenge? What messages were/are these symbols trying to convey?
How have you, or might you, grow or change as a result of facing this challenge? What new insights might you uncover? What new skills have you developed? How are you more prepared are might you become more prepared for future difficulty?
This is the skill of exploration - understanding yourself in a whole new way.
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