“We don’t solve our problems. We outgrow them.”
— Carl Jung
There’s no magic spell to cancel our issues. We can’t erase our imperfect childhood, our years in the bad relationship, or our mistakes that sent us on the “wrong” path (pst… it’s all Path). Our trauma, abusive parents, toxic ex’s, tragic losses... all belong to us and will always live within us in some capacity. These are important chapters in our story. They season us, deepen us, develop our character and we take them with us wherever we grow.
The part we have agency around is in determining how these wounds influence our behaviors in the present. To what degree are our past wounds negatively shaping our current ways of being?
When someone wants to “solve” their problem, they often want to erase it from the record and make it disappear. They want to deal with it with a finality, and never have to revisit the issue. Yet, we know on an intellectual level that this is fantastical thinking, even though on an emotional level we want to at least try and delete things. With that said, it is possible to outgrow our issues and have them be part of the history that informs who we are today, rather than being part of the story that keeps us limited.
MEETING IT HEAD-ON
Instead of meeting the challenge head on to diminish its power over us, we avoid it, suppress it, and try to not deal with it. We dive into addiction and distraction, we bury the truth from others and ourselves, we abandon self and check out. But try as we might, the grip these suppressed issues have on us inevitably grows when they’re locked up and neglected in the basement of our psyche.
What we’re *really* wanting here is to stop the problem from having a negative impact on our daily lives. This is 100% doable.
So what’s the power move to get free from wrestling with a “demon”?
Direct the bright, searing light of conscious attention and loving presence onto it.
In staying present with a challenge and increasing our tolerance for discomfort there we get a chance to unseat its power over us.
By engaging with it from an empowered place, we level up and get one step closer to freedom.
We grow larger than our problems.
Returning to our power is inevitable when we do the work.
Begin the journey of reclaiming your power.
Turn the lights on in the basement.
Get free.