May is mental health awareness month. A month that is SUPER important for me. I spent over a year openly sharing my journey of embracing, understanding, accepting, growing from domestic violence. During that journey, I was called all sorts of names and labelled all sorts of things. At first, I would have massive reactions to the labels and then one day, I was able to shift my focus from external noise to internal chatter. Each time I witnessed pushback from others, it meant that I woke up something within. Consciously or subconsciously, a seed was planted and I touched parts of another that were “blissfully” ignorant. That’s awesome but I needed to better understand my own personal resistance to words…
I made an announcement on Facebook (my main canvas for emotional exploration) asking others to DM me if they wanted to hear words about wellness, illness or just general curiosity about any topic. I set an intention to share words to help others. The first inquiry was POWERFUL. The exchange shifted from depression to finding your purpose.
Everything is about the mind. Everything. To me, depression is living in the past. Being in a cycle of self-pity and trying to understand things rather than accept them. Jim Carry made a very powerful comment, reframing an idea from his spiritual mentor, along the lines of depression is an overworked system. Depression is loosely translated to deep rest. Lean into the need for rest. Once the soul is at peace then it becomes easier to do things for you, not for others. The ironic part is that doing things for self is the best way to do things for others. Seems counterintuitive but it’s true. So understanding the mind, giving it a rest, creates space to find your purpose. At the end of the day, isn’t finding your purpose simply growing into your magic?
I spent my entire 20s doing things for my family. I was building resentment without knowing I was building resentment. My heart was in a good place and my intentions were pure. I knew what I was talented in but it wasn’t what I enjoyed. At a conscious level, I was building a piggybank to fulfil a promise. At a subconscious level, I was craving the love and approval of people in my family. I felt very uncomfortable with others experiencing heavy emotions. It took me about a year to understand this cycle and eventually break it. Today, my truth is the more comfortable I become with experiencing my own heavy emotions, the deeper I’m able to connect with others. During those connections, I remind myself that each person helps me (in their own way) by bringing me closer to my purpose. My purpose isn’t defined as a single thing. It’s more than simply existing but it’s also as simple as existing. I know the things that I’m good at. I know the things that I enjoy. The big work is continuing to do the things that scare me.
Finding purpose. Such a wonderful topic. The more I seek to find my purpose, the more it eludes me. The more I sit quietly, the faster it surrounds me. It’s during the quiet moments. The moments where I’m absolutely present. This is when the mind is free. When elements of nature are creating a symphony. Just for me. The sun is dancing across the sky. The wind is my spirit guides giving me hugs. The animals are curious and start appearing out of nowhere. Just then I realise that they have always been there, I’ve just had so much mental clutter that it’s only now that I’m seeing them. We’ve been sharing space for months but only now are we meeting. So present that I can feel the temperature difference between inhales and exhales. My mind/body/spirit is in flow. All parts complimenting one another.
Purpose is not something to seek. It’s something to be. A state of being. When you realise the Universe is conspiring for you. The moment you realise that whatever you think your purpose is, it’s something completely different for each person that crosses your path.
There is a gentleman in my heart this morning. His purpose in my world might not be the same as his purpose in another person’s world. He’s a messenger reminding me that I can trust myself, I can live in heart center. There are people that love me that I’m blissfully unaware of. And it’s those people that whisper magic into my world by just being. Just. being. The purpose is to connect with self. Each day, continue to surround yourself with people that inspire growth. One’s purpose is everything and nothing. It’s when the mind is free. The world is playing your favourite song. Your heart is at peace and things are in flow…
Mental Health Awareness month. Grow into your magic. Surround yourself with people that hold up mirrors and wake up the ‘difficult’ parts of you. Embracing these parts is pretty freaking awesome… It’s difficult work. It’s also absolutely magical… to do this work is to find your magic. And to find your magic; Be your magic; is to realize your purpose.
#MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #Resilience #Purpose #CreateMagic #Presence #Alignment #JourneyToPeace