Bow to no-one
Do you know who you are?
We live in such times where we are trained and taught to not be ourselves. We go through decades of programming as soon as we enter this world, both in the conscious mind, but even more so in the subconscious. The subconscious is where all this subtle and not-so-subtle programming is dumped. Anyway this isn’t an article about that – many others have written about the power of symbols and the programming of the mind.
We all experience various degrees of ‘educational’, social and cultural indoctrination, and how interesting it is that when we try to deprogram ourselves and attempt to find our true selves, who we really are, that we are met with a series of challenges from all possible quarters.
How interesting it is that when we attempt to strip back these layers that are not ours (and were never ours, and will never be ours) that the bullying, the gaslighting, the projections rear their ugly heads. People look on from the sidelines making snide remarks fueled by jealousy and resentment for trying to be who we truly are instead of what others want us to be. Most of the time, it’s from those closest to us that have the most to say – and sometimes that’s what stings the most. They easily pass judgement on at others unwilling to look at themselves. Unwilling to address their own faults. In my experience whatever people tell you about you, is in fact not about you. It’s about them. They project their own fears and insecurities on to others as means to make them feel (temporarily) satisfied with themselves. The criticism and unwarranted critical advice then follows. It might sting, but only if you let it.
Here’s the trick. As long as you are aware of your own faults and misgivings then no-one can touch you. No-one can hurt you by telling you something that you already know about yourself. We might not be aware of everything about ourselves – we all have our blind spots. That’s the human experience. But stay true to yourself. Work to improve yourself rather than continually point out the errors in others. That’s not your responsibility. There is no saviour outside of yourself to rely on, and don’t expect anyone to be otherwise. Don’t let anyone else tell you what to do with your own life. It’s yours – you do with it what you like as long as it does not cause harm to others. Bow to no-one. You know who you are, so don’t compromise on it. Ever.
Find our own sadhana and develop your own inner strength. Cultivate resilience and a steely attitude. This doesn’t mean that you have to be uncaring – far from it. It means that others understand where the lines are drawn. Take a look at what you are eating – not just physical but mentally and emotionally too. Not only do we digest food, but we digest everything our senses come into contact with. Take a look at your lifestyle and daily routines. If something doesn’t feel right then change it. Changing one thing at a time is much easier to implement than trying to change everything at once. And if others don’t like it then, well tough sh*t!