Introduction
Why are we so unhappy?
https://abc13.com/archive/9000225/
The key to knowing the answer to that is the willingness and desire to dig deeper and inquire within ourselves. Have we explored every avenue of our lives that may be holding us back? This can be from how we show empathy, gratitude, love, kindness, and courage.
A couple of years ago I stepped away from my ballet career. What I assumed would just feel like losing a piece of me (although a very integral piece) turned in to losing my very sense of identity. I so strongly resided in being labeled as a "dancer" or a "ballerina" that I started to strongly resent and rebel when anyone called me that post retiring. The larger looming question however was, "Who am I?".
I dove head first in to a plethora of self help books, starting with the 'Happiness Project' by Gretchen Rubin and then landing on the author Byron Katie and her inquiry technique which she calls "the Work". Slowly I began to be able to put the pieces of my fractured identity back together. I was learning what I liked and didn't like all over again. Being a people pleaser I found that many of the things I did was just because it was something someone told me I 'should' do and wasn't something that actually inspired me. This began the assault on all of the things I did in my daily life that I felt like I 'should' be doing to better myself, from the books I told myself to read, to the music I told myself to listen to. They all had to go! Instead, I was then able to be honest with the fact that I don't like reading all that much, I'm an auditory learner and find great pleasure in listening to books on Audible. I also unabashedly love Taylor Swift...now I know if you know me at all this comes at no surprise to you, but I even questioned this!
Slowly but surely the pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together. Being unequivocally myself and not apologizing for a damn thing felt f-ing fantastic! What I've learned is that I'm an overly caring (sometimes to a fault), loving, honest, and loyal individual who will work hard to achieve her goals. No need to put a label on it because there is not a single label that could ever encompass all that I am. Because of that I'm constantly striving to learn the truth and what is standing in the way of my being able to achieve this ultimate state of happiness and joy.
During this incredibly stressful and strange world that we are now living in I've discovered that I'm once again redefining the labels I managed to cling on to for comfort (old habits die hard you guys), but I'm not going to lose this fight. Instead, I'm taking this as the golden opportunity to be comfortable in the face of ultimate uncertainty. If you'd like to join me in strengthening our self identities and getting to know our authentic selves (flaws and all) I urge you to continue to connect with me, and if you don't feel comfortable doing it with me do it with the ones you're closest to. Vulnerability is the only way to the truth.
Happy Friday friends!
-Christina
https://abc13.com/archive/9000225/
The key to knowing the answer to that is the willingness and desire to dig deeper and inquire within ourselves. Have we explored every avenue of our lives that may be holding us back? This can be from how we show empathy, gratitude, love, kindness, and courage.
A couple of years ago I stepped away from my ballet career. What I assumed would just feel like losing a piece of me (although a very integral piece) turned in to losing my very sense of identity. I so strongly resided in being labeled as a "dancer" or a "ballerina" that I started to strongly resent and rebel when anyone called me that post retiring. The larger looming question however was, "Who am I?".
I dove head first in to a plethora of self help books, starting with the 'Happiness Project' by Gretchen Rubin and then landing on the author Byron Katie and her inquiry technique which she calls "the Work". Slowly I began to be able to put the pieces of my fractured identity back together. I was learning what I liked and didn't like all over again. Being a people pleaser I found that many of the things I did was just because it was something someone told me I 'should' do and wasn't something that actually inspired me. This began the assault on all of the things I did in my daily life that I felt like I 'should' be doing to better myself, from the books I told myself to read, to the music I told myself to listen to. They all had to go! Instead, I was then able to be honest with the fact that I don't like reading all that much, I'm an auditory learner and find great pleasure in listening to books on Audible. I also unabashedly love Taylor Swift...now I know if you know me at all this comes at no surprise to you, but I even questioned this!
Slowly but surely the pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together. Being unequivocally myself and not apologizing for a damn thing felt f-ing fantastic! What I've learned is that I'm an overly caring (sometimes to a fault), loving, honest, and loyal individual who will work hard to achieve her goals. No need to put a label on it because there is not a single label that could ever encompass all that I am. Because of that I'm constantly striving to learn the truth and what is standing in the way of my being able to achieve this ultimate state of happiness and joy.
During this incredibly stressful and strange world that we are now living in I've discovered that I'm once again redefining the labels I managed to cling on to for comfort (old habits die hard you guys), but I'm not going to lose this fight. Instead, I'm taking this as the golden opportunity to be comfortable in the face of ultimate uncertainty. If you'd like to join me in strengthening our self identities and getting to know our authentic selves (flaws and all) I urge you to continue to connect with me, and if you don't feel comfortable doing it with me do it with the ones you're closest to. Vulnerability is the only way to the truth.
Happy Friday friends!
-Christina
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