I was inspired by the recent warning of a rain storm with high winds that was supposed to have hit our islands this past Wednesday. However, the torrential rains and winds did not hit us until midday Thursday, and by the time you read this blog, I’m hoping the storm has passed our islands with minimal damage.
What I have been observing over the past month or so, has been an unsettled energy amongst not only my practice members, but family members, friends, and myself. Like the saying “as above and so below” or “life imitates art and art imitates life,” I figured it would be a good time to look at our inner storms, as our external environment is clearly expressing it with this stormy and gloomy weather.
The one thing that we have no control over is our external environment, but the one thing we do have control over is our internal environment and how we choose to respond and react to challenging situations. When I was an adolescent, I clearly remember times when I would let my emotions take over and kick my rational brain to the back seat. On hindsight, whenever I let my emotions run amok, it never boded well and ended up creating more storms and drama.
The one most irritating factoid was that it was never the other person’s fault. Sometimes, the other party had no clue that I was even triggered and upset. As I grew older, I began to recognize that these people were living rent free in my mind, while actually out there living their best lives. I chose to stay stuck in my anger and resentment. The big part of the issue was that I acted in a passive aggressive way and never truly spoke out about what bothered me. As I have matured (or at least think that I have), I have learned to be more forth coming and I express things that don’t feel right sooner rather than later.
One of the key elements of our internal storms are the unrecognized parts of our self that we have not healed or reconciled. Think about it, whether it be a betrayal, a moment we felt shame or guilt, or something we judged about ourselves harshly, if we never got a chance to balance it out, we carry it with us.
We carry these emotional charges and experiences in our bodies. We collect these memories, and as much as we would like to think that it’s all in the past, they aren’t. When a current experience causes us to go from zero to 100 in anger or hurt, it clearly shows us that the past charges still haven’t been dealt with. The more time we hold onto the past traumas, the more energetic charge builds until something in our life forces us to deal with it. This is where unexpected life changes such as financial loss, a loss of a dear family member, or other uncomfortable events begin to mount up, and it ultimately leads to a weird physical ailment or a serious health condition.
How can we find a way to avoid creating a serious health condition? Look at your triggers – the small ones at first – because these are essentially the unhealed parts of yourself. As I have shared, if left unchecked, or we choose to repress it, there is a potential for an even bigger storm to build.
The most important step is to become aware of any behaviors or situations that elicit an irrational and emotional reaction from you. When you recognize these triggers, do your best not to avoid them, but to take a look at them, engage, and acknowledge them. The most difficult part is to be brutally honest with yourself and see where have you done or exhibited this type of behavior or trait. Most often the things that trigger us the most are the things that we do or have done, and we are too proud to admit to ourselves that we were capable of behaving in that way. The moment we are able to own this behavior is when we can start to diffuse the charge of this trigger. Acceptance is key, and this will help you become more balanced and bring you back to a state of wholeness.
In conclusion, our inner storms are created by how we perceived our past experiences. Our past is uniquely our personal story, and the more we can fully accept all the challenging and supportive experiences, the more balanced we can become. So, these inner storms and triggers are actually gems that help you get in tune with your internal compass. It informs you when something has stayed unresolved and is yet to be healed. Do your best not to avoid your triggers, but instead, look at them, engage them, and embrace them. Doing so will help point you in the direction self-healing and regaining wholeness.
