Tag: personal growth

The Collapse Before The Finish Line

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The collapse before the finish line……

do you know what I’m talking about?

Those runners who begin a strenuous marathon….at first the momentum is strong. The adrenaline is pumped, they are excited, they are waving to people!

Then, towards the middle the smile turns into a smirk, the pace has become slowed, they are focusing on their breathing, one step at a time….

Towards the end, they see the actual finish line.

That’s when the tears come, all of sudden they become so weak though they are so close! So close! The finish line is right there!

And then they either finish strong through the grace of God or who knows ..or they collapse…….

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But what happens then…….

Support comes. Family, friends, even strangers carry that runner to the finish line. They cross together. Celebrating strength, growth, perseverance, determination, courage, bravery……

There are people who are collapsing right now. They need your help. They are so close to that finish line but they cannot do it without your help.

There are so many ways we can encourage, support, and lift others. And the smallest ways believe it or not are the most powerful.

Be that person. And let others CARRY YOU TOO.

You have to let others carry you too!

Love and light my friends. We got this!

Why Don’t We All Want to Heal?

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Lately, I’ve been sitting with a question that keeps returning to me:

Why don’t more people want to do the work of inner healing and change?

Not in a judgmental way.

More in a quiet, wondering way.

Because once you begin that work, once you start peeling back the layers, tending to old wounds, and inviting God into the hidden places — something shifts. Life doesn’t become perfect, but it becomes lighter. Clearer. More honest.

And from that place, it can be hard to understand why someone wouldn’t want that too.

I think part of it is this: healing asks for truth. And truth can feel terrifying when you’ve spent years surviving by avoiding it.

The Bible says, “The light exposes everything” — and exposure requires courage. Not everyone is ready to look at themselves without armor.

There’s also comfort in what’s familiar.

Even pain can feel safe when it’s all you’ve known. Change asks us to release identities we’ve built around wounds, stories we’ve repeated so often they’ve started to feel like home.

Scripture reminds us that people sometimes “love darkness rather than light,” not because they are bad, but because light asks something of them.

And then there’s humility. Inner healing isn’t about self-improvement alone — it’s about surrender. Admitting we don’t have it all figured out. Letting God lead us somewhere new. “God gives grace to the humble,” but humility is a doorway many are afraid to walk through.

Jesus once asked a man who had been suffering for years,

“Do you want to be healed?”

It seems like an obvious question, until you realize it isn’t.

Healing changes everything.

What I’ve learned is this: the work is deeply personal. You can’t drag someone into transformation. You can’t convince soil to be ready for seed. The same seed is offered, but each heart receives it differently.

So instead of trying to wake anyone up, I try to live awake.

I try to embody the peace that comes from inner work.

The softness that comes from forgiveness.

The strength that comes from renewal.

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” Scripture says — not by forcing others to change, but by allowing yourself to be changed.

Maybe that’s how healing spreads.

Quietly.

Gently.

By example.

And maybe those who are meant to begin their own journey will recognize something familiar in the light …..

and follow it when they’re ready.

A Hidden World: What Uncontacted Tribes Teach Us About Ourselves

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Every once in a while, something crosses your path that stops you in your tracks — something that makes you question everything you thought you knew about the world.

That was me the other day, reading an article about a drone capturing footage of a group of people living deep in a remote region… completely cut off from modern society.

Not unaware.

Not forgotten.

Just choosing to live outside of our world.

There are still entire villages — real people, real families, real lives — who have never stepped foot into our “modern” world. They have no electricity, no phones, no clocks, no social media, no government systems, no advertisements telling them what they need, no pressure to become anything other than who they already are.

They live in a world that feels like a parallel reality.

And it fascinates me.

But more than that… it teaches us something.

1. A Full Life Doesn’t Require Our Definition of “Full”

We’re conditioned to believe that fulfillment comes from:

achievements productivity growth comfort convenience

Yet these tribes live full, meaningful, deep lives without any of the things we chase every day.

No noise.

No chaos.

No comparison.

Just existence — pure, present, human.

It makes you pause and wonder:

Are we actually thriving… or are we just endlessly busy?

2. “Progress” Isn’t Universal

From the outside, we might assume they’re “behind” — that our world is somehow superior or more advanced.

But the truth is striking:

They do not want our world.

They choose theirs, proudly and intentionally.

To them, our world isn’t an upgrade — it’s a disruption.

Their world is home, identity, freedom, rhythm.

And they guard it fiercely.

It makes you rethink what “better” even means.

3. They Are Living Echoes of Human Origins

Watching footage of them feels like looking through a window into how humanity once lived:

connected to the land bonded through community surviving through wisdom passed down for generations living according to the earth’s rhythms, not man-made ones

They are a reminder of who we used to be before modern life overstimulated our minds and fragmented our attention.

4. There Are Still Mysteries in the World

We love to think we’ve discovered everything.

Mapped every corner.

Documented every culture.

But then—

a drone flies overhead and reveals an entire village hidden beneath the trees.

It’s humbling.

It reminds us that Earth is still wild, sacred, and full of secrets.

The world is bigger and more mysterious than our little bubbles allow us to imagine.

5. They Teach Us Holy Boundaries

These villages avoid contact not out of fear, but out of wisdom:

outsiders bring disease outsiders bring exploitation outsiders bring change that erases culture

They protect their world the way we should protect our inner peace — fiercely, intentionally, unapologetically.

Not everything is meant to be shared.

Not everything is meant to be exposed.

Some things are sacred, and sacred things require boundaries.

6. They Make Us Rethink “Civilization”

We assume we’re more civilized because we have technology and systems.

But what if civilization is also:

emotional closeness communal purpose spiritual grounding simplicity harmony with the land

Who’s actually more aligned with life —

them, or us?

7. They Wake Us Up Spiritually

Seeing people who live untouched by noise or comparison shakes something loose in your soul.

It makes you ask:

What would my life look like without distraction?

Without pressure?

Without the constant hum of stress and expectation?

It makes you wonder who you would be if you never had to perform for the world.

Sometimes I think:

Maybe they aren’t the ones missing out.

Maybe we are.

A Final Thought

These tribes remind us that there is no single way to be human.

No universal path.

No timeline we must follow.

They are living proof that a meaningful life can look wildly different from what we’re taught to chase.

And maybe —

just maybe —

they’re here to remind us to slow down, reconnect, simplify, and remember that the world, at its core, is still full of wonder.

Unpeeling the Layers: Beginning Shadow Work

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“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” — Carl Jung

We all have parts of ourselves that we hide — not because they’re bad, but because somewhere along the way, we were taught they shouldn’t exist, or we felt embarrassed or shame.

The truth is, your “shadow” isn’t evil. It’s simply the unseen — the pieces of you that crave your love and understanding.

A huge part of my very own shadow work has been working through the trauma of being adopted. Emotions and feelings that I battled internally by myself.

Healing takes time; remember that.

What Is Shadow Work?

Shadow work is the practice of bringing light to those unseen parts.

It’s about facing your fears, triggers, insecurities, and buried emotions with honesty and compassion.

When you do, something incredible happens:

what once controlled you from the dark begins to heal in the light.

Shadow work isn’t about fixing yourself — it’s about remembering yourself. It’s about making the connections.

How to Begin Shadow Work

1. Create a safe space

Find a quiet place where you can be fully honest. Light a candle, journal, or simply sit in reflection. Shadow work requires gentleness and patience — you’re opening emotional layers that have been closed for a reason.

2. Observe your triggers

Notice what upsets, annoys, or frustrates you in others.

These moments are mirrors — reflections of something within you asking to be seen. Instead of judging the feeling, get curious about it.

3. Meet your emotions without judgment

When anger, jealousy, or sadness arises, don’t push it away. Ask it what it’s trying to show you. Often, our strongest emotions lead directly to our deepest wounds.

4. Journal through the layers

Writing can help you uncover truths you didn’t know you were hiding. Be honest, messy, and real — no one ever has to read it.

Shadow Work Prompts to Begin

• What emotion do I avoid feeling the most, and why?

• What do I criticize most in others that might live within me too?

• What parts of myself do I struggle to accept or show to the world?

• When do I feel unworthy, and where did that belief begin?

• What am I still holding resentment about, and what lesson might be hidden inside it?

• What situations make me feel small, and who taught me that shrinking was safer?

• What am I afraid people would think if they truly knew me?

• What does my inner child need from me right now?

• In what ways do I self-sabotage when things start going well?

• If my pain could speak, what would it say?

Remember: You Are the Light and the Shadow

Shadow work isn’t about becoming “perfect.” It’s about wholeness — learning to hold both the light and the dark with love. Yin and yang.

Each layer you peel back reveals more truth, more compassion, more freedom.

Healing begins the moment you stop running from yourself and start listening.

The Real Reason We Don’t Have World Peace (And How We Can Find It Within)

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“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” – Albert Einstein

We talk about world peace as if it’s something out there — a dream we keep chasing but can’t quite reach. Yet maybe the reason we can’t find peace in the world is because we haven’t yet found it within ourselves.

Government shutdowns, wars, and constant divisions are only mirrors of a deeper human truth: we are disconnected. From each other. From nature. From the still voice inside us that remembers what really matters.

The Surface of Conflict

On the surface, countries fight over land, money, and power. Politicians argue over who’s right. But beneath it all lies the same root cause: fear.

Fear of losing control. Fear of not being enough. Fear of not being heard.

When fear leads, compassion fades. And when compassion fades, peace cannot survive.

The Inner War

The world is simply a reflection of the collective inner world of its people.

So many of us carry anger, guilt, resentment, or unhealed wounds — and those emotions ripple outward. We argue, we judge, we close our hearts. It’s no wonder nations do the same.

The truth is, world peace begins with inner peace.

When you choose to forgive someone instead of holding onto pain… when you pause before reacting in anger… when you take a breath instead of shouting back — you shift the frequency of the world around you.

That’s not just poetic. It’s energetic law.

The Forgotten Connection

We’ve been taught to see differences instead of similarities — race, religion, gender, politics. But beyond those layers, we are made of the same dust, the same breath, the same light.

When you look into someone’s eyes and see yourself reflected there, peace is already happening.

We forget that we are not separate waves crashing against each other — we are the same ocean, simply moving in different forms.

The Hope That Still Lives

World peace might never come from a treaty or a politician’s promise.

It might come from something much quieter — the mother teaching her children to be kind, the friend who listens without judgment, the stranger who offers a smile when you need it most.

Every small act of love is a piece of peace.

And when enough of us find peace inside ourselves, the world will no longer have a choice but to reflect it back.

The Trap of Memetic Desires: Learning to Want What’s Truly Yours

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“We are not merely influenced by others — we are shaped by what they desire.”

– René Girard

Have you ever wanted something simply because someone else seemed to?

A certain lifestyle, job, relationship, or version of happiness — one that didn’t even cross your mind until you saw it shining in someone else’s hands?

That’s what philosopher René Girard called a memetic desire; a desire we absorb rather than originate.

It’s when our wants aren’t born from within, but borrowed from the world around us.

How Mimicry Shapes Desire

As children, we learn by imitation. We mimic how others talk, dress, and behave. But Girard suggested that imitation runs deeper than action — it shapes desire itself.

We don’t just copy what others do; we copy what they want.

And in a world overflowing with highlight reels, that’s a powerful and often dangerous thing.

Think about it:

You scroll through social media and suddenly feel drawn to a certain aesthetic or lifestyle you never cared about before. You hear your peers talking about success, and suddenly your definition of “enough” changes. You see two people in love online, and suddenly you’re not sure if you want love or just the image of it.

That’s the quiet pull of mimetic desire — subtle, yet powerful.

Recognizing the Signs

You might be caught in the current of memetic desire if:

You feel restless or “behind” after seeing others’ achievements. You chase things that look good on the outside but don’t feel right inside. Your desires change rapidly based on who you’re around or what you consume.

Memetic desires are like mirrors — they reflect others’ longings until we mistake them for our own.

🌱 Returning to Your Authentic Desires

The good news is, once you see the pattern, you can step outside it.

Here are a few ways to return home to your true desires:

1. Pause before you pursue.

Ask yourself: When did I start wanting this?

Did this desire come from a quiet inner pull, or from seeing someone else with it?

2. Sit in stillness.

Your authentic desires don’t shout — they whisper. Create space for silence, journaling, prayer, or time in nature.

When the noise fades, the truth emerges.

3. Listen to your body.

Memetic desires create tension and chasing. Authentic ones feel peaceful and grounded — even if they ask for courage.

4. Define success for yourself.

Write down what a “fulfilled life” truly means to you — not what society defines as success.

Revisit it often to stay anchored.

5. Surround yourself with grounded souls.

We absorb the energy of those around us. Stay close to people who value depth over display.

The Gift of Awareness

The moment you become aware of memetic desire, it loses its power.

You begin to want less of what glitters — and more of what’s real.

You start noticing how much peace lives in authenticity.

Because at the end of the day, your soul didn’t come here to copy.

It came to remember itself.

“You were born an original. Don’t die a copy.” – John Mason

The Importance of Releasing Built-Up Energy

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“Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work.” – Mark Twain

I was sitting outside this morning, sipping coffee as a gentle rain shower passed through. Lightning flickered across the sky, thunder rumbled in the distance, and I was struck by how beautiful it all was. That simple moment sent me down a little “Google trail” of facts about thunder, lightning, and their connection with the earth. The more I read, the more amazed I felt by how deeply nature is woven together and how much of that connection we often overlook.

It reminded me of something from many years ago, when I worked at the bank. One of the first lessons they taught us about working with customers was this: you must create a connection before offering advice. That connection built trust, and with trust came a relationship.

Without it, nothing meaningful could take root.

Isn’t the same true with our Mother Earth? How important it is to slow down, notice her rhythms, and take the time to build connection. With connection comes care, and with care comes relationship.

When thunder shakes the earth, we are reminded that even the sky must let go. Storms don’t appear out of nowhere, they build from heat, pressure, and imbalance. Eventually, the energy becomes too great to hold, and nature finds its release through lightning and thunder.

This release isn’t destructive by design. It’s restorative. The rain nourishes the soil. The air cools. The atmosphere resets. Without the storm, the earth would stay tense, suffocated by pressure that has nowhere to go.

We are no different.

Each of us carries storms inside; emotions we bottle up, words we don’t say, grief we don’t grieve. Like the sky, we can only hold so much. When we refuse to release what weighs on us, it doesn’t disappear; it hides in our bodies, our thoughts, our relationships. The pressure builds until it finds a way out; sometimes in anger, sometimes in tears, sometimes in illness.

But when we allow release — a cry, a deep conversation, a prayer, a long walk, a creative expression — we restore balance. We clear space for peace, for clarity, for renewal.

Just as thunder reminds us the earth is alive and in motion, our own release reminds us we are living, feeling beings. And letting go is not weakness. It’s wisdom.

Because in both nature and life, release is what makes room for growth.

Ways to Release Built-Up Energy

Journaling – Write freely, without judgment, letting your emotions pour onto the page.

Movement – Dance, stretch, walk, or shake your body to let energy flow out physically.

Crying or Laughing – Both are natural releases the body uses to reset and heal.

Breathwork – Deep, intentional breathing can calm the nervous system and move stuck energy.

Prayer or Meditation – Offer what you’re holding onto to God/the universe, releasing it into something greater than yourself.

Creative Expression – Paint, sing, garden, or create in any form that feels like release.

Speaking It Aloud – Share your feelings with a trusted friend, partner, or even speak them in solitude — the act of voicing brings relief.

Reflection Question:

What energy are you still holding onto that is ready to be released — and how might you allow yourself a healthy “thunderstorm” so that renewal can follow?

You Are You Hang Out With – Your Circle Should Inspire You, Not Drain You

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“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” – Unknown

Who we spend time with shapes how we think, speak, and act. The people closest to us leave quiet fingerprints on our soul. Their words, habits, and outlook slowly weave into our own. When someone’s anger, negativity, or chaos becomes a regular soundtrack in your life, it slowly rewires your responses. That’s not just theory , it’s practical wiring: we pick up habits, tones, and rhythms from the people around us.

This truth isn’t about cutting people off in cruelty. It’s about wisdom; a guardrail for the heart. Protecting your peace allows you to become the person you are called to be. Sometimes that means creating distance from those who stir drama, and sometimes it means setting different boundaries for your own good.

Like trees sharing roots beneath the soil, we are more connected to those around us than we realize. That’s why boundaries are an act of love; for yourself, for your family, and even for the other person. Enabling unhealthy patterns rarely helps anyone heal.

Practical Steps

• Notice whose emotional tone you carry home. Set a gentle boundary (shorter visits, later pick-ups, less sharing).

• Choose circle-keepers who model what you want to become.

• Offer compassion from a distance: pray for people you can’t be close to right now.

Open Your Windows More

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There’s something sacred about opening a window.

It’s such a simple act, but it carries so much symbolism. It’s not just about letting in the breeze — it’s about letting something go. A releasing. A welcoming. A shift.

The act of opening windows has deep roots across many cultures and traditions, both symbolic and practical. Here are a few notable ones:

1. Letting in New Energy (Spiritual/Cultural)

In many cultures, opening windows is a way to:

Clear out stagnant or negative energy Welcome in fresh energy, light, and air — often associated with new beginnings or clarity Allow spirit or soul to leave after a death (common in Irish, Jewish, and some Asian traditions)

2. Spring Cleaning Traditions

In places like Europe and North America, opening the windows during spring cleaning symbolizes:

Rebirth, renewal, and cleansing after winter Letting nature back in — fresh air, sunshine, and warmth

3. Feng Shui

In Chinese feng shui, opening windows regularly:

Helps chi (life energy) circulate Prevents energy from becoming stagnant Connects the home with nature, harmony, and flow

4. Christian & Biblical Symbolism

Some interpret open windows as symbolic of:

Receiving blessings (Malachi 3:10 speaks of God opening the windows of heaven) Openness to God’s presence, guidance, or Spirit

5. Superstitions & Folklore

In some old traditions, leaving a window open during childbirth or death was thought to help the soul enter or exit. Some say you should open all the windows on New Year’s Day to let out the old year and bring in the new.

Common Thread:

No matter the culture, opening your windows usually symbolizes release, renewal, and receptivity — physically and spiritually.

Now go open a window! 🙂

Why Is It So Uncomfortable to Actually Feel?

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Letting yourself feel sounds simple. But it’s not.

It’s one of the bravest and most uncomfortable things we can do.

Because feeling means facing. And most of us have spent years—maybe even decades—trying to avoid the very things our hearts most need to acknowledge.

So much of life teaches us to stay busy, stay numb, stay “fine.” We learn early on that some feelings are too big, too messy, too inconvenient. We tuck them away. We get good at holding ourselves together. We smile when we’re sad. We shrug off pain. We keep moving.

But at some point, the ache catches up to us.

And we realize that what we’ve been avoiding isn’t going away—it’s waiting to be felt.

That’s when the discomfort sets in. Not because we’re doing something wrong… but because we’re doing something deeply right. We’re unlearning a lifetime of emotional suppression. We’re learning to be honest again—with ourselves.

And that honesty? It cracks us open.

It’s scary because real feeling is raw. It makes us vulnerable. It can make us feel out of control. But the truth is, we’re never more in tune with ourselves than when we allow the feeling to move through us—fully and freely.

Even joy can feel uncomfortable if we’re used to waiting for it to vanish. Even peace can feel strange if chaos has been our baseline.

But you were made to feel.

You were not made to carry it all in silence.

You were not made to keep bracing for impact.

You were made to breathe through it. To soften. To release.

Feelings are not enemies. They are messages.

They are waves—not tsunamis.

They come to move, not to drown you.

Letting yourself feel is not weakness—it’s courage.

It’s coming home to your heart.