Why Are We So Scared?

Photo by Jonastas Cunha (creative commons)

Other people see me as abrasive. I perceive this is because much of my dialog with people comes from a defensive place in me. I don’t want to be seen as abrasive. That’s why I recently attended the Reology retreat in Roatan, hoping I would learn to communicate better with people in my professional and personal life—in a more respectful and clear manner.

Every second I choose…

I ended up getting so much more than what I hoped for. I didn’t know how I thought this experience would change me, but it changed me—or I changed myself—in such a profound way. I now have a clear view of the me I want to live with. I excite myself with every second of my life that I get to experience from now until whenever. And I know that every second I can choose how I want to be.

The most powerful thing I took away from the retreat is the belief that no one can ever really hurt me. Think about how you would live your life if you believed that. Here’s a quote from Jake Eagle’s book that helps explain how I arrived at this belief:

No matter what we do, with few exceptions, the nature of Identity cannot be destroyed. If we deflate ourselves, we can re-inflate ourselves. If we wound ourselves, we can heal ourselves. If we make mistakes, we can learn. If we lose ourselves, we can find ourselves. If we are without meaning, we can create new meaning. Whatever happens to us, we grow until we die. When Nietzsche, the German philosopher, said, ‘Anything that does not kill me will make me stronger,’ I imagine he was talking about Identity.

I also came to understand the idea that we each make up meaning of whatever is happening in our lives—we create our own stories, so why not create the one that best suits you and helps you live the way you want to live.

In coming home after the retreat I find it hard to even explain with words the change that I underwent and when I do come close I am flooded with tears of love and joy for the other people with whom I shared this experience.

What if…?

I now wonder, what if the whole of humanity were to do this? What if we all shared this experience? And I wonder why are we so scared to take responsibility for ourselves.

It is clear to me that if you are ready to change the deepest core of yourself, your life and your relationships—then you should go to one of these retreats.

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