If you grew up in a Westernized culture, chances are pretty good that you became indoctrinated with the concept of original sin at a very young age. If that is the case, you were taught that your inherent nature is corrupt, sinful, and that nothing good dwells in your body. You were told to look outside yourself to be redeemed because your instincts can’t be trusted.
In my experience, this has led to a conflicted life of distrusting the Self. I started looking outside myself for answers and guidance at a very young age, instead of looking to my inner wisdom. This made me susceptible to manipulation and control tactics from multiple outside sources - each with its own agenda. I was disconnected from my innermost knowing, like a ship without an anchor.
I’m currently on a journey of reclamation of Self, and I have come to understand that this identity inside me can’t be harmed. Even after years of brainwashing and indoctrination, it stays true and knows the way. It contains wisdom uniquely tailored to me. It is an intricate system with roots that both supply and receive. To function best, it needs to be fed a steady supply of respect. I need to take care of it by loving it, not pushing it away. I can build trust by working with it instead of against it and responding to its needs.
This Self is free from anxiety. It exists in peace. If I quiet my nervous system and allow myself to be enveloped by it, I can feel it draw me towards its center. Inside, it is tranquil like the eye of a storm - and I can remain in this calm despite stormy circumstances. It is so much better to embrace this inner wisdom than to rely on external influences to carve my unique path in life. Even though it takes courage to act with integrity, I am enjoying the liberating freedom of realizing I contain all the guidance I need to thrive — inside my Self. I carry it with me wherever I go.
The illustration I picked to go with this blog post is called "Supplanted", and can be purchased here!“For me, obedience to another is the decay of self.
for though every being is similar each being is different
and to herd our differences under one law degrades each self."
— Charles Bukowski
