You gotta do your turn as caterpillar goo, if you wanna morph into a butterfly.
Today’s Wisdom Bite about personal evolution explains a fundamental principle, one that can profoundly shift your mindset and move you forward. We’re talking about the deeper inner work that happens when you let go of the narrow viewpoint of ‘my looks’ and ‘my weight’ and start addressing the bigger picture of “Who am I?” and “Who am I becoming?” The thing is, inner work necessarily takes you through some sticky stages, experiences you might prefer to sidestep with some Goo Gone (yes, there is such a product). Be patient; the butterfly emerges as sure as it does in nature.
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Here’s what you need to know
You are not your past. You are not even your present. You are your next conscious choice. Albert Einstein famously said “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” To be clear, this goes way beyond mindfulness. Mindfulness is still the first step in raising your awareness around an issue, but consciousness is what you develop to solve and transcend the issue once and for all. And isn’t that what you’ve been trying to do with your weight issues for years?
- A rote program or plan cannot develop your consciousness. You need a process – one that predictably takes you to insight. Losing and gaining the same pounds without gaining any insight is called yo-yo dieting. In contrast, losing and gaining that same weight while gaining insight into your choices is where a higher level of consciousness takes root. Each piece of insight, while not yet the full puzzle, is changing who you are and who you’re becoming. You become a wiser person as you begin to recognize the teachable moment within each fluctuation. This is an enlightened way to address your weight issues.
- It’s not all going to go according to plan anyway. Your growth and transformation happen through being tested. Many people assume the ‘initial yes’ to change is what matters but it’s actually the ‘doing until’ your experiences humble and shape you. A lot of those experiences are going to feel like mistakes and you’ll be tempted to bail on them. Perfectionists, listen up – this messiness is normal and necessary for your evolution. Keep moving through the goo and you’ll come out okay. Stronger, in fact. Besides, if you haven’t experienced at least one memorable mistake for every year you’ve lived, you haven’t fully lived.
- There’s got to be more to your life than just your weight. Chances are you’re been feeling stuck with your weight or body image for some time now. When something flatlines like this, it’s actually trying to evolve. It’s not about waging a war on your weight; it’s about learning the mindset and skillset to move yourself from struggle to joy and ultimately, to make the journey from Ego to Soul. It’s the redirecting of your energy from overfeeding the body to feeding the Soul, by pursuing your dreams again. This bigger picture generates the very insights you need to lose weight in a way that feels like a natural expression of who you are (translation: once the weight is gone, it’s gone).
And this leads us to a final critical point – you can only go as far as the level of consciousness of the person guiding you. You may have found someone who’s quite delightful and even motivating but if they’re operating from rigid or limiting beliefs of their own and don’t know how to hold a big enough vision for you, your life will be duly hobbled. It’s your evolutionary journey, so choose your gurus carefully. Even then, keep only those teachings that resonate with you and toss the rest.
Here’s what you can practice
Reflect on the times in your life when you’ve been stuck. What’s been your normal reaction? Did you wallow and say “I can’t do anything about this”? Did you push relentlessly, trying to unsuccessfully force change? Or did you create busyness or upheaval that consumed you instead? Can you identify a pattern in the way you react whenever you’ve felt stuck? Try to name the way of being that’s been holding you back (e.g. helplessness, controlling, running away). This is Ego at work.
Now consider what would be required of you (e.g. resourcefulness, a more relaxed effort, facing your difficulties) if there was no magic pill or rescue of any kind in sight. This is Soul at work. I’m trusting you already know a small but noticeable action you can take – the kind of action a video camera could capture you doing (think: one minute or less to complete).
When you’re stuck, breaking the inertia with even the tiniest of actions is more important than waiting for rescue fantasies. Interestingly, if such a magic pill were to show up, it would be the very thing you would come to resent later. So, welcome your inner work and the path these initial actions open up for you. Use these Wisdom Bites to support your journey.
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How did it go for you?
No one who does their inner work with a sense of curiosity and discovery will ever reach a point where they say “Okay, I’m done now.” but that’s a wonderful thing! Human life is typically 99% untapped potential. Inner work helps you actualize your potential. And that moment at which you feel palpable fear and adrenalized excitement at the same time? That’s the doorway.
Pick a significant growth experience from your personal history that has positively shaped how you see yourself and share it in the Members-Only Comments section below.
Tell us who you were before this happened, who you are now and how you intend to build on this going forward.
Be sure to check back in too, to let us know how it’s going!
Conscious Weight Loss®
New to Conscious Weight Loss? Continue to this next Wisdom Bite
Interested in more? Check out these related Wisdom Bites
Mindfulness and Consciousness
Awareness (Module 1)
Ego and Soul (Members-Only)
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