Category: Inner Travel

Why do we look at ourselves in the mirror so frequently throughout the day?

Like, we just saw ourselves 10 minutes ago after getting out of the shower… why must we check our appearance again after getting dressed? And again after getting into the car? And again after getting to work? And again in the store mirror? And again and again and again…?

Maybe it’s because we know things change—and can change rather quickly and unexpectedly.

Like, what if we got a piece of food stuck in our teeth? Or our hair got messed up? Or our clothing malfunctioned and a little more skin was showing than we intended?

…I’d be lying if I said I didn’t check for these things throughout the day.

…And there’s nothing wrong with this.

My followup question however, is how often do you check the mirrors that reflect your inner state?

People are much more likely to mention a piece of food stuck in your teeth or hair standing up or a wardrobe malfunction than they might be to mention a sour mood, an unusually short temper, or a judgment malfunction…

People can help us with our outer reflection, but our inner reflection is mostly on us to check-in with.

…Which we do by meditating, reflecting, writing, and mindfully walking or conversing.

If this isn’t already a part of your day, maybe it’s time to make it a part of it. And, like physical mirror check-ins, maybe it don’t have to be so formal… after all, “look in the mirror” probably isn’t blocked into your days… yet you do it all the time.

…What if you did the same with your inner mirror?

We write when we’re emotionally “drunk” because we can reference, in real-time, highly potent human emotions. Emotions that each present as their own color that we get to dab and use in the painting of our life.

Writing when we’re only feeling one kind of emotion leads to a very one-colored painting. Writing our way through all of the emotions is how we welcome the full color spectrum onto our canvas.

But, we also write when we’re emotionally “sober” because we can edit or re-work any of the “drunken” brushstrokes we might’ve made with a calm, clear mind. A mind that sees the whole canvas and not the singular brushstrokes. A mind that sees how the various colors interact and if any of it needs to be adjusted. A mind that can bring harmony to all of the colors that present in our masterpiece.

…If we want to continue writing (and painting) the most raw, accurate, compelling story (masterpiece) possible, we should do so both when we are deep in the midst of our most potently raw, human states and when we’re crystal clear and able to shape those expressive bursts into accurate and compelling pieces.

…In other words, it’s always a good time to write.

Don’t let the “drunken,” fiery bursts of passion or mundanity of everyday “sobriety” intimidate or dissuade you.

It all serves a purpose.

…We just have to keep showing up to the canvas to figure out what purpose today’s brushstrokes might serve.

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P.s. I sip on coffee while I write these. If you enjoy these posts, you can support my future work by supplying me with my next cup of joe here :)

I meditated with a group for the first time today.

We met at a local park, sat in the grass, did 15 minutes of quiet sitting, 15 minutes of quiet walking or continued sitting (most kept sitting), and finished with another 15 minutes of quiet sitting.

Then, after everybody came out of their practice, the group spent 15 minutes discussing a topic.

Before we began, I asked one gentlemen what brought him to the group and he said he had a hard time meditating alone.

Which struck me because what is a meditation group, but a group of people who are practicing being alone… together?

There’s that element of connection during the discussion portion, but for 45 minutes, it’s just you. And if being with you is hard for you, for any duration of time, it’s as good an indicator as any that inner work is needed.

I don’t say this from a place of judgment, but from a place of compassion.

Because of all the company you keep in your life, there should be no better company than the company you keep with yourself. And the more you improve the company you keep with yourself, ironically, the better the rest of the company you keep will become, too.

Some questions to reflect on: (1) Have you ever considered practicing being alone? (2) Have you ever considered practicing being alone, in a group? (3) What, if anything, is coming up that’s preventing you from starting a practice like this?

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P.s. In case you missed it, you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.

It’s worse to take an interest in irrelevant things than to do nothing at all.

What might be some examples of irrelevant things?

• Most news
• Most social media
• Celebrity dating life
• Your ex’s daily life
• Angry strangers

At least when we do nothing at all we get to sort through and settle what’s already on our mind, allow our imagination and creative sides to flex, and do some of the inner work that leads to greater feelings of contentment and fulfillment.

What I see, however, is most people living as if doing nothing is some kind of bad thing. As if it’s some sort of signal that we have nothing better to do. But, don’t get it twisted, doing things that are irrelevant to our path forward (what’s going to help us grow and improve) isn’t better—it’s the opposite.

Investing attention into irrelevant things is investing into distractions. Distractions which take our attention away from what is relevant to our path forward—ourselves. Which, surprisingly enough, is easiest to explore when we do more of the very thing we may have been subconsciously trying to avoid this whole time: nothing at all.

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P.s. Does the thought of doing nothing freak you out? My guide can help with that.

Deep within us there lies a guide who is exceptionally wise and who knows the answers to most (if not all) of the life challenges we’re currently facing.

But, most of us never consult this deep inner wisdom.

We bury ourselves with busywork, hide behind distractions, and absorb passive entertainment like it’s our job.

Before you go Google searching, impulse buying, or friend venting… try consulting the inner wisdom that’s already there… Deep within you… by closing your eyes… blocking out distractions… and asking your deepest self… the very questions you’ve been avoiding.

And remember, inward travel takes time—so be patient.

It’s also important to remember that the messages you’ll receive won’t come in the form of words, but in the form of symbols and feelings. Learn this language and interpret it intuitively (or get help from a book like this)—it was created by you after all. Herein lies the answers that you so deeply crave, yet so consciously avoid because of the implicit work.

This is where the life changing choice is made.

Keep running, hiding, and burying? Or veer onto the path less traveled and turn towards, confront, and face. Deep down, you know what you need to do. The only question is, will you listen?

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P.s. In case you missed it, you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.