When We Put Down Ideas Of What

Making A U-turn From Our Thoughts To Our Feelings Re-connects Us To Our Own Inner Experience And Creates The Grounds For Connecting With Others In A More Authentic Way. It's A Movement From Head To Heart.

Somewhere In My Early Twenties I Realized I Was Pretty Constantly Monitoring Myself, Judging How I Was Always Falling Short, Whether It Was About Not Being A Good Enough Daughter Or Friend, Or My Appearance, Or Whatever. I Ended Up Becoming Involved With A Spiritual Path In The Yogic Tradition, Living In An Ashram, Doing A Very Rigorous Spiritual Practice.

Along With Judging Myself Harshly, I'd Also Always Seen The Truth Of Goodness In Me.

I Sometimes Call This Our "spacesuit Self" Because We Come Into An Environment That Is Difficult And Challenging, Where We're Told To Be Different. We're Told To Jump Over Hoops To Be Loved And Appreciated, So We Have To Develop Spacesuit Strategies To Get Approval And Create Ways To Avoid Being Judged.

What Would It Be Like If I Could Accept Life--accept This Moment--exactly As It Is?