Oct/080
Filling from within
I recently read an article titled "Are you digging yourself into a hole?". In the article, the author talks about "Filling the hole from within". In other words, finding positive ways of dealing with your shortcomings that leave you stronger as an individual. I particularly liked this paragraph:
The tools and practices used to fill the hole from within include journaling, self-reflection, meditation, silence, and deep inner questioning. The more your hole is explored, then reduced in size, the more your inner strength and courage arise to allow you to be yourself, without your ego needing any phony packaging or shoring up. You won’t need to put on the cloak of a false self and pretend to be somebody other than who you are.
I sometimes feel like I spend a lot of time pretending to be somebody I'm not. So, this article is a bit timely for me. I recently started this blog (journaling); and I also recently decided to start meditating again. (I use to, but fell out of the habit.) I even ordered some Gregorian chant, which helps me by blocking out small distracting noises.
I also like the list of hole-filling questions posed in the article:
- In what ways do you feel deficient or empty? Why do you feel that way? How do you feel about feeling the way you do?
- Do you try to fill your hole from outside by activities designed to make you feel secure and have some sense of ‘OK-ness’? What does all this activity get you?
- Do you ever feel like a phony? Do you ever consciously choose to be a fake? If so, why?
- Do you often feel the need to be the life of the party, the ‘know-it-all’, the expert?
- Do you play small and try to be invisible much of the time? Do you often feel what you are and do is not enough in some way? Do you know why?
- What one or two baby steps can you take in the next week or two to explore your feelings around lack or deficiency and start allowing your hole to fill itself?