Hello!  I’ve been thinking about “What if there’s nothing we’re supposed to be doing?” What if there’s no correct answer there’s no correctness that we need to adhere to and make ourselves go in the direction of.  There’s no correct food or correct time to eat.   There’s no correct way of sending an email, or spiritual practice or way of dressing, behaving or being.  There’s no external correctness that we need to somehow adhere to.  I’ve been noticing that subtle voice in my head and in so many other people’s heads. So much time spent figuring out “how I’m supposed to be” – for all of us.  And we all know where we got that. There’s lots of places where we got that conditioning, that confusion that somehow homogeneity is the same as harmony. It’s not.

Implied in that idea of “supposed to,” which we can all relate to, is the message that something about us is not acceptable, not right. And that we need to narrow ourselves down to what we’re allowed to do. What we’re “supposed to do” fits in this tiny box of “allowed,” and anything that doesn’t match that just gets tossed out. Well, that’s a pretty constricted, restricted way to be.  It brings so much pressure internally. Whether or not we’re actually conforming to these ideas or not, there’s a feeling of pressure and “shoulding” ourselves.  Yet the ideas that we’re trying to fit ourselves inside are completely random.  We’ll read a magazine article or book, see a video or something and think “Oh!  That’s what I’m supposed to be doing!”  And so that becomes the “supposed to do” du jour.  When we give it some consideration, it’s easy to see that the ideas really are random.

So whether or not we’re actually trying to make ourselves to conform to these those ideas or not, there’s still this voice in our heads that says “I’m supposed to be doing it.”  Notice that whether you do it or don’t do it, there’s still a feeling of pressure.  You think you’re supposed to be doing whatever IT is, feel the restriction if you’re conforming, or feel badly about yourself if you’re not measuring up to the idea.  We think things like, “I’m supposed to have this particular spiritual practice, I’m supposed to have this exercise routine, I’m supposed to be writing in a gratitude journal every day, I’m supposed to be… “ And these things all sound great, theoretically. Yet it’s such a huge distinction to understand that they are just options. They’re not definitive signs of our worthiness that we must strive to achieve.  

So, what if we step outside of the restrictions of these random “supposed to’s?”  What if we give ourselves room to open up to the fullness of all that we are?  What if we don’t make any part of ourselves wrong and discard it?  What if we let go of those restrictions and get really curious about “Okay, if there’s nothing I’m supposed to be doing, then what?”  Then what?! What would I naturally be doing? Oh!  Oh my goodness!  Natural? Natural, you say?!! What a concept! What if we ask ourselves “What is natural to me?!” 

What is natural to you?  What is natural to me? What if we just did what we do, naturally? What if there is a natural way of being that we don’t even have to think about?  That’s the other thing: “supposed to” requires a lot of thinking and figuring out.  Whereas if we let that go, then we’re just free to be.  There’s nothing to figure out.  What if an oak tree is doing what it is supposed to be doing by being an oak tree and adding its “oak tree-ness” to Existence? What if you are doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing by being exactly who you are? Me too. What if there’s nothing we’re supposed to do and we’re good and wonderful and awesome?  What if we can step back, breathe and let that naturalness live?  I love that!  I love you!  I love me! I love our naturalness! 

I hope that has something for you!  It certainly makes me feel good!  It opens up so much freedom, space and breathing room.  Which allows me to consider possibilities that I couldn’t from inside of the box of “supposed to.” Thank you for reading and sharing all that you are with Existence.  I tell you for certain, that I personally benefit from you being you.

Love you,

Christina

Anytime we feel defensive or protective, that is a huge indicator that our sense of identity feels threatened. Identity is really just an idea of who we think we are. We’re used to thinking of ourselves as a solid set of concepts: “I stand for this…..; I like these things……; I have a history of…..; I am the kind of person who….”  We have a fixed sense of ourselves, which gives us a way to relate to life.  Having a predetermined knowing of where we stand and how to act and respond to life give us a sense of safety and security.  We think need to be right, and to have things defined, in order to feel secure.

When someone or something suggests an alternative viewpoint to our pre-determined ideas of “right and wrong,” the identified us can freak out.  It thinks, “Well, if they are right, then I am wrong.”  Sometimes we can get angry in response to that and protect and defend ourselves by making others “stupid” and “wrong.”  Other times we can protect and defend by shrinking and making ourselves wrong and trying to conform to what is “right.”

It feels awful. Comparison for the purpose of deciding which one is “better” just straight up hurts.  Judging someone negatively or declaring them stupid brings up a feeling of “non wellbeing” in me.  It can make us feel ill, ill at ease, defensive, protected and completely unavailable to actually hear and respond to the person, moment, situation. 

For me, I’d like to let go of being against anything, so that I can truly listen to and move with Life as it happens.  Life is always fresh and revealing new things, change.  I want to be able to listen and “update my file” regularly, as a friend once called it. 😉  I want to be able to listen to others as they speak. I want to listen to all the parts of myself to hear what is there. I want to be open to seeing something new. There is always something new beyond my current structures of understanding.  I’d like to be open and curious, rather than against anyone, anything or any aspect of “myself,” whatever that is!? And let me tell you, I’ve spent a lot of time being against myself in the past.  As Byron Katie says, the violence we commit against ourselves is reflected in how we relate to others.  How can we end war “out there” if we are still at war with ourselves. The microcosm is the macrocosm.

As long as there is any form of “I’m wrong,” or “they are wrong,” there is no way for me to be relaxed.  I can’t be what I naturally am, since I am only accepting the parts of me or the parts of life that fit within that fixed idea of the safe, defined “way things should be.” That stance not only denies any variety and change in the world, it doesn’t let me change and grow either. 

I am gradually opening and softening the against-ness within me.  In the meantime, I am so FOR relaxing in my life. Not defending, opening my identity and relaxing – that just feels good in my body.  May we all relax out of the ideas of right and wrong and be available to the gifts that are available in true freedom.

I’ve been afraid for a long time.
I know things felt scary
to the me that I was.
Back then the protection, the contraction
made sense.
And yet now I’m opening to some other knowing
that seems to be coming from this more alive aliveness – 
this owning of the present moment as true
and truly real. 
All the phantoms of eery, lurking danger
and anger are dissolving into an extraordinary, clear space of
freedom now.  
Of options and wisdom
that I feel flowing softly up from some deep place inside
like a flower, a seed, waiting through winter
for the right moment to grow
to spread into existence
to reveal its’ perfect, reliable springtime of truth.

~~ Love you, Christina