The Sensitive Soul Guide

All emotions are welcomed, and provide us with insight and guidance if we are willing to listen without judgement and without reaction.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲: 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐯𝐬. 𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞

Have you ever found yourself feeling overwhelmed, only to later realize the situation wasn't as bad as it seemed?

Or maybe you've thought, "Why does this always happen to me?" versus the more balanced, "Has this really happened that often?"

This is the difference between having a true and an untrue perspective.

For example, consider whether you often jump to conclusions with, "Everyone thinks I'm annoying," instead of asking, "Have I actually asked anyone what they think?"

Let's look at how these perspectives can play out in everyday life!

𝙀𝙭𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙫𝙨. 𝙐𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚:

🗂️ Sarah’s Work Presentation: Sarah spent weeks preparing for a big presentation at work. On the day, she felt nervous and thought, "If I mess up, my career is over." This is an untrue perspective—she's catastrophizing. In reality, one presentation doesn’t define her entire career. A true perspective would be, "I've prepared well, and even if it doesn’t go perfectly, I can learn and improve."

🙀 Tom’s Social Anxiety: Tom often avoids social gatherings because he assumes people will judge him negatively, thinking, "Everyone will think I'm awkward." This untrue perspective is driven by mind reading. A true perspective might be, "Some people may notice I’m quiet, but many probably won’t think twice about it. I can still enjoy the event."

💪 Alex’s Fitness Journey: Alex is on a fitness journey and missed a workout. The immediate thought is, "I've failed; there's no point in continuing." This all-or-nothing thinking is an untrue perspective. A true perspective would be, "Missing one workout doesn’t ruin my progress. I can get back on track tomorrow."

𝙌𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙒𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙄𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙝𝙞𝙛𝙩 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨:

👀 Ask, "What's the evidence?":
List the facts supporting your thoughts and those that contradict them. If the facts don't support your negative thoughts, it's likely an untrue perspective. Shift to a true perspective by rephrasing your thoughts to align with reality.

🖼️ Consider the Bigger Picture:
Ask yourself, "How will I feel about this in a week, a month, or a year?" This helps put the situation into perspective and reduces immediate emotional intensity.

🔐 Check for Absolute Words:
Notice if you're using words like "always," "never," or "everyone." Replace these with more balanced terms like "sometimes," "often," or "some people" to better reflect reality.

🔍 Reality Check with a Trusted Person:
Share your thoughts with someone you trust and ask if they see things the same way. An outside perspective can help you recognize if your view might be distorted.

𝙏𝙤𝙥 𝘽𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙈𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚:

⚖️ Emotional Balance:
Staying in a true perspective helps regulate emotions, reducing anxiety and stress. You feel more grounded and less overwhelmed.

💭 Improved Decision-Making:
With a clear, accurate view of situations, you make better decisions, both big and small. This leads to more effective problem-solving and goal achievement.

🥰 Better Relationships:
When you see things clearly, you communicate more honestly and empathetically, strengthening your connections with others.

📈 Short-Term and Long-Term Benefits:
In the short term, adopting a true perspective reduces immediate stress and boosts mood. In the long term, it contributes to overall mental health, a deeper spiritual connection, and self-awareness which promotes inner peace and contentment.

The Power of Forgiveness 🫂

At a 10-day silent meditation retreat (Vipassana), where everything I had was given over and all I was left with was myself, I realized I couldn't bare to be with myself.

Think about that, I couldn't bare to be with myself.

All the things I had been using to avoid myself like my phone, books to read, things to do, people to talk to, food, you name it.... all these things I surrendered over and it was just me, in silence and stillness.

Day 1 to 3, I was overwhelmed with anxiety and panic. What had I gotten myself into, my mind was coming up with so many good reasons to leave. But deep down I knew there was no way I was going to quit. I was scared but I wanted to see it through.

So, the first few days, I discover I could not bare to be with my myself.

Being with myself meant facing my soul. There was so much I had suppressed, forgotten, ignored, reasoned away... but now, as I spent all day in my head it was all coming to the surface, demanding to be acknowledged and processed.

At first I reacted to what arose and then I learned to allow what was coming and to let it pass. This was a greater act of surrender than giving over my stuff. In this space of surrender I found compassion, understanding and forgiveness. So much forgiveness.

Being with myself became easier, even enjoyable but mostly just peaceful.

My senses became enlivened to the world around me. The journey that ants take across a fallen leaf was taken in with the wonder of the child I used to be. There she was feeling safe enough to just wonder or play.

We will need to face our souls many times over. And facing our souls can feel scary and vulnerable, it can be painful and everything in us can be screaming "no, I am not able" or "I can't do this now, maybe another time".

But it's important to remember it does not remain scary the whole time, and us being scared means we are going in the right direction.

We are moving towards freedom, a place where we can find the lost children inside us, and allow them to marvel at the world again with bright eyes filled with acceptance of what is and hope.... just so much hope.

Agreements to strive towards, and adding in compassion for the moments we slip or make a mistake.

We are all learning to find our way home.

Remember doing your best doesn't always look the same.

🌊

When you see a butterfly 🦋...

Let it be a reminder of embracing the uncertainties of life.

Daily Reminder 🌺

Pain points are the specific problems, challenges, or areas of dissatisfaction that we experience in our daily lives. They can range from minor inconveniences to significant obstacles that limit our progress or cause discomfort.

Identifying pain points is crucial for addressing and resolving them effectively, so we can increase our life satisfaction.

Some questions to ask yourself when trying to identify your pain points could be:

🔍 What consistently frustrates or bothers me in my daily life?

🔍 What aspects of my life consistently drain my energy or motivation?

🔍 Where do I frequently encounter obstacles or feel stuck in achieving my goals?

🔍 What situations or interactions consistently leave me feeling dissatisfied or unfulfilled?

🔍 In what areas do I find myself frequently wishing for improvement or change?

When you have identified your pain points, you have already taken a big step forward in terms of acknowledgment and awareness.

Now that you are aware of your pain points, you can prioritize your energy and resources on the areas that most need your attention; and problem-solving can begin. Focus on how you can directly address your pain points, and what you can do to move towards resolution.

Remember that complaining and blaming will only increase your dissatisfaction.

Keep it simple. Do the work. Keep doing the work. And rewards will come in the form of life satisfaction.

🩵 Reach out for more clarity or help