Hello and welcome to the Vibrant Mind Vibrant Life podcast. Today's episode I want to talk about a post that I put out last week about being a junkie. Now I'm talking about an inner work junkie in that I found myself Probably numerous times throughout the last, I don't know, 10 years or so, becoming addicted to the inner work. It's kind of gone in ebbs and flows, depending on where I am in life, what I'm experiencing, what I'm going through. Yet there have certainly been times where I have become addicted to doing the inner work. And in fact, it's, it, I'll get my words out. It became a distraction from what it is that I really need to do, to do, I can't even speak today, goodness me, I'll start that sentence again. It became a distraction for what it is that I really needed to do. So I wanted to, to talk a little bit about that because. I am all for the inner work, yet there can come a point where the inner work isn't actually serving you anymore. It can become the hindrance, it can become the limitation in actually creating what it is that you want, not just on the inside, but having it reflect back to you on the outside. Now, Doing the inner work can be really intoxicating because, you know, the, the breakthroughs that you have, the aha moments, the, the feel good chemicals that flow through your mind and your body afterwards, they can leave you feeling really, really high. It feels good. So, a bit like anything that feels good. It's like, give me more of that. And you can kid yourself into thinking, because it's in a work, that means that I am progressing. Now this may not be something that you're doing yourself, yet awareness is the first step to change. If you don't know that something is happening, if you don't know that it exists, then you're not going to be able to do anything to change it, to shift it. And as Carl Jung wisely said, until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you'll call it fate. So it's about becoming aware of those unconscious patterns of behaviour, those unconscious thought processes. So consider for a moment, are you doing the inner work without then any implementation? Are you carrying out technique after technique, doing processes, whether it's emotional release work, breath work, meditation, hypnotherapy, any kind of modality, and then going back to everyday life, And nothing shifts. And maybe you even find yourself complaining about it. The external world is a really powerful resource. It is our mirror. It brings into our awareness what it is that we need to resolve. It, it reveals to us the inner work that we need to do. And then, when we have done the inner work, it's about then making that who we are, who we be. This is the work. This is about the action that we take. How we respond to things. This is our opportunity to practice the new beliefs that we've created, the new ways of thinking. Using that as evidence, when the pressure is on, have we changed our response? Because here's the thing, right, you can do all of the change work, yet if you're not embodying it, if you're not practicing it, then did anything really change? The universe is going to provide you with the opportunities to calibrate, to show yourself that you have changed. So there may be what people call universal tests where, you know, you've said that you want to do something, that you've changed, that you're committing to something new, And it feels like you're being tested. But that test is really the universe giving you that opportunity to embody the new version of you. To give yourself evidence that that's the truth. The more you do that, the more that your mind is going to filter through all of the information that's outside of you and bring into your conscious awareness the evidence of it. So you'll continue to prove yourself right. So when you're taking that action and embodying the change, your mind is then going to reinforce it. So it very quickly then becomes who you are. And then of course, because we're ever evolving, there'll be a new level of change that you want to step up to. So this isn't a journey of, oh, when I reach that destination, that is it, I am done. There will be a new version of you where those new beliefs that you've just installed, the new empowering beliefs, then become your limitation. Because you're aiming even higher. So there is always going to be inner work to do. It's something, you know, the inner work, the healing, is something that I am a big advocate of. Your unconscious mind is the driver behind your thoughts, your feelings, your behavior. So it is important that if you want to make change, you work with your mind to do the inner work. And if you're always looking for things to heal, you're always going to find them. So if you're constantly seeking the wounds, the traumas, the thing that it is that you need to fix, then you're going to keep yourself trapped in a cycle of healing. Believing that there is always something wrong. And here is the truth. You are perfect exactly as you are. Nothing is a mistake. Everything that has happened to this point happened exactly as it was meant to. Even if it's not our preference, even if it's not how we would have liked, it's led you to where you are today, to who you are today, listening to this podcast. You haven't landed here by accident. If there's something in here that is resonating, there's a truth that is hitting home, and you know that the inner work has actually become that distraction for you. It's become the very pretty obstacle that you put in the way of taking action. Because it sounds good, right? It's not that I'm not taking action, I am working towards my goals, I'm doing the inner work. But has it become another fancy plaster, another way of covering things up? Maybe, maybe not. See, the thing with healing is that it's not just about feeling better in the moment. It's about actually experiencing and creating a better life for yourself. The inner work is preparing you for what's to come. The action then supports the formation of the transformation. I don't know if that made sense, but, you know, it's, the action in and of itself is part of the healing process. So, if you integrate the two, if you do the inner work, and then take the action, that is when you become a powerful creator. Now if you are at that point where you think, you know what Sian, I am ready to do the two, I want to continue doing the inner work because I am growing continually and I know that I also have to implement what I'm learning, then if you haven't already, I highly recommend that you get a copy of my book, activate Your RAS, which is your reticular activating system. It's that part of the brain that filters through the external reality and brings into your conscious awareness the things that you believe to be true. It reinforces any of the unconscious programming that you have. So if you want to change your external world, It starts with the inner work and the outer work has to follow. So, in my book, at the end of each chapter, there are activation points so that you can do the inner work and integrate it through the action as well. You'll find a link in the show notes to get a copy. So, it's activate your work, RAS, the art and science of creating your reality from the inside I think that's it for today. It's a short one, but hey, I took action. I've been doing some inner work. I showed up. I did the podcast. I am taking some action. So anyway, I'll leave you there. Have an amazing week. See you next time.
