I saw a sign that said “Thickly Settled” along the road of an old village. I was reminded of my own work and that of those I work alongside. The meat of internal work lies in uncovering deeply patterned thoughts that make functioning and relationships difficult. Thickly settled patterns that developed due to the pain of unwanted aloneness or trauma, to protect but also hinder freedom in daily life by limiting our ability to connect with others. As mammals, we require connection to function well. There needs to be a sense of belonging for survival and so having thickly settled defenses challenge our ability to connect with others, which is an essential task for stability. The problem with these thickly settled thought patterns is that they disrupt our social engagement system, exist without our knowing and separate from reality. Anyone looking to feel more comfortable in their own skin on the planet must confront their own subconscious, which is a super tricky thing to do and impossible on one’s own. The key to this is our narrative or life story and feeling our feelings in relationship. Then once that monumental task is in process, thoughts must be directed toward freedom and reality which means often changing the feeling tone of the thoughts themselves. This then enters the realm of manifestation, spirituality and positive psychology. Once the past has been explored and feelings integrated, we need to discipline our thinking to create a new life. All wisdom traditions teach this in one way or another, so this isn’t a new idea by any means, but the combo has proven potent in creating lasting equilibrium. Mindfulness is a key component to this. Mindfulness is the experience of emotional states, sensations and connection to support the biological/psychological healing process. To become internally aware and mindful evokes evolutionary wisdom and natural healing. Examine the quality of your thoughts and notice how much negativity exists there because that tone becomes our lived experience. If your lived experience is not what you want, then the thinking process must change.

To do list: 1. Get help or support 2. Confront your past and discuss/process/feel about the hard parts to gain awareness with a trusted someone 3. Concentrate on what you want (feelings & thoughts) 4. Keep Going…