“Your only responsibility is to uncover the Truth”
~ Ernest Holmes (The Science of Mind)
I am so proud of the personal work we do at our Centre. We study a philosophy that is rooted in the connection of all things; an Infinite Universe. We believe our experience is determined by the thought patterns we hold in our minds (most of which are unconscious), and that our task is to excavate the beliefs that push against the life we truly desire. In doing so, we align with powerful Universal Principles. This is complex work that requires diligence, stamina and trust.
My confidence in our work was validated when I fell upon a podcast led by one of my favourite thought leaders, Simon Sinek. In this episode, he was in conversation with Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, who is an expert in neuroscience.
Intuitively, I know that leaning into difficult conversations with others, taking full responsibility for our own lives and actions, and growing through the unearthing of past traumas is paramount to living a more fulfilling life. I feel it in my bones. Time and time again, I have seen the beneficial results from this work - not only for me, but for those around me. And, more and more, as the podcast I mentioned underlined for me, there is science-based literature to back up the work we do at our inspired Centre.
The path of self-discovery is bound to produce anxiety and yes, anxiety is ‘uncomfortable’. For instance, Society has conditioned us to suppress all ‘negative’ emotions, especially in public. (No tears. No anger. Be calm and cool). Yet, the rise of research around emotional intelligence, and the findings of individuals like Dr. Dennis-Tiwary, are pushing against the popular narrative that invites us to get relief in any way by avoiding the parts of life that make us … feel.
Many of us ‘numb out’ in multiple creative ways. But, as researcher, Brené Brown, wrote, “We cannot selectively numb emotions. When we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions.” For a moment, then, I want you to consider the challenge we have marketing the great work we do at the Centre. Consider how enticing the following type of promo tag lines may be:
“Dive in, feel deeply, go home red eyed from tears of fulfillment”
“Walk to your own beat, find your true north, explore more. The adventure is worth it”
“Hard work ahead, gloves not required”
In her book, Future Tense: Why Anxiety is Good For You (Even Though it Feels Bad), Dr. Dennis-Tiwary wrote, “Future Tense argues for the radical idea that anxiety is a feature of being human, not a bug. When we tap into our anxiety instead of attack it like an illness, we realize that human anxiety evolved to not only be protective, but to build our creative capacity to be productive. Anxiety achieves this by making us into time travellers, propelling us into future thinking, where we are smarter, more focused, and more hopeful in the face of challenge.”
My desire is for everyone to realize the release that comes from moving through tough feelings and experiences, rather than avoiding them.
Turning our backs on challenges with other people, our inner harmful dialogues, or events and happenings in the world around us… is like trying to hold a beach ball under water. The more we avoid, the bigger the ball gets, and some day we won’t be able to keep it below. When that day comes, what we have been holding down will then catapult to the surface… and it will rise up showing its face as a much bigger, more toxic problem… like sickness, loss of job, deep depression, alienation…. The list goes on and on. Interestingly, when these types of events occur many people wonder what happened ‘all of a sudden’. Well, it wasn’t ‘all of a sudden’. Dramatic events in our life are fuelled by years of avoidance.
New Thought scholar, Ernest Holmes, wrote, “A false fact is neither person, place nor thing to the one who uncovers it, and once uncovered it has no place in which to hide”. Dr. Dennis-Tiwary’s advice is that, regardless of the “discomfort of anxiety, it is time we reimagine and reclaim anxiety as the advantage it evolved to be”.
Research on resilience has shown that people who know they make mistakes and learn from them, make better choices and connections as a result. I am telling you, it is unhelpful to suppress and avoid. Anxiety is our helpmate.
“Through right thinking, we are able to uncover the appearance of imperfection and reveal the Perfect Idea.” ~ Ernest Holmes.
Let’s uncover those ‘big, hairy monsters’ that lie within us. I promise, it may feel horrible at times on the journey, but once you walk through, there are gifts unmeasured on the other side, and a freedom you didn’t think was possible.
F-E-A-R can have two meanings:
Forget-Everything-And-Run… OR… Face-Everything-And-Rise.
The choice is yours.
I believe in the truth expressed in this this quote from Ernest Holmes:
“(Our) only responsibility is to uncover the Truth.”
~ Take some moments this week to notice any anxiety that may rise for you.
~ Journal about its wise message. How is the wisdom of your heart guiding you? What is the message it wants you to hear? Listen deeply… it’s ok, you are safe!
~ If you’d like to share, we’d love to hear about your experiences and insights! You can contact us via: (admin@the centrecr.org)