As I posted about ancient history in the Peru itinerary blog, I thought about how much our egos play a role in keeping us from reaching our potential by magnifying fear of how we’ll be perceived or judged.
Are we afraid we’ll look silly, weak, dumb, or any myriad of emotions that hold us back from expressing ourselves fully. Maybe if we strip down our ego, we can reach a greater communion with one another, god, and universal consciousness. One of the main things that hold us back is that it makes us very vulnerable and strikes at the deepest fear in our being.
My mom never knew a stranger because she was always an open book and was genuinely interested in what people were saying. I know this because I never saw her judge anyone or have ulterior motives with anyone. She had a fantastic ability to have deep, meaningful friendships with people. I admired and had the pleasure of experiencing that in its most real form as her closest friends were by her side as she was battling cancer.
Now, I have put my foot in my mouth many times and have tended to close myself off from the world and not let people in. Still, I think that’s par for the course when you’re diving deep into emotions while experiencing such a diverse set of life events that make you question everything.
Everyone has developed their unhealthy ways of dealing with things that affect them, from closing off, overcompensating with material processions to deflecting our judgment of ourselves onto others.
It would be nice if we had more time to focus on developing ourselves, creating healthy coping mechanisms, and spirituality. Personal development takes more energy and time than falling into self-destructive bad habits, which the world is full of in all forms… Maybe that’s their plan.
Untitled, 1982, Jean-Michel Basquiat, American, 1960–1988, acrylic, spray paint, and oilstick on canvas, 72-1/8″ x 68-1/8″
Weighing the Heart 