Held Hostage by Your Past Self

Jewelry: Alicia Arkwright

Photo: Northern Native

This is the best piece of advice that came to me after meditation this morning. People who have known you for many years, or from a young age, will not always witness your growth. Continue to bloom anyway.

So often we become so caught up with our daily routines and the business of our own lives that we fail to notice the growth of our friends. Sometimes, we may hold them accountable for their actions in the past that they have already done penance for that we know nothing about.

It’s easy for us to be attached to the way we perceive the people in our lives for how they have been, making us blind to who they actually are now in the present moment. So we in turn hold our loved ones hostage to who they used to be.

This cycle can be exhausting for many of us who have gone through major changes in our lives. It can be frustrating for those of us who have spent hours, days, months, and even years working to improve ourselves through therapy, healing practices, education, meditation, and shadow work. With all of our efforts it may feel as though we can not escape the grips of who we once were; so we become frustrated by not truly being seen for who we are now by our peers.

The message today is that it doesn’t matter if they can see the change within us or not. It doesn’t matter if they make comments to you that represent a completely different and distant version and experience of you. As long as you know who you are in your heart, mind, body, and soul you will be protected.

At times, these sort of experiences can feel extremely painful to endure. So, I suggest protecting your energy! Visualize a protective shield surrounding you - it can be whatever color speaks to you the most. My protective shield only attracts abundance, love, compassion, kindness, prosperity, healing, authenticity, and elevation. My shield blocks others projections, trauma bonds, and basically anything that does not serve me in my healing process.

Know yourself and honor your growth. The only person who can truly tell you who you are, is yourself. Peace and love ❤️