Protection

I was having a conversation recently about all the ways we protect ourselves in life and what it actually does.

I equated it to walking around with a big plastic bubble around us - we think somehow this bubble is protecting us when in fact it is actually just keeping us from experiencing life to its fullest!

I notice how this comes up for me - I don’t share certain information because I don’t want to be seen as weak.  I don’t express my needs for fear of being “needy.”  And if I look closely, a multitude of other ways.

All these protection mechanisms are not actually doing me any good!  What I’ve realized is that we can only love to the depth we can grieve.  We can only experience joy to the degree we can feel sadness. 

If we’re constantly protecting ourselves from so-called negative experiences, we’re actually dulling our capacity for the highs of life too!

The word protect comes from a Latin word that means “covered in front.”  If we keep ourselves covered, it only ends up creating a prison for ourselves.  Overwhelm and loneliness ensue when we keep things out with this protection.

I believe the antidote to protection is self-trust.  When we can completely trust ourselves that we will be OK no matter what happens, then we can allow ourselves to be raw, vulnerable and open to anything.  

We can let people in completely, seeing all parts of us and not run from any experience because we know that we can handle it.  

Notice the ways you protect yourself and try giving it up.  I promise you will be ok.

XO

Adrienne

PS...So grateful for the amazing souls in my new group for Alchemy!  Reply to this email to get on the waitlist for the next round!