You can’t trust yourself when you allow the world to make your decisions. Without self-trust, you live in unending confusion. You have no control over who or what shifts your reality, your truth.
External forces are more than happy to take responsibility for your decisions. But only in ways that serve them, not you. An undercurrent of disloyalty then causes you to become reactive and self-destructive. Your responses to life scare and sabotage you, which makes you feel needy. The cycle repeats itself. You continue to look outside yourself for peace and direction.
The problem isn’t that you’re not a good decision-maker. It’s that you outsource your decision-making altogether. You let your Mom decide which job you take. You let your friends decide who you should marry. You let photos, so fake that they’re not even photos, tell you how you should look. You allow the media to dictate how much fear permeates your home, heart, and mind. Whatever directs you controls you. The people, companies, and sub-cultures you give power to will dictate your consequences.
Employing external power is the classic drug dealer-junkie setup. The more the dealers “give” you, the less ability you have to function. They win. You lose—every time. You lose your self-esteem. You believe you’re not fit for life and are missing something in yourself.
How do you develop a firm Self you can trust and draw power from? You establish a daily routine.
A revolution starts in your habits. You will discover your idols and controllers in those habits. You change your life experience by changing the habits that destroy rather than make you. If you think you don’t have what it takes, remember that you’re maintaining a set of patterns now. But you’re doing it unconsciously.
Love and trust in Self are a byproduct of disciplining yourself into caring for yourself. Simple solutions don’t give you the debilitating fear you’re used to, but they work. The ego likes mental acrobatics; that’s how it keeps busy and maintains control. Ignore your ego when it says, “A routine?! It’s too simple to work! My problems are too serious.” Living by a healthy, productive routine isn’t more simplistic than the mash-up of nonsense habits you live by now.
What feels like the easier way is the familiar way. It’s the way of waste. It’s the way of established grooves disguising themselves as ease. In truth, it’s the way of extreme pain, fear, and isolation. Your routine gets your mind out of God’s way. Decisions are distractions. Your practice serves you by strictly limiting your decisions. Your routine frees your mind of irrelevant or self-destructive minutiae. Then, your soul can deliver inspiration, intuitive thought, and creative genius – without struggle. In this way, it is akin to meditation.
In practice, you wake up and go to bed at the same time every day, no matter what. Those decisions are off the table. You brush your teeth, get dressed, and make your bed in the same order and at the same time every day. Those decisions are off the table. You work out at a set time daily, so you make that decision once instead of 1,000 times. You go to church, 12-step, or Nature at a set time on set days. Again, one decision, not 365 decisions.
How you feel about serving the habits doesn’t matter. You know they serve the routine that delivers your better life. Do it when you feel good, and do it when you don’t. You will create a rhythmic undercurrent that supports and strengthens your Self. You then direct the time and clear energy you save back into what you want your life to be about. Your family. Your art. Your connection to something larger than you. You use the focus to serve.
Abused selves still wish to return to their familiar self-defeating, abusive patterns. You have to build your tolerance for living in peace. Surrender your addiction to self-destruction as a coping mechanism. Let your soul mold you rather than the destructive forces of the world. Both are limitless in power. Both will bring you to your knees. The path you choose will determine where you end up.
Discipline is the key to your freedom from debilitating confusion. Your daily routine is no less than what your life will amount to. It’s the base of your contribution to the world, of your art. It is the grounding force for your growth. You use it to communicate love to yourself and God. It delivers the continuity, safety, and security you need when times get tough. It orients you to your higher self, to your potential.
Song Accompaniment: Sara Bareilles, Brave
Artwork: The Art of Seth
All Song Accompaniments Playlist – Spotify
All Song Accompaniments Playlist – Apple
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