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spirituality
November 2009 
What To Do When You Meet Yourself on the Spiritual Path
Posted on Apr 4th, 2009
by 
Jim
Jim
Hello again. It's time for an "oh shit" moment. You're just walking along minding your own business trying to figure out how to get a job in a recession and then you meet yourself. Maybe you didn't realize that you'd split--that a part of you got left somewhere and only now just caught up or you finally looped back. But you've met yourself. Maybe this other "you" is pissed. Pissed to have been left behind, and suddenly, you realize why everything has been going wrong for so long. Suddenly, you realize that you've only been half or less of the whole that is you, but you're going to have to re-integrate. And this other half may be very upset. So what do you do?
Negotiate. Some part of this old you will work with who you are now and some will not. But it's not a one way street because some of the parts of you that you've been using are broken down crap compared to the parts of the older you. You tried out a new engine, but really you had the right engine from the get go. So, you've got some decisions to make about how you're going to be, about who you're going to be.
Re-integration. Your other half has all kinds of memories from the past that you've been carrying around and have not completely dealt with. You'll need to deal with that stuff now. In some instances, it's simply letting the thoughts and feelings arise and then pass. There may be no actions required. In other instances, it will involve making drastic, sudden, and unapologetic changes to sync up with who you are. Everything can change very quickly when you re-integrate. It's why so many people may avoid it. They may still be holding onto relationships, places, jobs, and other things that have been used to create a sense of safety or identity. Finally, you'll also be educating this older self about along the things that have gone on and the people that you've met since it's been away, lost. It's kind of like sitting down with an old friend. It may feel a little weird to treat yourself this way, but it works. =)
Self Forgiveness. I think--to step out of the "you" point of view that I'm using--that forgiving yourself for separating and for following a path that wasn't completely true to who you are is important. I wound up in San Francisco because I thought I was following my heart, but really I was following something else. I was following an energy flow that did not serve me, and while that doesn't invalidate the people or experiences that have entered my life in the last year, it is a huge wake up call that I can make serious mistakes in my life. It's also a huge learning lesson about what it feels like physically, emotionally, and spirituality to make such an enormous mistake.
Moving On. And then at some point after negotiating, re-integrating, and forgiveness, you move on. Because all those other moments are over. When exactly you're allowed to move on may parallel the speed that you move through these other moments. It simply depends on your path, but these are some of the movements that I've experienced in my life. Have you had similar experiences? What were they like? Feel free to leave a comment.
Negotiate. Some part of this old you will work with who you are now and some will not. But it's not a one way street because some of the parts of you that you've been using are broken down crap compared to the parts of the older you. You tried out a new engine, but really you had the right engine from the get go. So, you've got some decisions to make about how you're going to be, about who you're going to be.
Re-integration. Your other half has all kinds of memories from the past that you've been carrying around and have not completely dealt with. You'll need to deal with that stuff now. In some instances, it's simply letting the thoughts and feelings arise and then pass. There may be no actions required. In other instances, it will involve making drastic, sudden, and unapologetic changes to sync up with who you are. Everything can change very quickly when you re-integrate. It's why so many people may avoid it. They may still be holding onto relationships, places, jobs, and other things that have been used to create a sense of safety or identity. Finally, you'll also be educating this older self about along the things that have gone on and the people that you've met since it's been away, lost. It's kind of like sitting down with an old friend. It may feel a little weird to treat yourself this way, but it works. =)
Self Forgiveness. I think--to step out of the "you" point of view that I'm using--that forgiving yourself for separating and for following a path that wasn't completely true to who you are is important. I wound up in San Francisco because I thought I was following my heart, but really I was following something else. I was following an energy flow that did not serve me, and while that doesn't invalidate the people or experiences that have entered my life in the last year, it is a huge wake up call that I can make serious mistakes in my life. It's also a huge learning lesson about what it feels like physically, emotionally, and spirituality to make such an enormous mistake.
Moving On. And then at some point after negotiating, re-integrating, and forgiveness, you move on. Because all those other moments are over. When exactly you're allowed to move on may parallel the speed that you move through these other moments. It simply depends on your path, but these are some of the movements that I've experienced in my life. Have you had similar experiences? What were they like? Feel free to leave a comment.
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