When life seems sideways – get a lift.
When live seems sideways – feeling not quite right with no idea how to fix it – there are ways upward and forward. That’s what Steven Salt’s June 15th article in cleveland.com addresses with practical suggestions on how to set things right again. We expect summer to be carefree and joy-filled but if that’s not how life’s feeling, please see the first of Steven’s comments below then be sure to click the link to read the whole article.
What’s wrong? Why so uneasy?
There are moments when you suspect deep down you’re not whole, when you feel you have somehow misplaced a portion of your soul. Nothing is clicking, joy seems a stretch or you’re just going through the motions in a haze of detachment.
And you’re not sure what to do about it or that it is worth the effort to figure out. For that matter, there is doubt that what you’re experiencing is even abnormal. I’ve experienced that uncertainty. I’ve also found success in challenging subtle feelings of personal inadequacy and experiencing fresh inspiration, fulfillment and presence. Wholeness comes when I take the time to look honestly at myself, all of me. Hear me out.
The number of Vine loops, Instagram selfies and Facebook missives don’t replace authentic introspection. Our primal ID is far different than the face at the end of a selfie stick and posts of today’s conquests on a timeline. Each of us is an intensely complex and uniquely elegant creation.
When it comes to healthy introspection, sometimes we don’t get any further than status updating. We spend more time on what David Brooks has coined “resume virtues” than on “eulogy virtues”. Resume virtues, Brooks explains, are those qualities we use to promote ourselves to others. Eulogy qualities define inner character.
How well do you know you? One would think you would be fairly familiar with your inner self. After all, you live and sleep with you 24/7. But an authentic accounting of individuality is far from a sure thing. Impediments to self-realization can stand in the way. Here are a few: