Along life, we develop all sorts of inner conflicts because of our experiences, emotional wounds and the cultural layers we are exposed to. We can recognize some conflicts, but most of them are unconscious.
At a young age, when we experience something that causes an emotional wound, we create a story and internalize limiting beliefs. Those beliefs are limiting because they come from a place of separation, lack and feeling “less than.”
Those stories and beliefs generate emotional and behavioral patterns that help us cope with the circumstances and move forward. It is a survival mechanism. However, those patterns will take us only so far. They will serve us for a while and/or in some areas of life, but eventually we will feel stuck. We will notice it when we cannot progress towards better relationships, work, finances, joy, etc.
For example, a child who may experience rejection by their parents, may feel lonely and abandoned. She/he/they may internalize stories that lead to develop beliefs like:
- I cannot trust others,
- They will hurt my feelings,
- I’m better off alone.
The child may develop emotional and behavior patterns that push people away and learn to do things by oneself. This child may grow into an adult who can succeed in some professional areas, but not in others that require collaboration and trust. The adult relationships may remain distant and superficial, even though they may want a deeper and more fulfilling connection.
The emotional and behavioral patterns created are lasting and hard to change. That is because they are attached to fear, which is a strong and basic survival emotion. Also, they are part of the persona (or ego) that we develop to help us feel “safe” and succeed to a certain extent. Unconsciously, we create more stories and beliefs that justify those patterns that sustain our ego/persona. This ego/persona can be good enough to “survive,” but not to thrive. It can help us feel safe from that childhood emotional wound, but it will not allow us to experience life in more expansive ways.
Then, at a point in life, we may want to grow and improve in certain areas, or break free from ways of being, but we will feel stuck. It can be in regards to work, relationships, finances and other patterns. We may want to change our ways, so we can have a more fulfilling career path, improve work-life balance, enrich the qualities of our relationships. But changing our ways towards growth can be very hard and even scary. That is because it will have to lead towards questioning many aspects of oneself and life, that it will require entering and navigating an ocean of self-doubt, confusion, fear and uncertainty … until finding new ways that feel natural again.
That is where Spiritual Coaching can be a path of support and healing, as it helps you navigate hard emotions, while you find more trust within yourself. It helps you recognize and claim your wholeness, while reconnecting with joy, creativity and more possibilities. You can find ways to break free from what is holding you back, as you can heal and release emotional burdens that make you feel hurt and small. Spiritual coaching offers a path that respects you, your experience, your culture, your level of readiness for change and healing.
You can learn more about Spiritual Coaching by clicking here.
