We often exist in the superficial—choosing somewhat shallow lives rather than reaching inside and examining the core of our being. We get proficient at surface-dwelling.
Sometimes we live on the surface because we’re afraid to take chances.

Digging deeper requires examining your life to know yourself better, then possibly discovering that some beliefs you’ve clung to might need to be challenged as you step back and reevaluate choices. Not knowing what you might discover can be downright scary! The “what ifs” take center stage, and often—to avoid the fear of self-discovery—playing it safe is chosen.
Do you live on the surface because you’ve taken change-risks in the past that haven’t paid off?

Perhaps, in an attempt to create a better reality or honor yourself, you were hurt, abandoned, or minimized, then decided, “that didn’t work, so I’m going to go back to where I’m comfortable, where it’s familiar, where I know what to expect.”
So many great opportunities awaiting us are those that force us off the surface, out of our comfort zones, and into uncharted territory. 

To change fear into empowerment, it’s necessary to rewrite the script! Think, “what if something extraordinary happens?” not, “what if something terrible happens?” Imagine wonderful—say it out loud, tell someone. Throw all your energy toward living the life you want. Thoughts become words, words become actions, and action is needed to make change happen.

One of my greatest fears is drowning. In my first home, a little cape cod, we had a four-foot-deep pool in our yard. Being underwater, regardless of the shallowness, made me very nervous. (Of course, that sounds crazy to most of you.) I knew that I could stand up anytime I wanted, but there was inborn fear. I was very cautious in many other ways, too—was not yet a risk-taker, not yet confident enough to explore—I was “surface-dwelling, “literally and figuratively.

In my early thirties, I snorkeled— a huge accomplishment for someone terrified to be underwater! I was with a seasoned diver whom I trusted completely, but it still took considerable self-talk to choose that experience. I may never go snorkeling again, but what I saw that day was amazing and an adventure I wouldn’t have had if I didn’t step out of my comfort zone, choosing to dive beneath the surface—literally and figuratively.

Delve deeper, explore who you are, figure out what makes you feel alive, acknowledge that you’re worth that opportunity, relationship, or challenge.  Sure, there’s a possibility you might fail, but you’ve taken a chance to move away from living in the superficial. “Incredible” can’t happen if you focus only on the negative. Moving from surface-dwelling involves risk, but you can’t move forward without taking a step forward, and you can’t create change without being open to change.
If you never leave the “surface” of your life—the space you see and behave in all the time —you don’t tap into your unrealized potential.

You, likely, have attributes that have never seen the light of day because they’ve been hidden away beneath the surface; time wasn’t invested in nurturing them. Exploring what’s under all the day-to-day stuff leads to discovering who you really are. 

Some of us will continue searching for the “right” job, car, house, partner, or friend, allowing all that to take precedence while finding “self” languishes in a dark corner. How sad; once you know yourself on a deep and meaningful level, searching for all else will matter less.

Rumi, a 13th-century theologian, and poet, wrote, “And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself?”

What if your journey begins right now?
What if you choose to realize you are worth that?
Kay

Please help spread the word of peace full home™, and invite your friends to share our peace-filled conversations.
Thank you,
Kay