Thank you, Julian. I started my day reading this and found much comfort. I often find it hard to let go of Self 1, but when I can and do, what a relief to step into the flow of life in lieu of trying to direct the current.
Alcohol. I depended upon it for years after having gone through many personal set backs that left me feeling unworthy and ashamed. I am working on embracing my brokenness now and sustaining my sobriety. It's not easy, but Self 2 is a lot more helpful than Self 1.
I think you're on the right track as far as listening to Self 2 rather than Self 1. My own take as a recovering addict: Self 1 tells me that there's a hole inside of me (my "feeling unworthy and ashamed"), and tries to fill that hole via giving into addiction (in my case, it was addiction to porn). God (and here I find it more useful to speak in terms of "God" rather than "Self 2," for the simple reason that perfect love casts out shame) knows that there is no hole. There never was a hole.
Good morning, Julian. Thank you for your reply. I agree that addictions are absolute cover for a spirtual void as we wrestle with how to fill that void. In our secular world, together with its many distractions, cultural confusion, etc., it is easy for most of us to lose sight of the fact that our journey is one of return. So sometimes I think that the spiritual void we encounter in life is actually pre-planned, such that we somehow eventually embark on a journey to recapture our relationship with the divine in our lives and reach beyond trauma. It is not an easy journey. We are forged by fire and storms. The search for the Holy Grail, or the Christ within us, is our best, and I would argue, our only path forward.
Thank you, Julian. I started my day reading this and found much comfort. I often find it hard to let go of Self 1, but when I can and do, what a relief to step into the flow of life in lieu of trying to direct the current.
Glad it was helpful <3
Why do you find it hard to let go of Self 1?
Alcohol. I depended upon it for years after having gone through many personal set backs that left me feeling unworthy and ashamed. I am working on embracing my brokenness now and sustaining my sobriety. It's not easy, but Self 2 is a lot more helpful than Self 1.
I hear you.
I think you're on the right track as far as listening to Self 2 rather than Self 1. My own take as a recovering addict: Self 1 tells me that there's a hole inside of me (my "feeling unworthy and ashamed"), and tries to fill that hole via giving into addiction (in my case, it was addiction to porn). God (and here I find it more useful to speak in terms of "God" rather than "Self 2," for the simple reason that perfect love casts out shame) knows that there is no hole. There never was a hole.
What do you think?
Good morning, Julian. Thank you for your reply. I agree that addictions are absolute cover for a spirtual void as we wrestle with how to fill that void. In our secular world, together with its many distractions, cultural confusion, etc., it is easy for most of us to lose sight of the fact that our journey is one of return. So sometimes I think that the spiritual void we encounter in life is actually pre-planned, such that we somehow eventually embark on a journey to recapture our relationship with the divine in our lives and reach beyond trauma. It is not an easy journey. We are forged by fire and storms. The search for the Holy Grail, or the Christ within us, is our best, and I would argue, our only path forward.