Are You Emotionally Suppressed?
Part Two
Part Two
If you’ve ever had a dream for yourself, or an expectation of who you wanted to become and for one or, a myriad of reasons, it hasn’t yet happened, know that the dream probably hasn’t died. You have very carefully allowed it to sleep. If anything causes the desire to awaken and you habitually shut it down because it’s not the right time, or it seems impossible, all that energy you’re using to keep the desire under wraps is making you tired. Your light has dimmed. The flow of creativity, or spirit or whatever you want to call it has been choked off. You’ve become suppressed. (Depressed or Suppressed?)
Where's Your Wild Child?
So many of us are going around behaving in perfectly acceptable ways socially. We are safe in the security of predictability because ‘duh!’ that’s how civilization works. In my sessions with clients, when I tell them that we need to be letting our ‘wild child’ have some say in our lives, their immediate response, always, is to laugh and say, ‘yeah, as if,’ in plain disbelief. But I’m serious. We must learn to allow the inner creative, unpredictable spark that is our essence, have some air time.
In the beginning of my ‘awakening’ from utterly civilized suppression, I began sketching. I didn’t know I could draw! And I sketched my adult-self releasing my starved, abused inner child-self out of an animal cage. As I put some creative, inner-desire-expressing practices in place, I later sketched that child-self as an adolescent, strong, filled-out and growing wings. Those were my metaphorical representations of coming out of suppression.
It may be that going from suppression (Take My Emotional Expression Quiz), to resurrecting your dream is too big of a leap. So, what are some inner-desire-expressing practices?
Inner Desire (Wild Child) Expressing Practices
Tell the Truth
It took me several counsellors and many sessions before I could finally bring myself to say what I truly felt. I was so programmed to be ‘nice’ that saying what I was actually thinking and feeling was excruciatingly painful. When I finally trusted that I could voice the terrible things I thought and felt, without judgement, my true, inner-self began to come out of hiding.
Feel Safe
We cannot access our creative-self if we are locked into stress and fear. After I began to speak my truth, my beliefs, fears and never-before-told shameful experiences, I set up a sanctuary in my home. A place of my own where I could lock the door, be alone and write or just read and meditate. This did wonders for calming my always-on stressful state.
What’s Fun?
Scientific studies on animals show that play is innate. All animals will play and frolic. But, when a sniff of a predator, in the form of one single hair, will cause all play to cease, and the babies will forever be on alert for danger. This also happens to us. When we no longer engage in fun and play, it could be because we’re locked in fear. (See: I Have a Feeling) If you can’t think of anything that is enjoyable or fun, it is time to seek some help.
If your inner, creative, wild-child self has been on lock down for years, she is understandably reticent to reveal herself. Your job is to convince her that it is safe to come out and you will listen to her. Once she does begin communicating, you must be prepared to act on her wishes, to show that you are serious about listening to her.
We will talk about ways to encourage your Wild Child to speak in Part Three.
Jennifer Washington
Certified Martha Beck Life Coach
What Now Life Coaching
www.whatnowlifecoaching.com
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Certified Martha Beck Life Coach
What Now Life Coaching
www.whatnowlifecoaching.com
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