Do you know what sabotages are at play deep in your psyche? Why they are there? How they play out in your everyday life? Can you recognise or feel them in action? And how can we change these energies for ourselves?
Some refer to the self-sabotaging parts of ourselves as our shadow aspects. Because it is unknown, not present or not fully present in our conscious awareness. You may have heard the expression 'shadow work'. This is essentially when we decide to take a good hard look at ourselves. When we attempt to delve into the depths of our own Being to uncover what has so far been unknown to us and what we generally believe we will find is some kind of block or incongruity of Self. But it doesn't have to be 'hard'. The quality of our process, whether we suffer much or not, depends on how much we can accomodate and support our sense of Self as we traverse the darkness within. It seems to be considered a potentially scary process, but once you get into the habit, it can be just another one of those processes you become accustom to in your life as an evolving being.
The work of Caroline Myss suggests in her 2001 book Sacred Contracts, that our saboteur is one of the four main archetypes that we live with throughout our lives and it is the ‘Guardian of Choice'. That it is neither good or bad, just a ‘neutral energy that makes itself known through disruption. It can sabotage your efforts to be happy and successful if you are not aware of the patterns of thought and behaviour that it raises in you. It can cause you to resist opportunities. The Saboteur is the mirror that reflects your fears of taking responsibility for yourself and for what you create.’ And that ‘you can silence the Saboteur with acts of courage and by following your intuition’.
Some of the classic self-sabotaging fears that live well hidden is us can include fear of success, fear of intimacy, fear or change, fear of being alone or abandoned. As fears are often an irrational state they can know no bounds.
These deeply hidden psychological aspects of the self could have possibly served us well at some point, but they can and often do end up playing interference with your progress in life. Whilst they can be difficult to shift as they are sometimes the most challenging things to identify for ourselves, it is possible to reverse engineer the process. One way of becoming aware of why we make the choices we do is to challenge our hidden psychological states with positive affirmations.
Affirmations are modern day prayers. Powerful intentional tools in transforming the unconscious, bringing new realities into being. Within and without. They are statements of intended fact. e.g. I can now embrace change with courage. Working with affirmations will bring up all the usual suspects for you to exercise your ‘inner witness’ muscles on. All the accompanying outdated beliefs, attitudes, thought patterns, personality traits and emotional states that hold your sabotages firmly in place will show up. Whatever shows up, take notice of them all, write about them or make voice recordings so you can allow them to be unpacked at your best pace and can take the time to reflect upon what arises from deep within. There are also afformations that can be harnessed to support and enhance the process where you ask yourself pertinent questions in relation to your affirmations. e.g. how will I see my courage in action today? Show me, I am watching and listening.
As with much in life when dealing with the nature of our Being, it is a process that must be traversed with the utmost of self; respect, compassion, acceptance, patience and love. And if working only with yourself in this way, then a daily reminder of these self-supporting energies is essential.
To create or discover your best affirmations for yourself, contemplate what your goals and desires are and put them in the positive and the present. Keep them simple and straight to the point. There are many examples of affirmations to be found online, in books and guided meditations can be a great source of inspiration. Also see here and here for more examples.
7 Tips for working with your chosen affirmations and prayers
Record yourself saying your affirmations and listen back at regular intervals throughout the day
Write, draw or paint, add pictures to go with your affirmations, then give them a place of importance you can see each morning, evening, or during the day.
Write little notes for yourself around the house, in the car, on the mirrors, on the shower tiles, on the kitchen tiles. On tiles use whiteboard markers so you can change them at will. Speak them out loud whenever you look at them.
Sing them, make a mini movie out of them, change the words to your favourite song and dance to them.
Say them to yourself, into each eye whilst looking in a mirror, 3 times each eye.
Use them with tapping (EFT) if you know how
Set a reminder on your phone
If you want to expedite uncovering the current state of your inner Saboteur and transform these energies to support and enhance your life’s journey, or you find that the process described here brings up something bigger than you feel you can manage, seek professional help. Many kinesiologists are trained in forms of energy psychology and are adept at guiding this process in a gentle yet profound way, assisting to unpack, bring insight and understanding and potentially reassign the energies of our self-saboteurs. Ask them if they can help. Many other forms of psychology may be of assistance too. Consult with a professional of your choice.
Comments