Expand Your Being

You're only putting a percentage out of who you are.

For this post, I’d like to talk about why we always shrink ourselves. It’s not just within the physical world, but we also downplay our own existence internally. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been working to understand my place in this world as a conscious being.

The inspiration for this post came from a video I had seen on TikTok. He essentially explained that when we engage in thought within small environments, we subsequently think small. It goes true for vice versa; we can think bigger when we’re in an open environment. The comments joked that he means we should go outside to touch grass, and although funny, it’s right. Existing in a larger environment gives you more room to explore your internal dialogue. There aren’t four walls to bounce higher thoughts back to sender. It’s just you and the limitless space, both outside and inside.

Now I’ve given the gist of where this is headed, I want to acknowledge some reasons for why we get “trapped” in our beings. For starters, our environment. Most people, if not all, went through events within the four walls we mentioned. Whether it be home, school, work, it was a suffocating environment. Experiencing non-ideal events in these spaces can make you feel small, and or alone. The lack of space gives the illusion that these are the only things existing in your world at that current moment. Which is far from true. These spaces are almost like mini ecosystems. There’s a life, various species, chains of hierarchy. To manage the lite version of life alongside the real deal is truly confusing. Humans have a habit of focusing on the not so good aspects, so this leads me to say that we’d prioritise the bleakness of our miniature ecosystem. Hence, feeling trapped. In time, this reduces your idea of who you are. You can only see yourself as far as your existence in the four walls, and it’s hard to relate to anything outside of that. Life, who knew we’d be living various simulations of it at once?

To dig a little deeper, the community within said environments plays a huge part. See we’re often born into this world with people beside us. Our parents, grandparents, siblings and more. As we get older, those groups tend to shift in dynamic. I believe it’s due to us wanting to learn ourselves individually. We create space to figure out who we are as individual entities and hold space for the people who we consider our foundation. That’s the easy side of it. The flip side is that we go so deep into the “inner knowing”, that we completely and accidentally shut off. It’s almost a domino effect. You gain some healthy distance for personal perspective, and all of a sudden you no longer know who you are within the communities you once thrived. Don’t get me wrong, the good growth you do from this deserves an applause, but we never mention the other side. The isolation. Getting wrapped up in our existence that we forget to continue to relate to others outside of us. I do feel that we trick ourselves into loneliness, me included. I can say that I went on the merry go round a few times and landed right back in the space I had forgotten. Knowing who I am outside of just me. It’s a whirlwind for sure.

I don’t think anything prepares you for having to translate inner healing to the outside world. We go through our lifetimes of feelings with a fine-tooth comb, just to feel lost once we feel we’ve reached a point of “enlightenment”. I’m of course an advocate for all the shadow work, but it’s the bridge leading on from that that stumped me. Depending on whichever higher entity you confide in, you may have heard that “there’s nothing left for you to do”. It took me a moment to make sense of it but now I totally get it. There is nothing left for you to discover within, in this current chapter. Meaning, you have learnt the necessary things to continue on your path in this world. It’s like going round the monopoly board on the first round. Learning, unlearning, mistakes, growth. Once you’ve gone round once, the 200 you collect is simply the reward, in which you can use to make real physical moves. Essentially, there comes a point when you must acknowledge the inner milestones and allow them to be of use to you externally.

This post is a brief summary of what my current outlook on life is. The trials and tribulations I’ve overcome recently led me to this perspective. If you had resonated with the words here, then I believe this is your sign to start living outside of your shell. The shadows and confined spaces are not meant for permanence. They are guidelines for you to discover who and how you want to be in this world. Yes, the inner growth is continuous throughout life, but it isn’t the entire point of life. Use every aspect of your existence to catapult into the spotlight and immerse into your being. Do not hide forever, and instead carry honour with you to everywhere you explore. You’ve passed go, make a move.