When was the last time you encountered yourself?

Spirituality is not just ‘light and love’ or seeing everything through rose-tinted glasses. If you really want insight into who you are, you have to look at the whole picture and especially those pieces you prefer not to see. Hence the question when you last encountered yourself. This week-end, I found out that a sauna at 110 degrees Celsius can really help with that. You go in with full courage, sweat and loosen up the muscles. But after five minutes, your heart rate is 140 and you're soaking wet with sweat. And that's not even the worst part; your mind is rattling at full volume that you have to get out. Maximum in the resistance!

Always plenty of reasons not to do something

It is too hot, breathing is difficult and certainly not through your nose. You've been in it long enough. You really don't need 15 minutes, 7 is also fine. You're already sweating, that's all right then. You are not really comfortable, maybe after a short break things will improve. It's better to build it up a bit. Maybe drink some water. Isn't it too hot right now..... and so on. Your ‘mind’ goes wild and invents all kinds of things to get out from under the heat. But just accepting it for what it is hardly succeeds. Acceptance only appears in the dictionary of habit. Super fascinating actually. Because all these excuses, all these excuses, all these quirks are part of who you are. That already makes who you are a lot less fun isn't it? Always plenty of reasons not to do something, when you only need one to go for it.

What do you identify yourself with?

Spiritual development is about the big picture and self-realisation leaves no choices! Therefore, it is not always easy or fun because you encounter pieces of yourself, in yourself, that may not be as fun or easy. But you should then also ask yourself; Who decides how you should be? What do you identify yourself with?

• Perhaps you have learned behaviour because you once managed to survive that way.
• Don't trust anyone because you don't quite know how to trust yourself at all.
• Do you know how to provide everyone with good advice but don't even listen to your own intuition.

Look your fear in the eye

If everything has to be light and love, you don't make it easier for yourself when things go against you. Joy does not limit, fear on the other hand paralyses you. That is why it is so important not to shy away from your fear; it is precisely that fear that can also give you the freedom to be yourself.

Fear teaches you to explore the limits of your ability

Alex Honnold is not someone who shies away from his fears. In the film of National Geographic Free Solo you see his preparation to climb El Capitan; alone and without a rope to secure himself. A blood-curdling adventure where you hold your heart as he clings to that huge wall. During his preparations, he is confronted several times with his fear; the possibility of falling and not surviving. Of course, my sauna adventure is nothing like that, but we all automatically encounter our own wall at some point. Do we stop there? Or, on the contrary, do we take the time to explore our fear and thus eventually find freedom by conquering that invisible wall within ourselves. You decide it yourself and no one can climb that wall for you.

In your comfort zone, you stand still, you don't grow

Only then will you really get to know yourself, become whole and find healing. Not by always being there for someone else. Not by always putting the other first and adjusting. Not by shelving your dreams any longer for the sake of peace. Friends become enemies, enemies become friends. What failed before becomes achievable and what you did is now no longer interesting. Life gives us contradictions and fears so that we may rise above them to show our true face. Therefore, embrace your fear as a force that helps you move forward, helps you overcome.