How to identify & cure colonization within.
When we think about our lives and what we want to get out of it, we are already exposing the colonization that is within us. You are not a machine to pull from and demand productivity out of. More importantly, doing so will not deliver happiness or success to us. So let’s explore this idea of colonization within in three parts.
What is colonization? In a the larger cultural context we understand colonization as the act of domination of the more powerful force upon another. This suppression of one culture or being over another is done through control both with access to resources & then the psychic/emotional/spiritual realities of one’s life. The later is the one that is sneakier to catch. To admit the psychic, emotional and spiritual ways in which we are captive to a force outside of ourselves is a hard endeavor to do. It takes honesty, humility & the bravery to face deeply pervasive anger & grief.
The ways in which we are captive within our own minds is through cultural programming, thoughts and beliefs from our families, our peers, our education system, religious doctrine, political theology & any or all, beliefs that we subscribe to. In classic psychological projection, remember that it is easier to project our beliefs on others and in our American culture we’ve been taught to police one another. This is simply understood as the fight for resources. So instead of standing up against or unifying against the power that is dominating, we tend to send that anger, resentment and side ways tactics of our own fighting for control sideways. We see this in the political, religious, gendered or racial arenas. And quite honestly, it will cause our own demise (as a society) if we don’t stop. Nastiness, control, censorship, judgement, etc; turned towards our brothers and sisters will never do anything but expose our own ignorance & undeveloped personal morality.
No matter how noble we believe our belief is… we must extract it, analyze it & debunk it.
To do so you can sink into your being & allow these answers to formulate for you; Where did this belief come from? In what ways does holding this belief help me, and in what ways does this belief harm me? What new thoughts, feelings, beliefs, ideas, concepts or experiences can I cultivate that would be more balanced & bring me to peace within myself and with the outer world?
After we’ve become curious about our mind & the conforming beliefs that have been programmed into us… then we begin to see that we must relate to ourselves in a different way. It is easier to question who we are when we appreciate and love who we are.
Let me show you…
Imagine seeing a door in front of you. Before you go through this door, take off your shoes, leave your bags as well. Also, put down who you think you are and whatever it is that you feel you need to get done. All things important to you, leave it outside of this door.
Once you’ve done so, walk through this door. This space is either an empty room or a favorite, expansive space in nature. You are alone but not lonely. Here we are neutral.
You are unattached & yet, comfortable! In this space there is no pain, no regrets & no desire to be anything else. You are just here. You are present.
This experience is you dropping into your being.
And it is always here for you.
Never outside of you.
Always attainable & welcoming.
As often as you seek peace, clarity & calm ~ is how often you shall practice coming into this space. This space that is within you. Where you are untouched by memories or longing.
All is well.
You are well.
And this is the space from within that is uncolonized. It is the space within you that has no beliefs of right or wrong. Within us we have the wisdom to hold the space & container for what is true; our truest essence.
Now we practice.
We learn to go in and out of the matrix, consciously participating.
Consciously choosing.
The lesson here is to remember that how we relate to ourselves is how we relate to the world. This points out another classic projection & spiritual teaching of many mystics; what we feel about others, is what we feel about ourselves.
Our perception of everything outside of us is a mirror.
This is one of those spiritual teachings that I found annoying in my earlier days of my own personal journey. It can be hard to accept because we have been convinced (by culture and religious dogma) that we are helpless & therefore, we need not rely on our own authority but to seek the guidance of their authority. And when I say their authority I am naming the dominant force we identified in step one of this publication.
It can be overwhelming to admit that we do have 100% authority and responsibility over our own lives. It can be confusing to tease out all the ways that we’ve related to ourselves and to our world in a disempowered way. For example, growing up in a dependent and reactive (hello, generational trauma) household we learn to manipulate using emotions instead of using our self-authority. Instead of using our intuition & self-advocacy with respect for all involved, we learn to repress and find other “unhealthy” tactics for getting our needs met. To tease out all these nuanced behaviors, thoughts & components of our self-identity is a confusing task.
And yet, it is is where all our jewels reside. We dive deep into our unconscious & do the work to resolve, re-pattern & re-imagine who we are. We remember who we’ve always been. Then we begin the only noble fight; the fight for our lives.
We decide to let go of what no longer serves us. So that we may serve ourselves.
Cheers to you my friend!
If you are still here, reading this then you have within you the knowing. You have the light & the strength within you to follow the Way.
The Way towards inner illumination.
All the rest of it? It is play, theatrics… a video game. And while there are times where this can be necessary, entertaining or teach us things about life - we must relate to it within Right relationship to ourselves above all else.
May these words anchor permission for you to traverse your inner landscape with compassion & curiosity, humor & humility.
Big Love,
Maeve Lee
PS: Be sure to join me in the myriad of place by following the links so that we can converse, share & celebrate with one another. ❣️🏹 I always love hearing from each of you!
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