Are you living life from the inside out or outside in?
How are YOU living your life?
Is it from the inside out….or the outside in?
There’s a big difference between living from the inside out versus the outside in. Living life from the inside out means trusting in ourselves and what we have to offer. Bringing THAT to the table each day. Bringing the light withIN us OUT into the world. Living life from the inside out speaks to: compassion, love, faith, strength, intuition, courage, perseverance. Living life from the inside out is a path of truth, a path in which we honor the journey we’re on, regardless of where we are or what is set before us. On the other hand, living life from the outside in is a life in which we take whatever is going on OUTside of us and INternalize it. It’s a stance that says, “I’ve had a sh*tty day because this, this AND this happened, so that means I am ______________ (fill in your self-deprecation here).” Living life from the outside in allows what happens OUTside of us to impact the INside. Living life from the outside in is embroiled with fear, worry, doubt, complaining.
I bring up this question about the way in which you are living your life because I think it’s important to return to this place of self-reflection. intenSati is a practice in which we courageously affirm that we can live a life we love in a body we love. No matter what. It’s a practice that ultimately takes place outside the four walls of the studio. It’s a practice that ignites us to place a stake in the ground, to take the first step on our journey, or to take another step, or, maybe to start all over again. But this an important question to ask because as we start to forge a path, as we start to make declarations and go dream-hunting, as we start to grow and live fearlessly; we also encounter chaos-challenges, setbacks, disappointments, frustrations. You name it. It’s an important question to ask especially in the midst of such chaos as it provides us with a different perspective. How am I living my life? Is it from the inside out….or the outside in? allows us to go from Why is this happening TO me to What purpose is this serving? Why is this happening FOR me? I’m not suggesting the answer to how the chaos is benefiting you comes from asking this essential question; as most often, we learn the lesson in reverse. What I am trying to emphasize is when we shift the perception surrounding the circumstances in our lives, we are able to claim back our power and to realize we get to decide how we WANT to live and from what place. If we are internalizing and living from the outside in, we can shift our perception and choose to live from the inside out. If we’re not happy with what is going on around us, we may not always be able to change our circumstances, but we can choose to shift our perception. This shift is essential because if we want to live a life different than we have, or experience something we have yet to encounter, we must do something we haven’t done, right?
For me this was a VERY important question to ask this week. I’ve been asking A LOT of questions over the course of the past week in response to the events happening around me: Am I good enough to sustainably do what I want to do? Am I good enough, talented enough, inspiring enough to teach in the capacity I want? Am I love-able or worthy enough or even courageous enough to step of the relationship I am in and cross the blurred lines of sexuality? Am I really original enough, creative enough, to write my book? These aren’t new questions, per say, for me as they been questions I’ve been asking on my continued journey. What was “new” about them over the course of the past week was the lack I felt, the inner emptiness of “enough” OUTside of me which only made my questions yell louder. I felt disconnected from particular people in my life last week which I let fuel my own disconnected-ness. I haven’t had consistency at Sweat Fitness in Manayunk, where I’ve just begun teaching in July, and twice have had no-shows. I’ve had a couple near break downs in intenSati classes I’ve taken last week; last Friday in particular I was crying during the warm-up. A disclaimer: There is nothing wrong with crying during or after intenSati. This practice is so much an emotional, spiritual AND physical workout. And, when you allow yourself to feel it on THAT level, when you allow yourself to get to THAT place, THAT is where the growth happens.
…Which I suppose brings me to my point….
I was living from the outside in last week. I was letting what one person did or didn’t say to me (read: outside circumstance) affect how I felt. I was letting slow growth, inconsistency, or no-shows at my new class in Manayunk translate into I am not good enough. I was letting my fear of not being good enough, or “leaderly” enough keep me in the back of intenSati class. I was letting everything GET to me but wasn’t even willing to release it by full-on crying in class. I was living outside in.
Sometimes getting to this point where we are surrounded by chaos and feel overwhelmed is a valuable tool. Yes. It can be a good thing when we ask the right questions. It’s a valuable tool because it forces us to take the pause we normally wouldn’t take. It forces us to take a step back and examine the path we’re walking. And that’s the great news. Since we can always shift our perception, we can always choose which path we’re on: outside in or inside out.
So, what path are you walking? Are you living from the inside out…or outside in? Are you on the path of living inside out already? Then, rock it out. March it. Dance it. Hell! Prancer-cise if you’d like….I won’t tell 😉 Not on the inside out path quite yet? That’s fine too. Start by shifting your thoughts and your perception. One thought at a time. One day at a time. You’re like Rome, baby, and that wasn’t built in a single day either. Just take it on day at a time.
Sending you love, light, and always all good things, but I’m also sending you the reMINDer that you have all the tools you need already INside. The path IS yours for the choosing.