What is normal?
The answer is simple... nothing and everything, all at the same time. Ok, maybe that's not that simple! Let me explain...
I used to get really scared when I thought about this question.
Years ago I even started this campaign in my head called "WYN - What's Your Normal?"
It's interesting that it has come back around to a podcast episode and blog entry.
In the podcast you'll hear me get a little bit frustrated with the hype. Let me take a minute to calmly explain why.
If you have been following the world of media, entertainment, and social standards, you will see that throughout the years, things that were once taboo are now socially accepted. We are constantly in a wave of this aren't we? Even now, we are seeing Disney movies with homosexual relationships and attraction. We are seeing a much more normalized life of anxiety, depression and addiction. We are seeing triggers, protests, the abuse of freedom of speech, a push to socialism, etc., etc.
Don't read into this, I'm not stating a right or wrong, nor am I stating an opinion on any of those things. My only point is to say that what was not normal 20 years ago, is now accepted as normal today. What was not normal 40, 60 or 80 years ago seems like common sense today, however when our parents and grandparents were dealing with it, it was preposterous and ridiculous to think such things could be normalized!
The big takeaway here is that if you let society, the entertainment world, or your peers decide your normal, you will always be confused. And not just confused, but you will have a constant feeling of "not enough". That is the real pandemic here.
Look at how many self-development books, podcasts, websites, blogs, etc. there are. And yet still, in every country, all across our race remains one constant... the plague of not feeling like you're enough.
The people I speak to, including myself, that finally cracked the code to feeling valued, purposeful, confident... ENOUGH, all have one thing in common. We know and listen to our bodies!!
It's called Somatic Experiencing, and I learned this during my Brainspotting training. Brainspotting is a therapy modality that unites the two areas of your brain that process information with your body's experiences to create a unified experience that not only helps you process trauma and anxiety, but have a truly healing experience that prevents future trauma from leaving a lasting imprint on your day-to-day functioning. This gives you a sense of deep, lasting joy and peace.
Close your eyes, take a breath and start letting your body speak to you. Think about the time that you were last truly happy and joyful. Who were you around? What were you doing? What did you watch, see, say, think, and feel? Put yourself in a peaceful place. Mine is anywhere where there is water! Smile as you think these thoughts and turn your face up to the sky or face the sun. You will slowly start to find your normal.
You will find out that your own normal is all that you truly need to be paying attention to. Surround yourself with people like you. People with your normal. People who have the same goals, experiences and lifestyle that you have. This may mean saying goodbye to old friends or hobbies that don't serve you, and that isn't easy. Send them love and light and cherish the season they brought you joy, and then start your journey to find your new tribe. The more you surround yourself with your normal, that happier you will be. Listen to the Shattered to Unbreakable podcast today for more ideas on creating your own tribe of normal and what to do when you feel the need to "stand-out"!
I have a free guide for you today, if you want it. It's called Letting Your Body Speak. Just send me a quick email or dm me for the free guide! You can subscribe to the email list as well to get all of these fresh updates so you don't miss them!
Stay Sparkly Sweet Sister!