How Are You Making Things Complicated?

Sent by Lauren Jane Heller    |    March 7, 2022

Yesterday, I flew home from a week's rest after a week of adventure, deep growth, connection and learning in Costa Rica with the incredible women in my first Shine program. 

That it has already been a year since this idea first came through, and that we are already nearing the close of the program feels surreal. It also feels clearer than almost anything I’ve ever done. An idea emerged one morning and I caught hold of it. I saw it clearly even then and I held it in my hands, in my heart and my mind. It was an idea that was waiting to be given substance and form. Now, I see clearly why it was so important.

It's easy to read about personal growth and consciousness and leadership and understand intellectually what it's "supposed" to look and feel like. It's another thing altogether to actually live it. My focus in my own life and in my work is to truly live the transformation, to anchor it in my body and help others to do the same. That's what we created in this program and I am blown away by the depth of connection and transformation these women created for themselves and for each other. 

I want you to try something. Take a moment right now to feel into the truths that are anchored in you. What thoughts come up as you read this sentence? What are the beliefs that are programmed into the fabric of your being? Are these the beliefs you choose or were they handed to you by others — your family, society, your teachers, your faith?

The greatest liberation is to learn that you can release yourself from the deep-seated beliefs that don't serve you. I know: I've done it. I used to believe that one had to sacrifice or lose something important in order to succeed. It wasn't my belief — it was handed down to me by my ancestors, people who did indeed make great sacrifices. I can be grateful to them without carrying the burden of this belief. I can choose to release myself from this programming not by hope or affirmation but by rewriting the code in my body. I can experience ease and trust and success now because I know how they feel. They’re not just ideas or information held in my mind, but experiences felt in my heart, my belly, my hands, my throat, my shoulders. We hold so much intelligence that is not in our minds. My greatest breakthrough was learning to trust in the intelligence of my body and to create anchors that can bring me to feeling these truths rather than just thinking about them. 

As my friend, former colleague, and one of the aforementioned Shine participants, Ziyi, likes to say: Simple isn't always easy, but simple is best. It's not always easy because we find ways to make it hard or complicated. Accessing truth is simple. So how are you making it complicated or hard?

Can you practice shifting to ease and trust? Are you willing to try the simple practice of noticing when something feels hard, tight and cold and seeing if you can simply accept that feeling and breathe through it? Can you let go of the need for analysis or rationalization? Just feel it and breathe. Simple and easy. A great beginning. An access point to truth. A way to shift.

That this is the work I get to do and witness feels important. It also fills me with joy. I hope that sharing this with you will bring some space and lightness to your day. I hope it's a beautiful one. 

Love, 

LJ