The Art of Doing The Inner Work & Achieving Lasting Results in Your Life
You may have read on the internet somewhere, heard on a podcast somewhere or been told by someone that you need to do the ‘inner work’. (I am sure it’s meant with the best intentions…)
This can crop up in life when you’re trying to create changes in your life and you’re frustrated at the results you’re getting, or not getting… especially if you are interested in personal development and spiritual growth, doing the ‘inner work’ is thrown around a lot. But WTF does it actually mean?
Doing the inner work typically means to become aware of your internal landscape and use it to create change in your external landscape. So many people walk through life believing that it’s them vs the world, the world being the external reality and your mind (you) being the internal reality. This isn’t true. Separation is an illusion, a simulation, the matrix or Maya as it is called in eastern philosophy. The truth is that your external reality is a reflection of your internal reality.
If your internal reality is messy then so will your external reality be. As within, so without. You are literally seeing a creation of your mind in every ‘waking moment’. If you’re constantly worrying and speaking negatively about yourself and others it’s no wonder you aren’t seeing the results in your business.
In the words of Dr Joe Dispenza, “Your personality creates your personal-reality… Your personality is made up of how you think, act, and feel. It is your state of being. Therefore, your same thoughts, actions, and feelings will keep you enslaved to the same past personal reality. However, when you as a personality embrace new thoughts, actions, and feelings, you will inevitably create a new personal reality in your future.”
So now that little lesson is complete, how do you become aware of your inner reality?
Self reflection & awareness of your thoughts, feelings, beliefs and stories you tell yourself on a daily basis. (Most thoughts are on constant repeat, which is why you keep creating the same results in your life. Not quite hitting that 6 figure mark in your business? What are the thoughts you are telling yourself about money?)
When you start to cultivate self-awareness you will be faced with some challenges. What you may notice is that people trigger you more and you become more aware of the ‘negative’ emotions you don’t enjoy feeling. This is normal and I advise you to welcome it without judgment and fully with compassion.
You will then be presented with opportunities (that can appear as challenges) to make conscious decisions to change your old patterns of behavior to implement new ways of living that support how you want to experience life.
A mentor of mine & Jungian Psychologist Dr Robert Maldonado recommends if you want to change a pattern of behavior to do the complete opposite of what you would usually do, no exceptions. Which, as you can imagine is easier said than done because it will feel extremely uncomfortable to your ego. Your ego (which has created your personality, your ‘persona’) will tell you it isn’t ‘right’ because it is afraid of ‘dying’.
Are you still with me? We’re about to go a level deeper so if you’re ready, I’ll begin. If not, pause, take a deep breath and come back when you are ready.
I am a person that has been in the personal development world for the best part of 10 years. I have read the books, been to the seminars, done the rituals, set (and sometimes achieved) wild goals without ever really understanding how to implement the knowledge I was consuming. I think this is where it gets confusing when you know you need to do the ‘inner work’ and not just read the books, this is certainly what confused me. I had the knowledge but wasn’t seeing my reality change, I just kept experiencing the same patterns & results over & over again.
In my experience, the most effective way to make changes in your life is to do shadow work.
Doing shadow work can help you reclaim your power and change your external reality.
Shadow work is a specific aspect of doing the internal work that focuses on exploring and integrating the "shadow" aspects of your personality and psyche. It's a concept rooted in Jungian psychology and is often used in various forms of therapy, personal development, and spiritual practices.
Here's how shadow work fits into the broader process of doing internal work:
Understanding the Shadow: In Jungian psychology, the "shadow" refers to the parts of your personality that are unconscious or hidden from your conscious awareness. These aspects often consist of suppressed emotions, desires, fears, and traits that you may not readily acknowledge or accept about yourself because your ego didn’t deem them ‘safe’ when you were growing up, meaning you were at risk of being rejected by your caregivers. The shadow can also contain cultural and societal conditioning that has influenced your self-perception.
Exploration and Acknowledgment: Shadow work involves delving into your subconscious to identify these hidden aspects of yourself. This can be done through self-reflection, journaling, dream analysis, and highly recommended to be done with a trained coach.
Acceptance and Integration: Once you've identified your shadow aspects, the next step is to accept them as a natural part of yourself. This doesn't mean you have to act on every impulse or emotion you uncover but rather acknowledge their existence without judgment. Integrating the shadow involves finding healthy and constructive ways to incorporate these aspects into your conscious self. Accepting and loving yourself deeply & completely.
Healing and Growth: Shadow work is a deeply healing and transformative process. By addressing and embracing these hidden parts of yourself, you can release pent-up emotions, resolve inner conflicts, and ultimately experience personal growth and transformation. Ultiamtely you then begin to regain your power as the creator of your reality and exercise actual free will rather than being controlled by the emotions & stories of your past.
Increased Self-Awareness: Shadow work deepens your self-awareness by shining a light on the aspects of your personality that you may have been avoiding or denying. This increased awareness can lead to more authentic self-expression and a better understanding of your motivations and behaviors.
Improving Relationships: As you work through your shadow, you may notice improvements in your relationships. This is because acknowledging and integrating your shadow can lead to better communication, empathy, and reduced projection of unresolved issues onto others.
Spiritual and Emotional Growth: Many people view shadow work as a spiritual or emotional journey. It leads to a greater sense of wholeness, inner peace, and a deeper connection to your true self.
Disclaimer: shadow work can be challenging and emotionally intense, as it involves confronting parts of yourself that you may have long ignored or suppressed and as I mentioned before, your ego finds this incredibly uncomfortable.
Some people choose to engage in shadow work independently, while others seek the guidance of coaches or practitioners with expertise in this area. I highly recommend working with someone who can guide you through this as your ego will play mind tricks with you and you may need support when some of these challenges appear particularly real.
Overall, shadow work is a valuable component of doing the internal work, as it helps you uncover and embrace the full spectrum of your personality, leading to greater self-awareness and personal development. It goes so much deeper than just understanding your ‘limiting beliefs’ ever will.
As a side note, I highly recommend developing a meditation practice to help you regulate and integrate as you make these changes in your life. It creates profound changes you can’t really see plus it feels lovely. Like a hot bath for your mind.
Doing this type of ‘internal work’ other than an ayahuasca ceremony is probably as deep as you’ll go for lasting transformation and reclaiming your power in life. The results being creating a life beyond your wildest dreams where the possibilities are seriously endless.
Want to get started on the internal work? I invite you to download this powerful ‘Higher Self’ meditation and join my mini training series to connect you to your True Self & step into your next level life.
