It is no secret that the pandemic has changed us forever. For some, the change has been positive and life altering. For others, the change has been hard and crippling.  As a society, we are more divided than ever. It makes me curious, what is really dividing us?   Or are we all wanting the same thing?

It doesn’t matter your political stance, your beliefs about masks or anything in between. There are so many of us right now that feel lost and disconnected. Now that things are shifting back to “normal” again… the question remains. What do I do with everything that I have seen the past two years internally and externally? 

I have had the opportunity of sitting with many people. The verdict appears unanimous. Everyone that comes before me is asking themselves this question. Everyone is wondering where do I go from here. I must say I am too.

People are wanting to re-define their life. They want to make changes such as not having that extra cocktail, attending an exercise class, finding a new hobby, or considering homeschooling to spend more time with their children or re-evaluating their relationships. 

Each person wanting to take what they have learned and fully embody life in a new explorative way. My journey of finding my internal self began right before March of 2020. I am so grateful for that spiritual awakening so I could serve those same individuals looking for the same. Who have been feeling empty just like I once did. I haven’t always felt confident in myself along the way but what I have learned is that confidence isn’t just a feeling; it’s an action. It is knowing what I want and going for it even when it scares the heck out of me. 

I have had moments in my life when the stars aligned and things just clicked. It was then I could begin to walk the journey that I desired too. I spent years in depression, discomfort, self-hatred, regret and unworthiness. I searched high and low looking for ways to mend the pain and make it disappear. I never knew there was an easier way to navigate my journey. It was permission. That was the key. I wasn’t giving myself permission to be myself or feel anything. The emotions were defined by something in my head which led to more emotions of skewed perspective of who I was. 

Most people that sit on my cozy gray couch also believe that their insecurities and failures are a measure of their worth. They don’t give themselves permission or grace to feel the pain, hurt and failures. They run from it or towards it. In the end, the result is the same. We are left with the same pain. If we pause and slow down- only then can we just unleash the feelings that want to be seen and heard. 

Through this experience we can learn to connect with our mind and soul on a deeper level. We begin to awaken to the world around us with new understanding and perspective. We learn how to see situations, people and environments in a new light. We finally can feel grounded. This takes flexibility in our thoughts and behaviors. Something society is missing right now…

On the podcast Healthy Mind Happy Life, I discuss what is means to be a flexible thinker. It is something that I constantly have to be conscious of otherwise I become hard, cold and rigid. It is never my intention to be close-minded but it happens when I feel my way is the only way. It happens when I can’t understand another’s perspective because it is so different from mine. 

So, I think I now answer my question in the beginning. Inflexible thinking is dividing us from one another. If we open our minds and respect that everyone has different beliefs, wants and values than we can connect because that is all we really want. We want community. We want friendship. We want love. We want to socialize. We want to feel interconnectedness to ourselves and those around us. Most of all- we want to be supported by our loved ones based on whatever decision is best for us even if that pathway is different. 

With light,

Katelyn @katelyn.englert.coaching