Are You Feeling Lost in the Noise of the World? Read This Book and Find Yourself Again.

Feb 26

Is it just me, or is it becoming a little too easy to lose sight of yourself in today’s world? The constant bombardment of the news, an endless stream of information through countless social media platforms, viewing others’ lives through your phone screen without putting more intention into your own life.

It just goes on and on.

In a world driven by technology, it can be alarming to ask yourself:

When was the last time I truly looked up from my phone and around at the world surrounding me? And I mean, really looked.
When was the last time I took in the colors of the sunset?
Smelled the crisp winter air while it slightly tingles in my nose from the cold?
Engaged with someone in front of me and had a deeper conversation than just the passing, “Hey, how are you? Good?” (Conversation ended).

And better yet, when was the last time I checked in with myself?

Does that sound odd? To make time to check in with yourself? It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, the overload of information at our fingertips, and all the (mostly unrealistic) expectations we’ve either placed on ourselves or are placed on us from society. Sometimes it’s a simple act of just checking in with yourself, coming back to your inner compass, that can make all the difference.

If this sounds like you, ever, within your lifetime, keep reading. You can find your solution(s).

Read This Book and Find Yourself

Sol Luna Yoga recently introduced its new book club, Gather. During the first meeting, The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer was chosen as the read of the month.

What’s interesting is I’ve probably been recommended this book about ten times throughout my life (not an exaggeration). And while I love to read, I had always pushed the book aside and kept saying, “yeah, one day.” There always seemed to be another book of interest that made a higher priority in my mind.

So when this book was chosen for the month of February, I was excited to finally get around to reading it!

Well, now I know why it was continuously recommended, and, why I always pushed it aside…

It’s possible to observe the inner chatter… without attaching to it.

As someone who is mentally overstimulated 99% of the time, reading this book was the reminder I needed that even if my mind is constantly chattering… I can just observe it.

I don’t have to dissect and overanalyze every thought that enters my mind.

It’s possible to just notice the thoughts and even find humor in the mind and the stories it creates.

And the biggest takeaway: my thoughts aren’t necessarily true.

Now this one’s a big one for me because I’ve come to term myself a hopeless self-critic (not so romantic, I know).

Every critique, and let’s be honest, down-right rude and hurtful comment I’ve ever thought about myself suddenly became light as a feather as it dawned on me that just because my mind is thinking it, doesn’t make it true.

Maybe you’re like me and you believe that you must know yourself more than anyone else because you live with yourself. And to some extent, that’s true.

However, my mind liked to weaponize this against me. Every insult my inner critic created I automatically assumed was true because I know myself best. So the insults must be true.

Talk about self-gaslighting!

Seriously, if you take nothing else away from this book, let this one reverberate in your mind: what you think is not you. It does not define you - in this lifetime or on a soul level. You are so much more.

Are my thoughts creating the issue?

As the book addresses the fact that your inner chatter is not a definition of who you are, nor are they true, it asks you to dive a little deeper and ponder if all those self-defeating thoughts are actually the source of much of your suffering…

Now I know, as I began to explore this idea there may have been some resistance I started to feel. If you’re feeling that resistance too, it’s totally understandable and relatable!

Remember, the mind will chatter but it will also try and protect itself.

That resistance is protection.

Take a second to thank your mind for the protection while also letting it know, you’re safe to explore this idea.

To ease the resistance you’re feeling a bit, I’ll provide my own example…

I’ve had numerous catalyst events in my life like most of us have. Points in my life where I reach a fork in the road and I have the choice to go left or right.

Let’s say the left is expansive and abundant in opportunity… but it’s terrifying. I can foresee the obstacles if I choose this path but I also know that once I overcome those obstacles, I’d actually end up exactly where I wanted.

The right is much less terrifying. It’s safe. It’s comfortable. I’ve done it a million times over and yeah, it’ll suffice, but I know I won’t achieve that dream or goal I’ve always held for myself.

What my mind likes to do is over-hype that safe road. Suddenly my mind becomes my best friend as it cheers me on to take the safe, boring, comfortable road.

Conversely, when thinking about the left road, my mind becomes the ultimate villain. Laying out every possible problem with taking this more challenging road, ignoring all the benefits on the other side.

Sometimes I don’t feel strong enough to overcome the inner critic and I choose the easier path.

But the times I’ve set aside the inner critic and pushed forward anyway, down the path I know will be more challenging and more rewarding. And I can tell you from experience, it was well worth telling that inner critic, “Not today!”

In these instances, my thoughts were creating the issue.

Can you relate?

You don’t have to go it alone.

As I share my own experiences, let’s be very clear that even with the awareness, it’s still a struggle to be the observer of my thoughts rather than attach to them. It’s still not always easy to take the more challenging road rather than fall into the comfort of safety.

We’re only human after all!

But that’s why we’re here at Sol Luna Yoga. To surround you in community and help you develop the tools so you can find your way back to yourself. Your authentic and true self, not the endless chatter of the mind.

Join us for our next month’s Gather book club as we choose another personal development book to continue getting to know our truest selves, while also in community. To find out more about these events, as well as additional classes that help connect you with your authentic self, sign up for our weekly newsletter and register for one of our classes.