Numbing Ourselves

Numbing ourselves is a place where we can face reality or escape from it. Our ability to navigate choices each day has a profound impact on how we view life, relationships, and love. We all use escape hatches at times, including me, but there is a place where I come back to center and be the true and authentic me as much as possible.

• Pain meds
• Novocain
• Tylenol
• Anti-depressants
• Anti-anxiety meds
• Sleep meds
• Overeating
• Ritalin
• Cold meds
• Alcohol
• Weed
• Netflix
• Exercise

These are all examples of what we do to avoid the screams of our body\’s warning signals.

They shut us up, feed us bad food, adhere to a narrative, give us fake sleep, numb us, dull the pain, and follow the rules. There is no need to feel, foster individuality or spiritual growth; just follow the masses. We are human cattle being led to the trough of life.

Aren\’t we allowed to feel pain? Why do we have to be numbed to live? Why can\’t we just listen and change our ways?

One of the reasons our family chose to homeschool is to cultivate individuality in our children.

• To be their own person
• To follow their gut or instinct.
• To learn what they\’re interested in
• To character build in formative years
• To grow into their personality
• To feel emotions and have a melt down without having an audience
• To be able to develop themselves without conforming so much to “the system”

Life is not grades, scores, peers, and conformity; it\’s more about love, self-understanding, freedom to choose, and individuality. Adults or children do not need to be numbed down, and there is an inherent need to experience, listen to each other and ourselves.

I can relate to the philosophy “Why be in pain when it can be relieved?” but at what cost do we pay to check out?

We should ask:

• Is it our liver or our minds?
• Is it our hormones or our ability to feel?
• Is it our nerves or our growth?
• Is it forgetting our sorrows in a glass of wine or a good cry?
• Is it our true personality, or is it a band aid so we don\’t have to deal with our faults and misconceptions?

Maybe it\’s just me, but I personally wanted to feel the pain of labor. I wanted to be stronger mentally and feel the baby through each contraction. I learned so much about myself, my strength, and my ability to become a better person, which in turn led me to climb mountains, get through tough situations, and grow.

If we don\’t feel, do we grow? I don\’t. All of us are little kids in big bodies at times. We still giggle, desire, have temper tantrums, and bicker. But when we\’re all grown up, we have to be responsible, accountable, and mature to take on situations with the expectation of not showing emotion. Again, we continue to follow the cultural pressures of success, the big house, fancy trips, nice cars, and well-dressed kids.

But is that what we need to grow?

I think we were sold a false sense of reality.

Who makes these rules anyway?

Here\’s what I attempt to do more of:

Feeling, going through pain, understanding myself with a deeper level of awareness and dysfunctional patterns, learning from life lessons, again and again, always gathering joy in our lives, being present as a child, and letting go of past wounds and trauma that we carry.

We all have choices every day, and I personally try to make them with a whole mind and body. Let\’s be true blue to ourselves as much as we can.

Connect with Julie Lennon on The Wellness Universe and walk away feeling better!

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