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Conscious life
I have often heard from those suffering from depression, “I want to get back to my old self.” Invariably I ask, what does that mean for you? Your ‘self’ directly before depression? Your adolescent self? Your child self? Change is an inevitable part of being human. As your body matures, your voice deepens with a resonance that is as distinctive as a fingerprint. You are not your voice print. As you take on knowledge, skill sets, and responsibilities your personality changes. When we say we want to change, what are saying? Is it the personality we seek to change? Our minds? Our emotions?
There are very few things we humans have control over. Sometimes we have control over ourselves. Even that can be hijacked by biological systems and past programming. People with severe psychic trauma injuries can be a witness to how ‘fight or flight’ response can send you places that you don’t know how you got there. People with rage can black out, not remembering anything during the episode.
The dark night of soul can be instrumental in transforming human into the preferred person we all seek. Sometimes it takes us further away.
Is personality fixed?
All to often, I hear people say, “this is just the way I am.” As an advocate for change, I do not believe anyone is absolutely…