We always try to find a way around it, a shortcut, but the fact remains that the inner work is the only sustainable way to develop the external life we want. There is no such thing as an easy hack in becoming who we were always meant to be.

Doing the work can be tough. When you are wholeheartedly committed to growing – when you are all-in on your own healing – that motivation brings some ease to the process. But it isn’t easy. It means going deep within, surrendering to what wants to come up, and managing that with kindness and compassion towards yourself. It means looking at everything you’ve been trying to ignore and instead embracing it as a part of who you are. When you try to skip this process, you’ll find that over and over again, that discrepancy comes up.

I’ll give you an example. I was recently in a business accelerator program. I learned so much about working with my creativity, messaging, flow, intuitive marketing, and social media. It was incredibly valuable. I also learned that the inner shit that’s always held me back… continues to hold me back. I can take a million courses, but that information means nothing if I am too afraid and doubtful to implement it into my life! I must continue to work on my relationship with money. I must continue to develop self trust and take chances on myself. I must continue to lean in to trusting my intuition and doing what I know in my heart to be correct for me, even when it doesn’t logically make sense. I must continue to take aligned action instead of letting my fear paralyze me.

I will tell you right now, even writing all of that out brings up anxiety in me. I have powerful patterns and habits that keep me from living my fullest and most successful life. I know this, and I know what they are. That doesn’t mean I can make them magically disappear. It’s just not that simple. These responses are deeply ingrained into my nervous system, and it takes constant, careful introspection to retrain myself to do the opposite. It takes loads of patience and time. I’m doing well, but I’m not “fixed”. It just gets incrementally easier to follow my truth each time.

The internal work must come first. You cannot skip it. You cannot find a way around it. That might feel like it’s working for a while, but those continuous issues will come up, over and over again, until you finally sit down with them and unravel what’s going on inside. Avoid and procrastinate all you like, but you aren’t doing yourself any favors. You are only keeping yourself stuck by trying to delay the inevitable. You can do this your entire life, and never quite know why you don’t feel peaceful or happy. You just know that something isn’t right.

You are courageous enough to do this work. I know that it feels scary. I know that you’re afraid to unleash the truth, but it’s the only way to set yourself free. When you walk towards what scares you, you learn to trust yourself. You learn that you are capable of more than you ever dreamed possible. You develop confidence and pride in yourself. You become… well, you. Your true self. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?

You’ve got this. You can do the internal work and thus transform everything about your life. I believe in you. Sending you love.