You feel the pull between the life you think you're supposed to be living and the raw, unscripted, powerful life you are meant to create…

When you defer to external sources for your beliefs and values, you are being pulled by countless invisible strings.

Why did I have to exchange so much of my time and energy with the organizations I worked for in exchange for a safe shelter…

The music industry wanted her to stay a country artist for marketing and predictability. Taylor Swift refused to be confined by that expectation, instead trusting her inner compass to follow her creative impulses…

Heavy energy is the subconscious nudge that something is deeply off-balance. It’s the constant, low-grade feeling of exhaustion, anxiety, and overwhelm that is a direct result of living a life that doesn’t align with your internal value system.

When you conform to conditioning, you are agreeing to stay confined to the tiny boxes that define who you should be. You agree to be locked into rules placed on you by societal norms, by past trauma, and by limiting beliefs that have carefully woven themselves into your identity.

Conversely, we're told we're "too old" to get a new job, pursue a dream, or change paths. A dear person in my life dreamed of being a marine biologist. Life happened, they married, had kids, and got older. Sequentially, the dream felt impossible. But then we asked, "What if you volunteered for a few weeks a year now, and then after the kids are grown, you can move closer to the ocean, with contacts already built?" The whole idea of "too late" vanished.

Only, instead of seeking our own unique greatness internally, we buy into an idea—the idea that we can and will obtain that prescribed version of greatness if we follow the societal program that surrounds us

For many, this came with terrifying warnings about STDs and the fear of family disappointment or even disownment. This can result in abstaining from exploring one's own sexuality, and a deep shame about the body, believing it must be kept in a "trophy case," patiently waiting for a 'knight in shining armor' to 'set them free.'

When we create an "us vs. them" mindset, it teaches us to reject differences. Our "side" must be right, and the "other" must be wrong, lazy, or incapable…

This craving for immediate external answers feeds into a larger web: the belief that someone else knows best, that we must constantly defer to an authority outside ourselves.

"Idle hands are the devil's workshop."

How many times have you heard that? It's a mantra deeply ingrained in our collective psyche, teaching us that downtime is dangerous, stillness is suspicious, and our value lies in perpetual motion. Keep busy, keep productive, keep moving – because if you stop, bad things will happen. Right?

We're not so different. From the moment we're born, we're immersed in a world of unspoken rules, expectations, and "shoulds." We learn what's "normal," what's "successful," what's "beautiful," and what it means to be "worthy." These aren't necessarily our truths, but we often adopt them on autopilot.

When your nervous system reacts to these external narratives in a distressed way, you're taking on that energy. Your cells absorb this chaotic vibration, and it permeates every facet of your life. The anxiety, anger, hate, and frustration you might feel don't just stay internal; they seep into your relationships, your home, and your workspace. This makes it incredibly difficult to see things clearly or process information effectively.

And then came the sharing. Voices, raw with emotion, spoke of the pain inflicted by current events. Yet, woven through the narratives was a familiar thread: a profound sense of "othering." "How can they not see it?" "What is wrong with them?" This refrain, this immediate categorization into "us" and "them," hung heavy in the air…

My heart has been heavy watching the way we interact with each other in the world. Scrolling through social media, seeing the harshness and judgment... it makes me wonder, where has our common kindness gone? It's not okay for us to tear each other down, publicly or privately. When we attack each other as individuals, we're feeding a system of division that ultimately weakens us all.