Digging From Our Own Well
I’ve been thinking recently about how it really is a time to find ways to support ourselves by digging from our own well: the place within ourselves that can nourish and sustain us. So many people have felt the challenges of the pandemic and the restrictions over the past few years.
In my psychotherapy practice, I am hearing about teenagers who became introverted and found it really difficult to navigate an already very difficult period in their lives through this period.
I am hearing stories of the mothers who had babies during Covid and who didn’t have the usual support of families and partners. They also lost out on the opportunities to meet other mothers, and many felt very isolated and unsupported.
This period put pressure on all of our relationships and all of us – irrespective of what age or stage of life we were in. I believe everything that happened over the past few years has really invited us to dig more deeply from our own well.
By “digging from our own well”, I mean that we need to find the places where we feel nourished and supported. It could be with family and friends. It could be through going out in nature or engaging in our meditation or yoga practice. But our own well is also a place we can draw from to help us navigate our lives and the choices we make. When we are coming from our own wells, we are doing work that feels aligned to what is important to us: work that links to our sense of purpose and gives us meaning. Much of the most rewarding work I have done has not been paid work, yet I received so much reward in other ways. I have felt happy, joyful and aligned with my purpose. When we are coming from a place of alignment with our own inner values, then we are going to feel good and satisfied. Material reward is great, of course – but is not the only way to feel rewarded.
Ever notice that if you do something just for the money and ignore the fact that you really don’t enjoy what you are doing, the money never seems enough? In my own practice, if I don’t feel good about the work I am doing, the amount I get paid never seems enough.
Odd, perhaps – but check It out for yourselves!
So HOW do we Dig from Our Own Wells?
1 .What is in your well? Keep doing work on yourself. Many healing therapies, and especially psychotherapy, are about supporting your personal growth. This can help us shine a torch on who we are, what we really are about, and what our purpose is. I have also found astrology to be a supportive additional tool in understanding who we are in the world and what influences our choices and feeling of satisfaction.
2. Practise listening in to yourself and what feels right for you, what fits with your own inner knowings – this is really important information and can guide you in your choices. It does take practice, and many of us have been taught not to do this, but it is really useful information when making decisions.
3. Find people you feel supported by and can share with – a community which nourishes and supports you. This may have changed for you over the past few years, as we have undergone huge changes. Many of us have noticed we are now seeking out those who are like minded and who feel good to be around.
4. Spend time in nature. What a great free resource we have in nature! Nature is so healing, and can be deeply calming and a constant force in our lives.
5. Write, talk, laugh, sing and dance – all ways to EXPRESS ourselves and feel into who we really are. These activities can really free us up, help us let go of what we no longer need to hold on to, and most importantly, bring more JOY into our lives.
6. Practise doing nothing (I often need to practice this). In our busy Western world, we tend to value busyness and productivity, but to do nothing could well be a radical and very healing act. It can be so relaxing and healing to allow our bodies to guide us in this way and allow it to just take over and support us.
My new six-week Masterclass is for those who are ready to get the support they need as they explore how to live in a way that is more aligned to their strengths, talents and real heart’s desire. Now is the time to do this, and I would love to talk to you if you’d like to hear more.
Just email me here and we can arrange to have a chat!
“When the Song that is in me is the song I hear from the world – then I will be home.” Paula Meehan
Monica Haughey, August 2022