Distracted?

     Distractions act as a way of pushing off the inevitable circumstances that we must face. However, sometimes distractions act as the best way to circle back around to what you are avoiding. Distractions do take us off course from our spiritual alignment but highlight exactly what we need to work on in order to blossom even further and deeper with more authenticity on our path. We create fantasy when we cannot face our reality. This can get sticky tricky if you have a vivid imagination. It is possible to create an alternate universe and “live” in those moments of pure bliss. But what you don’t realize (or don’t WANT to notice) is that reality is whooshing past you. And you are losing opportunity to make your life better. The more we divert our attention, the more scattered our energy becomes. This can be a ticking time bomb, some will run and take cover; others will test out their strength and wait for the explosion in full-fledged protective gear yelling “BRING IT ON!” awaiting the transformation. Either way, you will get warped back into your current reality no matter how hard you try to run from it. But, sometimes we need to break before we can rebuild ourselves. Distraction can actually hold the biggest lessons for us because it shows us exactly what area of ourselves needs our attention.

     We get sidetracked when we don’t want to feel the truth of the matter. So we create outlets that stimulate the pleasure center of our brains such as…substance use/abuse, sex, intimate connection, overindulgence of food, consumerism, getting lost in the technological world etc. (ie. Netflix marathons, playing endless games on phone, IG or Facebook surfing).  We all have our method of what distracts us best, and this shifts depending on what you are running away from.

     Take an honest look at your life and identify if there is a distractive pattern. Do you rely on this method daily or just when you are stressed? What sort of relief or feeling do you get after doing this? In the moment, there may be blissfulness, heightened senses, grandiose feelings, excitement, the list goes on. But then the emptiness sinks in after the “rush” has passed. Then you are left in a deeper hole than what you began. Many will continue the aversion tactic to not FEEL just how fucked up their situation is and others will begin to claw their way to the surface again. It is merely about your will to take control of your life or not. Sometimes an external power FORCES you to move on and shakes the crap out of you snapping you back into reality. Just like that, the fantasy cloud goes up in a puff of smoke and you are left sweeping up the ashes. I think it is imperative that we take responsibility and clean up our own mess. We get to see, piece by piece, the broken parts of us and nurture them back to a state of balance. We get to love the deepest and darkest aspects of our shadows and transmute them into light. This isn’t for the faint of heart and definitely takes a level of introspection, humility, and utter honesty.

     So, just because it is a distraction doesn’t necessarily mean it is destructive if you are willing to integrate the lessons into your life. We all go through this at one point or another; it is what we do with the message when we uncover it. It is not about getting defensive and coming up with reasons WHY we acted a certain way, but recognizing that it was merely a coping mechanism from not processing suppressed emotions and perhaps misaligned thought forms. So, put down, step away, and close out any distraction today. Sit with yourself truly and see what you can uncover. 

What are you running from? 

What are you hiding from? 

Are you open to learning about an aspect of you that has been yearning to be enlightened? 

What is your distraction teaching you?