Feeling at Odds? The Many Parts of Who We Are

When speaking with those who call me I find
that there are many parts to who they are:
the responsible adult, the young child who
wants to be in wild abandon, the father,
the son, the boss, the employee, the dominant,
the submissive, the protagonist, the antagonist,
the procrastinator, the creative, the artist,
the processor, the...the list goes on and on.

What can happen (and often does happen) is
the different parts of a person can wage an
inner war, and one part can feel attacked for
who and how it is, especially if it seems
that that part is causing trouble.

Interestingly, there are parts of us that
will be lured into "trouble" because, in
some way, it might be good for us. That
part of us might be taking us to a place
that we need to be. However, it doesn't
mean that it will always be a calm, neat
and tidy - and often, probably, quite
the opposite. Many times it might
create an event that can be difficult
or painful, but then it is revealed how
much of a gift the experience truly was
as more of life unfolds.

So much of life these days is about "fixing"
things, not the least of which is who we
are. Perhaps it is time to consider that
we are who we are, and that who that is is
perfect for us to be the unique person we
are meant to be, and not the carbon copy
of someone else.

The more unique you are, the more likely
you are being true to yourself and your
journey in life. Perhaps the moments of
uncertainty and questioning and even of
darkness serve to bring us into the light.

So many times in my life I have had moments
that have been devastating for who I was
at the time. When I look back, I see how
these times have molded me and shaped me
as the person others seems to appreciate
today. Without those things you'd be
speaking to another version of me, if you
were even speaking with me at all.

One never knows when the storm is
actually bringing peace. For that
reason, when you are struggling with
those parts of yourself that seem not
to be in synch consider giving them a
voice, and finding out what they need.
Perhaps you need that inner child to
stamp his feet for a bit.

The different parts of us never go away.
We just develop new ones which now have
to co-exist with those parts that have
come before. It is something - unlike
other things - we often never learn to do.
However, if we are able to get anywhere
close to it, those parts of us can be
at odds but still work together as part
of a whole in such an incredible way
that it can bring us a kind of peace that
we can't have or enforce by attempting
to squash parts of ourselves.

Consider being nicer to yourself. Those
parts are only trying to do their best
for you.

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