01 Aug Connecting Inner and Outer Worlds
The Tour is over. For those of you not following the most important event of every July (okay, my bias shows!) the Tour de France is over. We know now that Alberto Contador bested Andy Schleck by seconds.
You’re asking, “What does this have to do with healing trauma?”
The Tour de France is an external real-life story that has a parallel to our inner world.
In real life Schleck and Contador were intense rivals for the prestigious 1st place of the Tour. They were evenly matched. In the last five stages a furious controversy erupted when Schleck’s bike chain dropped while he was “attacking” (meaning put some time between himself and Contador.) Contador kept driving on, winning that stage and taking the lead for the whole race. Schleck fought back valiantly but could never make up the time. Contador was chastised for unsportsmanlike behavior. The talking heads had many things to say. My internal talking heads were in the same debate.
We all have parts that are polarized: one side wants the spotlight, the other side is terrified of the spotlight. One part wants to reach out. It’s polarized with the part that knows with absolute certainty it will be hurt. Behind that scene of the two main players/parts are a host of other conversations running their stories all pushing for dominance, all trying hard to be right.
Our task is to peel apart the various voices (in that case a metaphor from the boxing world might be a more accurate one but alas I have no real understanding of that sport so I have to leave it be.) Our task is to take apart the internal tightly woven symphony of sound and learn to listen attentively to each strand, each instrument so that we can clearly identify the uniqueness of sound contributing to the whole.
Not always an easy task. Yet when we can we experience the sense of freedom that allows our bodies to relax, our hearts to open. In that space people talk of feeling “solid,” “safe,” “calm.”
The picture above shows what happens in our external world when various parts gets along with each other. After winning, Schleck although obviously disappointed reached over to give Contador a pat on the back. Contador reciprocated.
That too is the way of the inner world. Reaching across to our other parts, letting them know, we’re here together. We let our inner world know, “Thanks for the hard work on getting me here. I couldn’t have done it without out you.”
If you’re anything like me, you have people who have helped you through the journey. How about we take a minute to thank them and appreciate them for what they have opened in us and made possible for us.
Therein lies the bridge to the inner world.