What does it mean to be alive?

What does it mean to grow up? To learn lessons? To get to know yourself?

How does one truly BE in the vast ocean of mankind? 

How do we discover what seeks to prevent us from BEING?

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Well, the answers to those questions aren't very straightforward. In fact, they're extremely complex, involve a lot of history, and require a deep understanding of a lot of enigmatic concepts that you may not be familiar with. Since my goal isn't to slam you with a bunch of new, confusing material, I'll try to simplify this the best I can!

So! One more time. What does it mean to truly BE?

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INSIDE/OUTSIDE LIVES:

We are all humans. We are all born onto this Earth (lovely Gaia!) in a physical form on the OUTSIDE.

Genetics play a major role in deciding what we look like on the OUTSIDE. We have different physical builds, skin colors, and physical traits that make us recognizable to others. Some of you have toothy smiles, some pack a mean punch with your RBF! (I know I do, goodness!)

Some of you have straight hair, some have curly hair. Even your spoken voice holds traces of your ancestry. Nearly every one of your idiosyncrasies, from the way that you dance like your mother (hit that disco pose!) or sneeze like your father, are determined by the basic infrastructure of your skin-and-bone DNA.

(insert J-Hope's DNA finishing arm dance movement in the MV, zoom in on his back, DEE EN EYYY)

(: Aside from physical looks, we all possess different attributes that influence how we act. These attributes come in the form of different personalities, each with their own special texture and intricate flavor.

Some of you might have natural inclinations to be altruistic or artistic, extroverted or introverted, logical, caring, stubborn, open-minded, secretive, or tender. Plus infinitely more characteristics. There are so so so many things you can be. (Unlimited!) These traits are determined by the gifts you were blessed with at birth (hurray genetics, hurray parents, hurray alignment of the cosmos, hurray horoscopes!) and the environment in which you got to express those traits (home sweet home, or...not so much).

Some people believe their personality is one way because that's how they acted in childhood when they were growing up...but they realize later in life that...maybe they aren't really cold-hearted by nature. Perhaps when living inside an uncaring home they believed that. But later on, they discovered their true personality is actually very open-hearted, caring, and generous. <3

 Another determinant of your personality has to do with the INSIDE, or your inner consciousness and set of belief systems.

On the OUTSIDE, we are physical people. Material people. We eat, drink, and navigate the world and its various paths with our five senses. We create material things, live in a world made up of matter, and navigate it with physical bodies. But clearly, BEING isn't limited to our OUTSIDE. Like the weather, our exterior is constantly changing, aging, and responding to our environment in new ways. Thus, we can't define ourselves by so fickle a construct. You, me, and them are not just physical bodies. BEING includes the innermost portion of our selves, the one that is probably the most difficult to pin down.

On the INSIDE, we hold our emotions and mental power. We hold our ability to will something into existence (finish that homework assignment! go talk to that lonely girl by the bus stop! read Izzy's book!) without our physical body telling us to. In this sense, your OUTSIDE body is commanded by your INSIDE self, a vessel that does what it's told and follows your inner thoughts.  

All of us have inner voices that lead us to do certain things. You may have a really loud inner voice telling you to keep going, you got this! You're amazing! As long as you persevere, you'll be able to accomplish anything you set your mind to!

Or you may have other, less trustworthy voices that circle you like pesky flies, telling you falsehoods about yourself. I'm not good enough. Nobody cares about me. What do I have to offer the world? Nothing. Those inner voices may seem like they are parts of you. They may seem innate, permanent, and irremovable. People compare them to "inner demons," and it's not a bad comparison. Those portions of ourselves we'd gladly live without. 

But if I want you to take ANYTHING from this chapter, it's that those voices are LIARS. Those voices are not telling you the truth. Think about it. Humans are made to survive. They're made to grow and live healthy, productive lives. Sure, we may have the occasional doubt or misgiving about something, but persistent, negative thoughts are counterproductive to living in harmony.

WHY would we be born into this world with a bunch of toxic voices and negative energy inside our own head? Why would we sabotage ourselves like that? Those voices posing as real threats, they are hearsay. Gossip. Bullshit, if I'm speaking frankly. Anything thought that makes you feel like absolute garbage clearly does not have your best interest in mind. 

So why do we have those negative thoughts? When nothing is seemingly wrong, why does the mind travel to dark places? Why do we have to experience such hurtful things coming from ourselves?

~ANSWER~

WE CAME HERE TO LEARN. WE CAME HERE TO HEAL.

Whether you chose it or not, those negative thought forms in your head are there to show you what you are NOT. They are there to test you. To contradict who you really are. To act as a villain so that your inner superhero can grow stronger and stronger.

Every time you think a negative thought about yourself, maybe it's I can't do this, or why does this have to happen to me? I don't deserve this horrible life! Remember that this is your time to push those thoughts away and replace them with positive, self-preservative affirmations. Maybe those thoughts have tricked you into believing them, and maybe you're reading this thinking, yeah right. Knowing that those thoughts are liars isn't going to make them go away. And I can totally see that too. That's what I believed at one time in my life.

It takes a lot of work to make those thoughts go away, depending on how far they've sunk their claws into you. It can be difficult, at first. It can be emotional. It can feel like you're drowning inside a closed chamber without any light to find your way out.

The key to overcoming this is knowing that YOU are the light. Just with the intention of trying to overcome your demons, you are proving to yourself that you care about yourself. You want to be happy, to be free from negative constraints. You care enough to try to remove yourself from living a miserable existence.

(YOU ARE A SUPERHERO WHO CAN DO ANYTHING! YOU ARE LIGHT! YOU ARE POWERFUL, YOU ARE MAGICAL! YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE OF YOU OUT THERE, AND YOU MATTER TO MANKIND SO MUCH!)

The INSIDE. Yes, back to the INSIDE. Your thoughts and emotions dictate your reality. If you spend your mental energy worrying, stressing, and doing harmful things to your body (not sleeping enough, eating too many unhealthy foods, using substances, and involving yourself with negative people or "toxic" friend groups) then you will be miserable. Your OUTSIDE is miserable because your INSIDE believes you deserve it. And then you can be pulled into a negativity loop.

Look at me, I'm so ugly is a thought. It's a lie. If you take the time to let yourself know you are beautiful, that beauty-standards are subjective, and that the body in which you were born is as uniquely special and gorgeous as the world's top model, then you are doing yourself a HUGE FAVOR. Good for you for putting the lie in its place.

If you agree with the negative thought, you give it energy. Then you think, I'm useless. I'm so ugly. Why should I care what I eat? I'll look the same. I'm going to remain ugly forever. And you punish yourself for the lie. You don't take care of yourself. Your INSIDE-OUTSIDE world of BEING isn't in the best alignment for yourself. Then you become miserable.

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TO "BE" MEANS TO ALIGN THE INNER AND OUTER WORLDS IN HARMONY. 

TO "BE" MEANS TO VALUE YOURSELF AS YOU ARE IN THIS MOMENT. 

TO "BE" MEANS TO RECOGNIZE THAT WHO YOU ARE IS VERY, VERY SPECIAL. THERE IS NO ONE OUT THERE LIKE YOU IN THIS WORLD. YOUR LIFE STORY IS UNIQUE. YOU HAVE A MISSION LIKE NO ONE ELSE'S.

TO "BE" MEANS THAT YOU STOP SELF-SABOTAGING. 

TO "BE" MEANS YOU CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIES AND THE TRUTH ABOUT YOURSELF. ANYTHING NEGATIVE, ANYTHING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL HORRIBLE, IS NOT TRUE. YOU TELL THAT LIAR IN YOUR HEAD HOW SPECIAL AND WORTHY YOU ARE.

TO "BE" MEANS YOU DO NOT GIVE THE BULLY IN YOUR HEAD POWER. 

TO "BE" MEANS YOU ARE ON THE PATH TO LOVING YOURSELF.

POSTIVITI"BE"!!!

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That's what it means to BE. 

That's what it feels like to be ALIVE. To be your best self, your happiest self. The one that lives life beautifully. The one that recognizes its worth and tries its best to stay on a positive track.

Trust me when I say that if you have not experienced harmony between your INNER and OUTER worlds, you do not know what it means to BE. Technically, yes, you are being at every moment. Whether in harmony or not, you are still existing. But if you're stuck inside your head worrying, wasting time on negative thoughts, you aren't being in the real world. You're stuck in a mental storm. You're trapped inside yourself, in a not-so-happy place.

And you DESERVE TO BE HAPPY. YOU DESERVE TO ESCAPE THE FALSE REALM OF NEGATIVITY!

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examples of false beliefs from the inner villain and how your inner superhero can respond:

1. "I'm worthless. No matter what I do, I always mess up. I can't live up to expectation." - "I am worth so much. Even if I am struggling now or making mistakes, I am determined to keep going. I won't let my past mistakes get to me. I learn from my mistakes. I don't have to live up to others' expectations. I set my OWN expectations because I matter to myself."

2. "I'm so ugly. Look at me, no one would like the way I look. My clothes are ugly. People look at me and are disgusted. My body is so malformed. No one will love me." - "I am beautiful just the way I am. If people don't like the way I look or judge me for it, that won't bother me because I know how beautiful I am. My face is gorgeous, my body is like no other. I love myself and I don't need other people to validate my looks. I don't have to look a certain way for someone to love me. People will love my face, my body, my identity for who I am, because I am beautiful."

3. "I'm so stupid. My ideas are dumb, I can't comprehend anything I learn. I'm not capable of doing anything on my own. Nothing I do is working." - "I am not stupid. I am willing to learn, and I am patient with myself when I struggle with ideas. I am capable of so much. It will take time and hard work, but I will do it. I will either persevere or move on from the material, but I will not get down on myself. I will ask for help when I need it. I got this."

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❊ I'M A BOSS B1TCH Self-Reflection Exercise ❊

When you come upon any free time in your day, take a short 1-2 minute break to reflect on yourself and your feelings. I do this several times in a day just to check in and make sure Izzy is doing okay. :) This is a great exercise for those that need reminders to take care of themselves, or who can get lost in their environment or thoughts. Alright! Put your phone down, go inside yourself, and begin:

1. Close your eyes. Gently. You don't have to clench tight. Just enough so that darkness is all you can see. 

2. Take a deep breath. You can count to 6-7 on the inhale, which I like to do, or if you want, you can include the name of the exercise on the inhale. I do this a lot too. Inhale: I'm a boss b1tch (or if you want to choose something prettier: I am the beautiful Goddess [insert name]) Make it fun. Personalize the exercise however you'd like.

3. Exhale. Imagine all of your negativity fading away. Imagine yourself traveling to a safe mental place. A palace, a park, a sunny beach. A magnificent flower field. A friend's house. In the cosmos. On Pluto. Wherever you are, make sure it's a place that makes you smile.

4. Now, envision meeting yourself. Keep breathing deeply. See yourself coming closer to you. See the other you with a big smile on their face. Arms open. Greet them. Imagine yourself hugging you. Or high-fiving. A kiss on the cheek. Whatever floats your boat, however you want to say hello. Imagine yourself saying I love you, you got this, (name). You're doing a great job today. What are you working on? Are you feeling alright? And answer the questions accordingly and honestly. Hold a nice conversation with your other self. Listen to their advice.

5. Whatever you need to hear should come through. Remember, if it's negative, a 'you suck, what are you doing? dummy.' it's definitely not what you need to hear. If it's a reminder to do something, like to drink more water or to take a break from studying, or maybe to get outside instead of scrolling on Instagram...then listen to what you have to say to yourself. You know yourself best. When I do this exercise, my alter Izzy often pumps me up with, come on, keep going, you can do this, focus! or sometimes she calms me down. Just relax in the moment. It's hard now, but it won't stay this way forever, okay? Breathe in the now, exhale the negativity out of your body. You're stunning. 

(Sometimes your alter you might make you laugh your a$$ off. If so, then that's a sign you need to release stress! Laughter is a great method of release and relaxation. Other times you may need to dump your negativity on your alter you to remove it from your mental plate. If so, you can tell them all of your worries and negative thoughts, and they will gladly grab them and remove them from you. You are always helping yourself out!)

6. Keep breathing with them. Enjoy the moment. Spend however long you want in that safe place of no judgment, relaxing and recharging your energy with your/their positivity. You know best how to uplift yourself.

7. Say goodbye to them. Thank them. Tell them how much you love them. Then gently open your eyes, and follow the advice you were told. You should already feel better than when you started the exercise. Remind yourself that you're a boss b1tch, or  gorgeous goddess, or ethereal angel. You are. I know it.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify. Simplify."

-Walden, Henry David Thoreau

Commentary///

It's really easy to get bogged down by details. Sometimes the smallest thing can stress you out or get under your skin. Something someone said, a certain smell, maybe you stained your new shirt. Remember to keep the big picture in mind: nothing lasts forever. You are here now, and it's no big deal. Whatever happens, you'll be alright, you can handle it. Don't let it bother you. By thinking these things, you are helping yourself. Simplify your thoughts, simplify your life. ♡

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Thanks for joining me for what it means to BE! I wish you well today, and every day hereafter.

Love & Light,

Izzy.