What Really Matters?

July 24, 2015 Going Deep Self-Examination At Depth by Madisyn Taylor To reach the depth we wish to access, we must dive below layers to the deepest parts of ourselves. There are times when life urges us to seek more. Small changes to our comfort zone may fail to alleviate any sense of stagnancy or frustration, and we may need to examine our lives and ourselves more deeply to find the right place to start. Everything we need for success and joy lies within. But so often, life’s debris accumulates, building layers around our core that makes it difficult to access the truth that resides within. To reach the depth we wish to access, we must dive below these layers to the deepest parts of ourselves. The first layer can be found in our minds. Our to-do lists and busy work are usually less important than we think, so we must look past them to examine the thoughts that matter most to us. The next layer can be found in our hearts, where past hurts and disappointments can sometimes cover up our vulnerabilities, as well as the truth of who and what really stirs the love within us. We can choose to go even deeper – to our center. If we can go beyond anything has affected us to the point that it blocks us at the gut level, we can reconnect with our power, our raw instincts, our organic yeses. Here, at the core, lies our truth. Our core is our foundation that supports us and what we’d like to build our authentic life upon.  When we examine ourselves to these depths, we are able to find what we wish to bring to the surface and what we wish to let go. When we remember what lies beneath our layers, we can look at what was floating on the surface, causing blocks and pains, and understand the purpose that they served. Oftentimes, it is the built up debris that causes us to go deeper, so we can search for the truth. Go deep, live life from your truth within, and watch your innate beauty manifest outward. • • • I have been able to do this as the result of one of the many gifts that Gregory's Dementia /Alzheimer's has given me. What I have discovered living at my deepest self, my truth within, my center is to be able to love my Gregory just as he is today without holding on to the past, to be able to still bring him joy in small ways at a level that makes sense to him, not necessarily that makes sense to me, and to share the JOY I know with as many people as who will accept it: family, friends, acquaintances, Lieberman staff and residents, people I pass on the street. I am optimistic, upbeat, calm, and always smiling inside and I will make sure that shows through on the outside.