Gathering the Gifts Within
This year has been challenging me thoroughly. Or better said, this year, I decided to challenge myself on multiple levels - to stay truthful to the Responsibility track. I made several decisions about larger and rather impactful changes both in my professional and personal life. In the whirlwind of career shift, starting of an entrepreneurial path, wedding planning, and facing the reality where a big part of my primary support net moved away, I have to admit, I have often felt like I lost myself.
Even life changes put aside, we live in a world marked by rapid change, ambiguity, and shifting expectations. Feedback is often delayed, inconsistent, or missing altogether. Opinions about who we are and what we do seem to swirl constantly around us, sometimes uplifting, sometimes destabilizing. In such a landscape, the question becomes: Where do we place our anchor?
In my case, I was desperately trying to find some source of stability, something that in the midst of all the changes still can feel at least remotely familiar and grounding. The problem occurred to be that I was looking externally, which meant I often burnt more energy than necessary as I tried to get positive feedback about my practice from the market, or reassurance and validation from my partner and from friends who did not move away. I kept looking for a sense of stability and security externally.
Too often, we hand over the source of our stability to others. A word of praise steadies us, while a critical comment knocks us off balance. A nod of approval gives us energy, while silence or rejection throws us into doubt. When our sense of self is overly dependent on external input, we end up being moved around like a leaf in the wind.
The thing is, I managed to further destabilize what has already felt like a volatile period by outsourcing the source of the stability that I so desperately craved. What I know now, but was difficult to see back then is that I was looking for something I needed in all the wrong places. The trick, all along, was to turn inwards. To look inside myself and remind myself of all that I can trust, all that can serve as a foundation for me to feel secure and reassured, to stand grounded, strong, and confident no matter what and how much change I face.
The truth is, whatever may change around us, our qualities, strengths, and values, stay the same. We can find an anchor within. Stability can come from within. Unlike external validation, which comes and goes, these inner resources are always available to us if we choose to recognize and cultivate them.
Anchoring in our inner resources doesn’t mean ignoring feedback or living in isolation. It means keeping the ultimate source of our stability within our control. External voices become inputs we can evaluate rather than forces that dictate our worth.
Even when life is not marked by changes, turning inwards and building awareness about our qualities and strengths can help us make those inner resources more accessible. If we know what we have and what we can offer, we can make more mindful use of it. We can assess for ourselves - in which are of life would we want to see more of something. As such, harvesting our inner strengths can support us in actualizing our purpose and potential and living the life we truly want.
In times of change and in the everyday flow of life, this inner orientation allows us to stand grounded. We meet others not from a place of defensiveness or neediness, but from a place of calm strength. Instead of giving away our stability “on a silver plate,” we hold it firmly within, knowing that our values, qualities, and lived experiences form a solid base.
The world will remain uncertain. Opinions will continue to vary. Feedback will sometimes be missing or unclear. But when our anchor lies within, we carry a steady ground wherever we go.
In this season of Harvest, turn inwards and Gather the gifts within, I know I will!
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