The time I decided to go to Italy...as an Adult.
As most of you know I’ve been in school the past year studying spiritual psychotherapy. This process has been truly amazing, and also extremely challenging. The program itself demands a lot of its students, in terms of self-growth and exploration. This was one of the reasons why I chose this program in particular, but man-o-man I didn’t quite know what I was signing up for!
Overall, the biggest theme that has come out of my personal journey over this past year has been “my authentic expression of adulthood”. I’ve learned about so many different parts of myself, from my inner child to various sub-personalities, yet the one that’s been there throughout has been my Adult Self.
“What’s an Adult Self?” you might ask!
Well, to me an Adult Self is the part of us that gathers information from all of our other parts (for example: your body’s wisdom, your inner child’s need for creativity and fun, your over-achiever’s desire for the next goal, the soft voice of your intuition, your past history, etc.) to make authentic and healthy decisions in the present moment. It’s the part that is in charge of all of the other parts and it’s the part that we, as adults need to have in charge! We’ve all seen people walking around in adult bodies who do not have their Adult Self in charge and it usually is not a pretty sight.
So for me, this year has been about learning:
What the Adult Self is,
How I want to relate to my Adult Self, and
What healing needed to occur to allow my Adult Self to take charge.
And this trip to Italy is the culmination of this chapter’s healing work regarding my Adult Self. This was and is my big Adult Self decision to honour all of the voices within me and make a decision that aligns most with my truth. The decision to buy that plane ticket was one filled with challenges and upset - should I or shouldn’t I, is this really the best option to be spending money on, what will happen to my therapy practice if I take time off, and it goes on! So as I navigated through all of these voices I discovered that all in all it was time to make MY Adult decision to truly enjoy a trip filled with rest and exploration.
What all of this means, is that this trip is a milestone in my chapter. It is a moment to really celebrate my journey and my dedication to getting to know myself better. This trip is a chance to really deeply and truly embody my Adult Self! Wow – what gratitude I have for such an amazing opportunity!
So, for those of you that are wondering where your Adult Self is, or what voices your Adult Self might be listening to, there are a lot of resources out there for you! One great place to start is by learning more about Transactional Analysis (Dr. Eric Berne). Another way is to give me a call or send me an email so we can discuss how I might be best able to support you with this opportunity for greater self-awareness and personal healing!
So that’s it for now, I pray blessings of light and love for you. We’ll check back in after Italy and Happy Adulting in the meantime!
Briar