Perfectionism isn't a core personality trait but a protective mechanism. It's created to shield a 'shadow self'—a part of you that was once harshly criticized—from experiencing that pain again. If you're perfect, you can't be criticized.
When facing family conflict, children often think 'something is wrong with me.' This isn't self-pity but a survival mechanism. It feels safer to believe they are the problem (which they can potentially fix) than to accept that their caregivers, on whom they depend for survival, are flawed.
You cannot achieve a desired outcome (Have) by first taking actions (Do). You must first embody the state of being (Be) of the person who already has it. Manifestation is an internal gain—becoming that person—which is then reflected externally. Your state of being is the sole prerequisite for new actions and results.
Taking your power back isn't about repeating affirmations of strength. It's about confronting the parts of you that feel ashamed, afraid, or inadequate. Your power is locked within these hidden aspects; integrating them is the only path to reclaiming your inherent strength.
Trauma isn't limited to major life events. It's any distressing experience that wasn't resolved when it happened, creating a fragmentation in the psyche. This can be as subtle as a child not receiving enough eye contact, which can lead to core beliefs of not being worthy or safe.
An effective shadow work technique involves allowing the wounded parts of yourself to vent their raw, often 'ugly,' emotions without judgment. Once the emotion is fully expressed and the energy cycle completes, you can then reassure that part of you with compassion, integrating it back into your whole self.
The painful feeling of being 'stuck' is an 'in-between phase.' It occurs when you know you can't be your old self anymore but haven't fully embodied the new version of you required for your goals. The only way out is to identify and overcome your resistance to becoming that new person.
The primary obstacle in manifestation is using current circumstances to define your identity. You must stop seeing them as definitive. Your reality is the final 1% of the manifestation process, a reflection of your past frequency. To change your reality, you must change your internal energy first, independent of what you currently see.
To rewire a limiting belief, you must replace it with an empowering one that you can genuinely buy into emotionally. Don't jump from 'I'm bad with money' to 'I'm a millionaire.' Instead, choose a believable step up, like 'I'm getting better with money.' This new, emotionally-backed belief displaces the old one.
You can't map out every step to a distant goal because each step you take changes you. Your perspective evolves, revealing new possibilities and next steps that were invisible from the start. Trust that the next step will become clear only after you've taken the one right in front of you.