Feeling Enthusiastic, Hoping to Spark Curiosity & Interest in Self-awareness
“Take a moment to consider what you feel your three most significant strengths are right now. Write about each one in detail.” – The Holding & The Healing Companion Journal
The theme I’m writing about for September is self-awareness. It’s a topic I’m passionate about. I’ve been exploring what it means to be self-aware since I first realized how numbed-down and unaware I’d become, back in my early thirties. As I have often observed in life, the contrasts help illuminate their counterpoints. In this post, I’ll share a bit of my journey, some tools and resources, and where I am now. I’ll wrap up with a sneak peek at self-awareness through the lens of my authenticity sections in my soon-to-be-released third book, The Holding & The Healing Companion Journal.
My Journey Towards Self-Awareness
The realization that I was living inauthentically and unaware came to me in my mid-thirties. Married with three children and a dog. A full-time teaching career and a house in the suburbs. I was in auto-mode. One day I was folding up a load of never-ending laundry, half-watching an episode of Oprah. Her guest was promoting her book and talking about how to excavate your authentic self. My intuition started to tingle; goosebumps on my forearms. I had an “aha” moment. This was what I was yearning for, but didn’t have the consciousness or language to identify, until then.
As soon as I could, I drove to my nearest bookstore and picked up a copy of Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book, Something More: Excavating Your Authentic Self. I purchased an artist’s sketchbook, watercolour pencils, pastels, glue sticks and glossy magazines. Then I set to work, digging back through my memories of the past, in search of the answer to the question, who am I? Words like curious, independent, and happy, flowed into my brain. I dug deeper. Then, confident, creative, open and honest. I searched through boxes brimming over with artifacts. Family photos, diplomas, school projects, certificates and records. When I finished, I was well on my way. Yet the light I longed for still felt dim and as out of reach as the constellations of stars in the sky.
During those busy survival years, I rarely made space for reflection. My sketchbook journal grew dusty on the shelf. My writing journals had massive spaces of time between entries. Even basic self-care, of managing a chronic illness; Type 1, insulin-dependent diabetes, took a back seat to my roles and responsibilities. I would push myself, in full-on striver mode, until I crashed into a deep depression that shut me down completely. Then I’d go for counselling or read self-help manuals. I’d affix Band-Aid solutions that didn’t address the core issues, then jump right back into the ring.
It took a depression that spiraled into thoughts of suicide and a short-term hospital stay on a mental health ward to force me to face the full reality of my life. Even then, it took several more years of therapy. With the guidance of two incredible counsellors and powerful practices like EMDR, I uncovered buried, traumatic events from the past. For the first time in my life, I allowed myself to be vulnerable, to look at the whole picture of who I am; the light and the shadows too. That’s when I found the courage to leave my dysfunctional, abusive relationship and begin a new life. I dusted off my authentic self from the ashes and fully embraced my journey of self-transformation.
The tools available to help you achieve self-awareness are vast and diverse. The practices that I used then, and that continue to resonate for me, include meditation, time in nature, journaling and yoga. Conversations with someone I trust to bear witness help me to figure out solutions to challenges and make healthy choices that are in alignment with my core values.
Last year, Valeria Teles asked me during our interview on her Quest for Well Being podcast, who is Lynda Faye Schmidt? I shared some of my unique characteristics. I’m someone who feels and thinks deeply; an emotional creature. I’m curious about the big life questions. I’m open, honest, optimistic and joyful. I am all of those things. Yet, as a dynamic being, I’m constantly changing. I believe there is a dance, between who we are at birth and the life experiences we have. A dance that has the power to transform us, to become the best versions of ourselves, if we invite it.
Uncovering Your Authentic Self
In The Holding & The Healing Companion Journal, I encourage readers to examine their core beliefs, values, purpose and mindset. I focus on identifying strengths, gifts, talents and aptitudes, as part of a healthy mind-body-spirit connection. I share tools, such as meditation, that can guide the process.
Meditation is a technique where you quiet your mind and focus on your breath. Some people play calming music or recite mantras to help stop the constant chatter that goes on inside our brains. You can meditate for as long or as briefly as you like. There are no magic rules. For me, even five minutes in silence has the power to reveal insights. I also find that journaling what came up during meditation continues and expands the reflection process.
Living Your Authentic Life
The final section in The Holding & The Healing Companion Journal is titled Living Your Authentic Life. It delves into tools like visualization, goal-setting and gratitude practices. It includes discussion about healthy routines and habits, as well as nourishing relationships with self and others. The intention is for the journaling process to provide a pathway that brings a person’s beliefs and practices into alignment.
My hope is that working with The Holding & The Healing Companion Journal will ignite people’s curiosity, deepen their self-discovery journey, and provide them with another tool to live their lives with greater courage and authenticity. Wherever anyone is on their path, my wish is that their sense of self-worth guides them to make empowered choices that bring peace, joy and well-being. I encourage them to be vulnerable, to open themselves to giving and receiving love, from a place of wise discernment, honesty, and trust.
So yeah, I’m feeling enthusiastic, hoping to spark curiosity and interest in self-awareness.
Updates
· TBA Interview with Valeria Teles on her new platform, Freedom to Feel
· Oct. 19 Pre-launch Happy Hour reading at Picasso @ 5 pm (Coronado, Panama)
· Oct. 23 The Holding & The Healing Companion Journal book launch
· Oct. 23 Launch party & reading at Luna Rossa @ 5 pm (Coronado, Panama)
· Oct 23 Guest Blog on Create Write Now.
· Oct 23 Companion Journal Reviews on Amazon and Goodreads
· Oct 25 Author Journey Interview with Anne O’Connell of OC Publishing, @ 3 pm EST
· Oct 25 Books available for purchase at Picasso Tuesday Market, 9-11 am
· Stay tuned on social media where I’ll post new reviews & interviews.
· My YouTube posts are moving from the last Saturday of the month to first of every month, starting October 1st. My Channel.
· My website has some fabulous new updates. Log on to www.lyndafayeschmidt.com to read book reviews and blogs, watch videos, or order my books. My Books.