It was absolutely delightful meeting and being with all the retreat participants! Seeing how quickly everyone bonded, what incredible friends and supports they were for each other, and how much they understood the depth and efficiency of what we are doing. I am so excited about whatever is next!
One of my clients has always said Mariah Carey’s song, Hero, embodies what she experienced by finding that little girl part that spoke to her via the Defensiveness Dialogue activity. We did this exercise Saturday afternoon, where your own deep heart-felt sentiments toward someone in your life who is attacking you or not seeing your good intentions—help you to realize that YOU are doing this to the hurt, abandoned, little parts of you—and those hurt parts are just waiting for you to let them back in with all the love and support they carry.
It can be so moving at these events for people to read the words, turned around and coming from the “littlest parts of yourself.” Like the client who started playing this Hero song for herself, everyone at the retreat came to realize how this loving, creative, forgiving presence was there with them all along. And that all we need to do is let her be the hero we’ve been seeking and not finding in external sources (since she was already within us). As soon as we stop oppressing these parts of ourselves with our minimizing stories or putting our survival in everyone else’s hands, then everything starts to change.
It’s not one of the songs I typically play for groups (I have lots of favorites!) but after some of the moving letters we heard Saturday afternoon, it felt apropos… even those reading this who were not here at the retreat might decide to play this Hero song (from a young Mariah) to yourself when you forget the sweet fun energetic, tenacious, never-say-die resource and hero that is just waiting inside for you to embrace her beautiful dream for you in your relationship to yourself.
Because of our continued connection via a text thread with everyone after the retreat, I feel a great sense of celebration about changes folks are making already as well as challenges coming up, with some folks already noticing that instead of going into “victim mode” they are learning to ask ourselves—Who would I be without that thought?
It does really help to put the focus on the fact that it is the THOUGHT and not the person or situation that is causing our reactivity. And then to move back into asking question three: How am I reacting to my own story of whats happening? (How am I feeling; who’s business am I in; what do I say and do when I am believing that thought).
This is a really important thing for the mind (which I call “Mind”) to witness. Mind thinks the negative thoughts are helping us, so it needs to see the cost of the thoughts—as well as then noticing that without the thoughts you wouldn’t have all that reactivity! Once that happens, the thoughts causing your suffering melt away (like in the song).
If you are the curious compassionate caretaker of the littlest parts of you—the tenacious advocate for your OWN peace and happiness—you will be a watchdog for whatever inside you gets in the way, compassionately using these tools to help that part of you see the errors in its own logic and neutralize whatever it is believing that is the real source of your pain (not what others are doing or saying).
Those are just a few of the valuable skills retreat guests got to takeaway from this glorious weekend. We really had a splendid time (and got to take away full tummies and beautiful flowers)!
If you’re reading this and you want to try that Defensiveness Dialogue exercise to get the hero within you back, or want to know more, reach out to me at support@shawnmahshie.com. Don’t miss the next retreat here at Chesapeake Paradise! Feel free to plan ahead and register here. This one will sell out too!
In love and Self-Solidarity,
xoxo,
🙂 Shawn
P.S. The prosperity part of our retreat title came through in the fact that every single person here wanted more, is trusting that there is enough for them to give this to themselves, as well as other things they are finding they need and want—and finding ways to make that happen. Simply making the choice to commit to these parts of themselves to put themselves into the structure of the level of program or private coaching or digital course that was right for them creates a huge shift. A very spiritually savvy group of both newcomers and “old-timers” in this work with me who all saw the gifts of this no-matter-what way of life, I’m so thrilled to be continuing the journey with each of you.