Written by: Bri Neely, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Throughout most of our lives, we do things because we feel like we are supposed to, accepting the truths of what we have been told rather than letting our own hearts decide. We follow patterns, and we are shaped by systems, leaving us lost within ourselves and placing more faith in individuals who merely see us as replaceable objects.
Indoctrination has occurred right before our eyes, ultimately making us blind to the immorality that is being done to us and through us. We have trusted that there is only one right way to live our lives, busy, following guidelines, and living up to the status quo. We no longer living for ourselves but instead living for the benefit of others.
Too many of us live in a monotonous routine, losing our passions and living life with no purpose. We live our lives day in and day out; we think about how we could have done things differently, or we think about what all needs to be done, leaving only a small space for us to be truly present. Busy work has become our ruler. It’s not our fault because this seed has been planted far before we were conceived. Generations have been spent working to survive, being told that we live the American Dream, when in reality, we have become servants to the dream.
Infancy is rushed before our children are even born. We are already thinking about placement for them, leaving parenting up to a stranger so that they can work their unfulfilling 9-5 to make ends meet, inevitably working to pay for someone else to raise their own children. By the time work is done, we are mentally checked out, leaving no space for patience or presence for the ones who need our energy the most. We get dinner ready, give baths, clean up, and we are tired. Bedtime is strongly anticipated, but it’s not always easy. There is too much on our minds. Anxiety lingers in our nervous system, sending that energy straight to our children and leaving us all exhausted.
Before you know it, those infants are in school, placed in a classroom for far too long, and creating more distanced from their creators. We hand them busy work, and we place stressors on these kids to have it all figured out. If you are not on the same path as your peers, you are deemed slow, behind, and more than likely given a diagnosis of something. This feeling discourages children. They start to fester in their minds that they have been like everyone else, they lose their spark of uniqueness, and they lose the understanding of who they truly are. Their intuition has been suppressed, placing validation in others opinions rather than trusting in themselves, training them to disengage with their emotions, and declaring that they are just kids and that the adults know what’s best for them. Although this statement has some justification to it, how can we believe that this is true when we have fostered a society of unempathetic, egotistical, and completely broken humans?
Now, adults, we live unconscious lives, stuck in the little versions of ourselves, and accept the life we have been told. Some of us get degrees that serve a small purpose to us, while others immediately jump into the workforce due to feeling unworthy of living to their true potential. We feel lost, confused, and unsure of who we are and what we want to do with our lives, we settle. We settle for someone else’s dream, or we settle for what we know. Either way, we are not living for ourselves. Our years of bottled-up emotions are now coming to the surface, and this scares the hell out of many of us because we have never been taught how to manage all these feelings. Our way of managing these feelings is through prescription, projection, unhealthy relationships, and addictions. We stay on the path that has been paved for us because it is comfortable and it’s familiar, we like familiar, it feels safe, and it’s what we know best.
But some of us, whether at age 17, 28, or 42, find ourselves thirsty for more, more understanding, more answers, and more purpose. We become fed up with our habitual ways of living, and we seek a new path, the path that we were meant to travel on. Finding this sacred path takes time and takes dedication. It has been concealed from our awareness, and it is not on the map. The only map that will assist you in this finding this path is located in your mind, you will have to trust your instincts, and you will have to listen to your intuition. How will you know you have reached this sacred path? It will overwhelm your body. You will begin to feel unsure, your mind will try to push you back to familiar, your heart will beat like a drum, your nervous system will be on high alert, but you will feel alive. Take a deep breath, calm your thoughts, and get ready to reclaim your journey.
This path will be like nothing you have witnessed before, but oddly it will give you a perplexing sense of comfort. Parts of this new path will be absolutely divine, while other parts will be completely difficult. As you walk through your journey, weeds may conceal parts of your way. Do not become discouraged; instead, start pulling. Uprooting these weeds will be like uprooting your ancestors; each one has a story to offer, each having a purpose for their being. They have taken over because you have been held hostage on the familiar, following the footsteps of others, staying connected with the map that was handed to you. These weeds have been yearning for your presence. They have wanted you to discover this path and change the route of your destination for decades, and they are glad you made it.
You will be continuously confronted with choices on your next steps. It will be testing, and you will want to ask for directions, but only you will know the answers you need. With each confrontation you run into, either lessons will be learned, or understanding will be obtained. Either way, it will light your soul on fire and will continue to push you forward. You will go through the hardships because you have realized this path offers so much beauty. Your inner child will walk alongside of you and help you trust what routes to take. They become excited to be on this journey with you because your younger self has always known that you were meant to be here all along. You just became lost along the way. The eagerness to learn will be placed back in your heart, and you begin to accept that nature provides you with all that you need. You just have to look closely. Though all the hardships faced, spectacular discoveries will be revealed, and that, my friend, is what will make this journey so worthwhile.
Your destination may take some time to reach, but the journey along the way will be so remarkable that it will not even matter. You will know you are close when you start to feel peace within yourself. All the fears, struggles, and self-doubts will no longer be seen negatively. The time spent alone will give you a strong appreciation for who you are and why you are here in this world. Your path is preparing you for your destination. Embrace the offerings given to you and through you along the way. You will reach a point on your path where everything begins to change. Flowers start to diminish, and the leaves on the trees begin to transform. Their colors will be breathtaking, and an ardent feeling of admiration will overtake your energy field. Leaves will begin to fall freely around you, giving thanks for witnessing their presence. New beginnings are ready to transpire. All the offerings that have been given to you along the way are now ready to give themselves back to the earth, trusting that nature knows it is time for a change. Continue to stay rooted on this path and watch what blooms before you. Allow others to witness this, showing them the beauty of walking off the beaten path. You will inspire, motivate, and change the world by doing this simple task. Continue to reclaim what is yours and plant new seeds along the way. You are essential.
Bri Neely, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Bri is a mom, nurse, and mentor who is ready to change the world! As a mom, she has acquired an understanding that we hold the key to our future; how we raise our children depends on the outcome we receive in our society. As a previous nurse specializing in Alzheimer's care, she has seen the outcome of our conditioned patterns and will no longer contribute to the problem, instead, she is ready to be part of the solution! Her experiences both personal and professional have lead her to her purpose, becoming a mentor for those who are ready to reclaim their lives and restore their roots. Bri has traveled on her own healing journey, which has lead her into becoming her true authentic self; she has found purpose through her traumas and is ready to share her gifts with the world! She believes that in order to heal our future, we must start with ourselves. Bri is passionate about emotional health, physical health, conscious parenting, trauma healing, and mindset work, and is fully convinced that these are the vital components for a thriving future.
