280. Discerning Compulsions
Discernment has been a topic of conversation recently, so let’s talk about discerning what’s a compulsion and what’s part of a loop, versus an intention or attraction to something that you have.
I think that there are lots of different ways this can be categorized. For the sake of this article, I primarily consider it to be things that we want to do, and therefore it’s primarily physically driven. I think that we typically think fo compulsions as negative things, which I can reasonably align with, but also “bad” things”. Compulsions are often times hidden in plain sight. They’re relatively “normal” things that we do all the time. The devil is truly in the details, as they say. All of these little things that we do day in and day out ultimately paint a larger picture. Kind of like one of those pictures with all of the dots.
So what are some examples of this? It’s really thinking about and looking at your daily routine. From the minute you wake up, what are you doing? How are you spending your down time? Are there efficiencies that you can come up with? People may think that the angle I have is making your life more efficient so you can work more and be more productive, but that’s not necessarily true. So long as you’re more in alignment and enjoying your life more, that’s really the end goal.
The truth is, as a collective, we’re evolving quickly. We really should be reassessing our daily routine every 1-2 months and making changes throughout that time, as we see fit. I think that seasonally can also work if you’re living a relatively similar life or. you don’t have a need for these changes.
So we know that the devil is in the details and we need to be more conscious about what we’re doing, but how can we discern based on these compulsions?
Typically loops perpetuate because there is no consciousness interjection. Acknowledgement and awareness is the first step. The key is being more “aware” as you go throughout your day. What are you doing, simply because you always do it? There are some healthy behaviors which we want to keep, right? Like eating food and drinking water. But how can we elevate what we’re drinking or how much we’re drinking, as well as what we’re eating and how much. There are tiny little details, even to the brand of toothpaste that you’re using that may need to be swapped or switched.
So bringing more awareness to these looped behaviors is the first step. Now is the deciding factor. Can you let go of these behaviors? Why or why not? What is driving you to do them? Often times there is a root cause, and these behaviors or compulsions are simply a symptom of it/them.
Understanding the root cause of a problem is typically tough. I consider that “root causes” are primarily literary concepts and themes. They can be isolation and loneliness, fear of death or destruction, issues with safety and security, issues with abundance, fear of failure, etc. The list goes on and on, and it can be more broad/overarching or more specific, depending on your particular case. The best way to understand what themes you’re struggling with is to start writing down your issues and problems. I know it doesn’t sound sexy, but you can start to understand patterns. Be as specific as it feels intuitively right. You can keep this only as an observational diary, as you don’t need it to become a manifestation goal or a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Perhaps the best advice is to simply bring awareness to this topic. We may confuse feeling so strongly about something with a true compulsion. Our ability to discern likely lies in the ease of our ability to stop or modify it. Is it more challenging than it should be?
How do we know when we have an intuitive hit (specifically), versus a compulsion? Compulsions often times feel like we’re in a prison cell. They are repetitive. They typically make us feel comfortable. Intuitive impulses often times feel free-flowing and peaceful. They are usually specific and may come out of the blue. They can sometimes be more ambiguous, or not. They may cause us a bit of discomfort, but we typically have a nagging or recurring pull to do them.
If you’re still struggling with the difference between the two, I would strongly recommend doing body pendulum work. There are lots of resources online to help you with this process, but it’s essentially asking yourself different questions and returning to your body to see/feel a response.
Consider that compulsions are loops or perpetuation of loops, and intuitive impulses or hits are a “guiding light” from the universe, spirit guides, or our higher self/self conscious. We do not need to be a slave to our compulsions.
