Good work becoming aware and investigating your inner void in Step One. Simply by being aware that something is missing puts you solidly on that path to happiness. Woot!
Step One Recap
-The Void is a nondescript feeling of emptiness. It’s black hole that sucks away all the goodness and spews out fear, pain, emptiness and loneliness. It obstructs happiness and makes it impossible to feel complete, whole, fulfilled or at peace.
-We seek more, better, and different things as an unconscious attempt to soothe and fill our inner void.
Step One Recap
-The Void is a nondescript feeling of emptiness. It’s black hole that sucks away all the goodness and spews out fear, pain, emptiness and loneliness. It obstructs happiness and makes it impossible to feel complete, whole, fulfilled or at peace.
-We seek more, better, and different things as an unconscious attempt to soothe and fill our inner void.
For many of us, Step Two is where we’re stuck. The void, an intangible, mysterious-blah-feeling inside that no one else can see or feel, with no clear understanding of where it came from or how to get rid of it, and the only medication that comes close to treating it are anti-depressants (which conceal it, more than cure it.)
We’re left trying to fight this invisible monster and become whole with no real handbook or guidance. This is because our society is missing a key energetic understanding.
But we’re getting closer! Science has now determined that babies need two forms of nutrients to thrive. One is physical: food. And the other is energetic: love. Without both of these ingredients babies cannot thrive, or sometimes, even survive.
When we’re young, we look to our caretakers to provide us with these essential nutrients. Growing up, we’re then taught how to feed ourselves and eventually, learn how to make or buy our own food. Now we may need to make more nutritious choices… but ultimately, we are able to rely on ourselves to soothe our hungry tummies.
However, most of us were not taught about love. Although we were shown love by others, we weren’t taught how to give love to ourselves. As our caretakers encouraged us to become more self-sufficient, they gently pulled back their energy so we could learn to become independent. But we were never taught how to replace their love energy with our own.
This lack of love energy was the beginning of our void.
In addition, without being taught we had the power to create our own love energy, we were led to assume this vital energy could only be found outside of ourselves.
When our heart hurts or we feel lonely or sad, we don’t know how to heal it. We look to others and things to make us feel better. We seek this warm, comforting energy through others’ attention, approval, and validation. We also look to food, objects and substances which all supply some energy (or numb the pain) but, the relief is temporary and our void continues to grow.
Soon we’re seeking the next fix of vital love energy like a junkie. In some cases, resulting in side effects such as substance abuse, codependent relationships, food or sex addictions, or even suicide.
Children who are abandoned or have caretakers whom suffer from addiction or mental illness often receive an inconsistent flow of love energy in their early years. Therefore, their void is created even earlier and can lead them to seek love energy outside of themselves at a younger age.
Let’s explore how you got here!
Challenge
Last week you took some time to examine your inner void. This week, consider what you currently do to soothe it when it surfaces.
1. Grab your journal and go somewhere you won’t be disturbed for at least 20-minutes. Free-write answers to the following questions:
a. How you seek to fill your void?*
b. In what ways do you distract yourself from it?*
c. Are these methods effective for feeling better? If so, for how long?
*Here are a few examples to get you started.
Chasing achievements
Buying new things
Gossipping
Reckless thrill seeking
Overeating
Staying way too busy
Escaping to exotic destinations
Overindulging in alcohol
Use of drugs
Exorbitant video gaming
Attention seeking
Sexual conquests
Binge watching TV
Social media addiction
About the author:
Jennifer is a grounded and down-to-earth multi-sensitive empath and intuitive soul coach. She sees the world through an energetic and spiritual lens while offering real-world tools to help clients live a balanced and harmonious life. Drawing from a variety of traditions including Theta Healing, Yuen Method, Qigong, Shamanism and Spiritual Psychology, she helps clients reclaim their joy and align with their Authentic Self. Her work is featured in various online outlets including the popular blog and bookstore, Bodhi Tree.
