Carl Jung, founder of analytical psychology, said ‘The persona is that which in reality one is not, but which oneself as well as others think one is.”

His viewpoint was that the face a person presents to the world is a mask designed to make a certain impression yet also to conceal that which a person doesn’t want to reveal (often truer aspects of their nature).  It’s interesting to note that the word “persona” derives from Latin where it originally referred to a theatrical mask.

Being raw with yourself means to go beyond these masks, to look deep within yourself in order to access and expose core drivers of your behaviour.  Often your more vulnerable aspects which hide your true nature and authentic self.  By accessing the “real” you, it enables you to rise above your less desirable masks, the parts of you which are less than desirable, in order make genuine and lasting change.

The way to you get raw is to ask yourself the “tough” questions, those ones which make you uncomfortable.  The questions which, because the answers are so overwhelming, initially make your mind shut down.

However asking your self the questions isn’t enough, it is important that you explore the answers by writing them down in order to make solid connections.  The action of writing enables your thoughts to become tangible and helps you to define your answers.

On a subconscious level it allows your mind to let go of stored information it thought it needs to keep a hold of and thus allow the room for higher consciousness and thinking.

It is the brave person who gets honest with them self and exposes aspects they have been hiding (from others and themselves).  People hide things for a reason, usually because at a deep level to protect themselves.  Yet when a person can bare and acknowledge the things they don’t necessarily like, then they can make significant change.

Unless you ask questions of yourself you cannot get answers.  Those who ask a higher quality of question, will get a higher quality of response .  Whether you are asking a question of yourself or of another, the right questions will lead to alternative thinking and place the focus on obtaining a solution or other possibilities.

Questions which can help you on the pathway of self discovery and change are:

• What are the patterns in your life, where does the same (or similar) thing happen?
  • From whom did you learn these patterns from?
  • How would you prefer to act?
  • What were the messages your to from the significant adults in your life? and how do they put you at conflict with what you want?

• What are you not getting what you want in your life?
  • Have you clearly defined what you do want?
  • What do you say or do which doesn’t align you to what you want?
  • Where have you compromised your values, needs, goals?  What can you do to prioritise them?
  • What can you do differently that will make a massive change and get you closer to what you want?

• What are the behaviours of others which causes a reaction in  you?   What is it you don’t like about others?
  • So where you do the same or similar behaviour?
  • What do your internal voices say which causes this behaviour?
  • What can you like or build within yourself?
  • How can you have a loving relationship with yourself?

• What “ghosts” of your past are impacting your present?
  • How did you contribute to the situation?
  • What was the learning for you of the circumstances?
  • If in the same or similar situation, what could you do differently?
  • What are you hanging onto, which is time to let go?
  • How is this causing me to set others up for disappointment?

• What fantasies do you buy into?
  • How are these setting you up for disappointment?
  • Take a reality check, What is likely to happen?  What is factual?
  • How does this fantasy stop you from making genuine connections?

Most of your behaviour, beliefs, values will be learnt or taken on board from people who have been significant in your life, as well as what we are commonly exposed to.  In most cases our way of thinking and behaving are so subconscious we don’t have awareness of them until we get raw.

It is easy to continue as you always have always, yet once you know something you can’t un-know it.  So when you expose your way of being, which doesn’t serve you, at some level you will start the process to reprogram these unconscious, automatic actions and reactions into something more self serving.

If you need additional support in exploring this more deeply; as well as shifting the blocks impeding you then make an appointment with us:  http://www.theinnersageaustralia.com/appointment/