Visualize Your Higher Self, Then Show Up As Her

You may be familiar with the concept of Higher Self.

The version of you that you are when you’re at your best. When you’re feeling your most confident, your most, well, you.

The you without ego, without the titles that others place upon you. The you without fear, without anxiety, without anger.

I stumbled upon this idea a few years back, and it has stuck with me, and after the one and only Indy Blue spoke about it on her blog, (the absolute blueprint for this space), I really began to get to know my Higher Self.

I feel like I’ve always had an idea of who this person is.

She’s cool.

She’s graceful.

She’s powerful.

She can command a room.

She knows what she wants and how to get it.

She empathizes deeply with those around her but always looks out for herself.

She prioritizes her own well-being, but without an ounce of selfishness.

She’s educated.

She’s well-spoken.

She’s an amazing leader, an innovative artist, and a wonderful sister and daughter and friend.

She knows how to express her needs.

She’s sensitive. She’s joyful. She loves to play, and others' words, and connection.

But she also allows for sorrow and holds space for her own and others' pain.

She’s healing.

She doesn’t hold onto one singular physical attribute for too long,

allowing herself to change how she presents,

what energies she occupies,

what forms she takes.

And as I’ve grown and shaped my life, I feel like I’ve always had her in mind, trying my best every day to show up as her.

Really consider her in the choices I make.

And as I do, as I visualize this person, and actively practice showing up as her, the image of who I want that to be, becomes clearer.

I recognize what attributes of myself I want to let go of, and what I want to invite in, and highlight.

I recognize how even in certain circumstances when I find myself confused or angry, or jealous, I can turn to her, and ask her what she would do, and I am able to listen, and let her guide me home.

And this process is far far from perfect, I find myself quite often letting what I refer to as my “monkey brain” make the decisions.

My monkey brain is me when I’m trying to self-preserve. The part of me that exists to protect, but often doesn’t serve me as well as I’d like.

My monkey brain is jealous,

my monkey brain doesn’t believe others will like her.

My monkey brain gets so overwhelmed with all of her own happenings she forgets to hold space for those she loves.

And I don’t hate this version of me, I have to accept her as well.

But when I allow her to sit in the driver's seat, I often find myself more anxious, more angry, more jealous and more hurt than before.

So I let her feel what she needs to feel,

let her throw her tantrum when needed,

but I try not to allow her to act upon those emotions,

I tell her,

with the help of my higher self,

that she will be ok,

that the world isn’t ending just because someone didn’t like her back,

or she didn’t book the part

or because her body or mind isn’t as she’d like them to be.

I listen to her,

let her feel what she needs to feel,

but then, after that is done,

I hear what the better version of me has to say,

and then I act.

And this process isn’t clean,

it’s not linear,

it takes a painful amount of discipline and grace, and plenty of mess-ups on the daily,

but as I practice showing up as my higher self every day,

I discover that not only do I feel more at peace

but more in tune with who I’m supposed to be.

So how do we get to know who we are without

letting the monkey brain take over?

There are many ways of getting to know your

higher self.

A few of my favorite ways include

expressing myself creatively,

service,

meditation or prayer,

spending time alone,

writing,

or simply deciding who that is.

I think many people believe that we need to go out and “find ourselves”

that the best version of us is waiting somewhere far away, in some other land with more money or more friends or a greater understanding of life.

But I disagree.

I believe that they are with us, waiting for us to pause, listen to them, and give them space to be.

I also believe that the best version of us isn’t just someone to be found, but someone to be created.

They’re someone who, in a combination of discovery and creation, manifest into this life through our actions and words,

and what we practice every day until one day we just are.

If you have time this week, sit with yourself.

Listen to who you want to be,

visualize your higher self, write who that is down, paint them out, dance them out, hold a conversation with them,

and then, with room for grace and the expectation of imperfection,

show up as them, the best you can, that day and every day forward.

It seems daunting, and it is, but they’re waiting, with an infinite amount of grace, and the knowledge that practice makes perfect.

So start practicing :)

Much love,

-Cam