The Myth of "Fixing Ourselves" — and the Sacred Art of Remembering
There’s been a growing phenomenon of risky self-diagnoses — the kind that reinforces everything that’s wrong and confirms every fear.
Like when you have a sniffle and a sour stomach and seek advice from Dr. Internet, only to discover that it could be a rare form of aggressive cancer with the shortest life expectancy ever recorded.
Or when you’re watching your favorite mental health videos online and suddenly realize: THAT. IS. YOU.
Then there are the times when you search about loved ones (or the ones who hurt you) and diagnose them. Maybe you even decide to cut them out of your life altogether.
Sadly, this propensity to search out the negative is fueled by a primitive part of the brain — the ancient reptilian system that seeks survival by constantly scanning for threat. As the saying goes: it’s better to see a snake than mistake it for a stick.
But we live in a modern world, one saturated in media — both what we passively receive and what we actively seek. And much of it is encoded with stress signals, priming our bodies to stay in fight, flight, or freeze.
That quick cortisol rush, originally designed to help us escape, becomes chronic — and that chronic stress can lead to all the things we feared in the first place:
Chronic pain. Metabolic syndrome. Depression. Anxiety. Relationship conflict. Dis-ease.
Of course, you can let stress and fear run the show. Many do.
They even broadcast it:
This is what’s wrong with me.
You can also let everyone else tell you what’s wrong with you — and what you need to do to fix yourself. (LOTS of people love giving advice.)
But here’s the switch:
You are more than your nervous system.
More than your stress response.
More than everyone else’s opinions (including Dr. Internet).
There is something else inside of you.
The spirit that inspires you.
The compassion that moves you.
The part of you that feels AWE… and remembers how to play.
When you connect with your soul — the wisdom that lives in your heart of hearts — you begin to override that stress response. Your nervous system softens. Your breath returns. And slowly, your soul begins to breathe.
With time, the soul whispers.
Loving guidance. Gentle reassurance.
The small, still voice that says:
“This is the way.”
And, just as gently:
“This is not the way.”
This voice can be so quiet that the outside world crowds it out.
That’s why healing research — and ancient wisdom — both affirm the power of quiet meditation, time in nature, and moments of reflection. These practices quiet the external so we can attune to the internal.
That inner attunement becomes our inner locus of control — and psychology research confirms: people with an internal locus have more confidence, more self-efficacy, and less stress.
So here are a few soul whispers to help you return — and remember…
🕊️ A Simple Return to Wholeness
Place a hand over your heart. Close your eyes if that feels safe. And whisper:
“I am here. I am whole. I am remembering.”
Let yourself breathe into that space. No fixing. No striving. Just being.
📖 Soul Inquiry
Ask yourself:
“What part of me have I been told was too much, too sensitive, or too tender —
that might actually be part of my gift?”
Let your answer arrive gently.
🌿 A Nature Reminder
Include a photo from nature — a cracked stone with moss, a tree growing around a bend, a bloom rising from dry ground — and remember:
“Nothing in nature blooms perfectly.
Nothing needs to be fixed.
Everything belongs.”