The Walls We Wear
Are you aware of the walls surrounding you? No, I don't mean your house, your gym, your office. I refer to invisible walls that have been erected over time, some dating back to childhood. Growing up, children seek protection from the "big bad" world. Walls are built as a way of defining who we are – and who we are not. Often, such walls were necessary in order to develop our responsible, assertive and unique selves. Walls also act as safety nets, catching us before we get too deeply involved in uncomfortable situations.
Are all the walls we built still necessary? Think about a time when walls prevented you from taking a step towards success. Sometimes a pattern of self-sabotage is noticeable, but only in retrospect. We only realize our mistake when it's too late. After that, it's all regret. The walls we wear can also divert and confuse the development of quality interpersonal relationships.
How can we get rid of the walls that stand in our way? Now, as mature adults, we are free to cut doorways through the walls and step out to the other side. We can reassess. Which walls will we – demolish and dump? use in the company of whom? embellish and design?
One of the best ways to discover which walls are surrounding your heart is to find quiet writing time and make a list of suspected walls in your life. Studying which materials were used in their construction will enable you to find the most efficient way to tear them down. You may be surprised by the many types you wear. Do any of the walls below ring true for you?
A wall of fire.
A wall of shame.
A wall of blame.
A wall of accusations.
A wall of no exceptions.
A wall of condemnations.
A wall of mass demonstrations.
A wall of giving for the sake of getting.
A wall of steel beams and metal cranes.
A wall of lollipops and stuffed teddy bears.
A wall of apologies, of bending over backwards.
A wall of crushed glass, with sharp jagged edges.
A wall of distorted proportions, completely off scale.
A wall of cacophony, of sounds that bounce off the edge of the universe.
A wall of thin organza sheets, blowing in the wind, awaiting parting and dissolution.
Even if you don't actually get down to writing a list of your own, just by becoming aware of the walls that may be crushing, distancing, preventing, dimming, suffocating (you get the picture!) - you are on the road dismantling them, one by one.
© Michelle Sieger
