Who are you?  What is the answer that you typically give people?  Do you even really know all the facets that make up your essence?

This month’s theme is personality and the mosaic that makes a person who they are.  Although personality is typically viewed in simplistic, often absolute terms, it is actually far more nuanced.  When you get in touch with facets that make you who you are, you often discover that you find a community within yourself.  By getting to know these subpersonalities you can better understand how certain situations or triggers can impact you, as well as find areas that can help improve your relationships with your past and others.  Essentially, the more we get to know our subpersonalities and their motivations, we can begin to recognize subpersonalities in others.  This can lead to sincere curiosity about how others view a situation or the world around them, and ultimately lead to healing conversations that will serve to better ourselves and our communities.

In the spirit of honoring the many pieces that make up or mosaic personalities we will continue to take a holistic approach to our exercises.  Feel free to try one or explore them all.  This is your time to get to know yourself better and grow in the light that drives all love and healing.

Mind:

Begin by finding a relaxing spot.  Once you are settled, read the following passage.  Our hope is you begin to understand all the wonderful facets that exist in the house that is your spirit. 

“This being human is a guest house. Every morning is a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor… Welcome and entertain them all. Treat each guest honorably. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.”  — Rumi

Choose to either answer some reflective questions or dive deeper with a visualization.

Reflective Questions:

·         How does your house feel? 

o   Does it feel simple or ornate? 

·         How do you feel in your house?

o   Do you feel safe?

o   Like a guest?

o   Emboldened?

o   Do you want to rest, organize, or decorate?

·         How do you face your mornings?

·         Who are the guests that visit your house?

·         Can you name and describe them and their motivations?

·         How do you feel around these guests?

·         What do these guests have to teach you?

Visualization

Take a few cleansing breaths and let your eyes grow heavy.  Let yourself envision on a couch or in your favorite chair.  Take in your surroundings, beginning with the fact you are in a special house.  Explore your space and how it feels to you.  You may notice aspects that will make it more enjoyable for guests, and you realize you will soon be interacting with others.  When you are ready, allow yourself to hear a knock at the front door.  Let your guests, your facets, come in and make themselves comfortable.  Begin to converse and entertain them.  Allow yourself to get to know each one and engage as much as you both feel comfortable.  Be bold, understand both “positive” and “negative” aspects to each facet.  When you are ready, say your goodbyes and begin to return to your present.  Journal your experience, paying special attention to the names of the facets and the impressions they left on you. 

Tangible:

Buy yourself a bag of gems, stones, or glass that you typically would use to fill a vase from a craft store.  Make sure the bag is small enough that you can carry in your purse and have enough items to reflect your various subpersonalities.  When you find yourself in a situation that makes you reflective, take out your bag and select a gem for each sensation you feel.  Name each sensation and turn the gem in your palm and allow yourself to explore what this sensation is trying to tell you about the issue.  Use this practice as often as needed.  Eventually you will be able to recognize the subpersonalities or sensations without the use of your bag.  If this happens, pass the bag on to a loved one who could benefit from the practice.  

Creative:

Have you ever fantasized about being someone else?  Perhaps having the ability to live a more adventurous life?  Now is the time to embrace the diverse and unharnessed potential of your subpersonalities.  As you begin to rewrite your story and future, now is the time to claim being the hero of your narrative.  Superheroes are often born from traumatic events and experience more excitement in their lives than their steadier alter egos. 

Find a quiet place to day dream and reinvent yourself as a Superhero.  Utilize an unlined journal to write and draw.  Begin by creating your origin story.  Reimagine how your pain has emboldened you to better aid your communities.  Let a name come to you.  What is your main superpower?  Do different subpersonalities of yours allow you to have more special abilities?  Remember, each subpersonality is there to help care for your spirit and empowers you to grow.  Similarly, in comics, superpowers help bring purpose to superheroes’ pain and ultimately convert this pain into actions benefiting communities around them.

Are you finding that you, this alter ego, is able to currently tap into any of these powers?  If so, how?  Take this one step further and allow yourself to think about how you want to develop these powers and use them to benefit others in the future.  If you are artistically inclined, consider drawing your superhero and perhaps how they use these superpowers.  Feel free to revisit and add to this section any time as you continue to tap into your full-potential for love, light and healing. 

Relax:

Has it felt a busier than normal for you?  Give yourself permission to relax a bit with others for this exercise.  Wear comfy clothes and fix yourself your favorite movie snacks and watch the family-friendly movie, Inside Out.  Set aside time after the movie to have a discussion to concept of subpersonalities and self-identity as being a mosaic, especially with any children.  Talk about how others experience themselves and the world around them.  Make sure to end this time with encouragement that everyone should be safe to explore each of their subpersonalities without judgements and all s should feel comfortable expressing their inner worlds to loved ones.

Additional Reflective Questions:

·         Can they identity subpersonalities within themselves?

·         What does each subpersonality feel like, can they identity any lessons it is trying to teach them?

·         How do they address tough emotions within themselves, or with others?

Survivors to Thrivers wants to honor the stunning mosaic that is you.We seek to be a Justice League for light and love for all those effected by sexual abuse.Like the comics, we are superheroes.Our members have experienced trauma and in response are using our pain and hurt for growth and light-bearing.We refuse to be victims and use our thriver-mindset to help uplift our community and bring an end to the shame and secrecy of sexual abuse.Post a comment, email or engage with us on our social media channels on how are you using your superpowers to empower your community.Thank you for being a part of this uplifting movement.