HOW TO OVERCOME SOUL-LEVEL SELF-SABOTAGE
in Spiritual Development by Andrrea Hess
We’ve all experienced the initial enthusiasm that comes with a new venture. Whether we’re embracing a new way of eating or exercising, starting a business, or a new spiritual practice, we are full of motivation and inspiration as we embark on our new path … only to find ourselves thoroughly stuck just weeks or even only days later.
There are two kinds of self-sabotage that prevent us from following through on developing new habits and reaching our goals.
The first kind of self-sabotage happens at the level of ego.
The second kind of self-sabotage, on the other hand, happens when our new venture is simply not aligned to who we are, at Soul-level.
It’s of utmost importance that we know the difference … because these two types of self-sabotage must be overcome in very different ways.
Ego-level self-sabotage is rooted in our survival instincts. The most ancient part of our brain actually interprets anything new as deeply threatening. The ego will defend itself against anything new and different by playing a few tricks on us. The ego’s favorite tricks include a sudden loss of interest, procrastination, distraction, and irrational discomfort or even fear.
Ego-level self-sabotage usually hits us at the beginning of a new venture. It’s why we stop our new exercise routine after only a few workouts, why we cheat on our self-imposed diet after only a few days, and can get sucked into endless study and research when we want to start a new business.
Most spiritual seekers misinterpret egoic self-sabotage as “there must be something wrong with me” because our wily ego makes taking new action very, very, very hard once our initial enthusiasm has worn off. All too often, we jump down a rabbit hole of healing and transformational work, all designed to overcome a mechanism that is simply hard-wired into all of us, because we are human Beings.
Ego-level self-sabotage doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with us at all. Everyone goes through it. The remedy is simply that we need to cultivate more determination, discipline, grit, and KEEP GOING, even though we don’t “feel” like it.
When we’re experiencing ego-level self-sabotage, our feelings will lie to us. We won’t feel good, motivated, inspired, or positive … and that’s normal.
The most important thing to remember is that egoic self-sabotage arises when we START something new … sometimes even when we just think about starting something new!
Soul-level self-sabotage is very different. Soul-level self-sabotage happens when we choose a path that simply isn’t aligned to our Divine nature. And because we’re trying to be who we are NOT, the only possible outcome is a negative one!
But the symptoms of Soul-level self-sabotage are completely different. They don’t arise at the beginning of a new path or project.
You see, our Soul will never stop us from taking new action. Our Soul is here to experience itself in as many different ways as it possibly can, so even if we take new action that isn’t exactly aligned to who we are, our Soul will still have the opportunity to experience who we are NOT in a different way … which is still better than having the same experience over and over again.
The Soul loves new action – any new action.
So if we’re feeling resistance when we are contemplating a new project, or losing motivation after just a few days … it’s not Soul-level self-sabotage.
In fact, we can’t possibly tell what’s aligned and misaligned to our Divine self-expression until we have taken a serious amount of action and invested some solid effort.
Soul-level self-sabotage is only revealed in a profound lack of RESULTS. So if we haven’t taken nearly enough action where new results can realistically be expected … well, then we really don’t know whether we are aligning to our Soul’s self-expression or not.
Soul-level self-sabotage feels like we’re coming up against the same invisible wall, over and over again. We’re taking massive action – we’ve approached the wall from all different sides, we’ve tried to jump over it, dig under it, pole-vault over it, smash it … and still, we can’t seem to get past it. We’re investing huge amounts of effort, and yet, have barely any results to show for it.
That’s the experience of a misalignment to who we are, at Soul-level. Many people spend whole lifetimes running up against the same three or four invisible walls and sometimes even uphold their ongoing struggle like a badge of honor.
Here’s the most important distinction in how to handle these two different types of self-sabotage:
When you’re experiencing egoic self-sabotage, the WORST thing you can do is stop, because you’re teaching your ego how to stop you, and the next time you try to do something new and different, it will be harder. If you’re in egoic self-sabotage, dig within yourself for your determination and discipline and KEEP GOING.
When you’re experiencing Soul-level self-sabotage, on the other hand, please STOP. Put down your perseverance, your determination and discipline and find a radically new approach to your goals. That wall is not going to come down … you need to find a new path. Heck, maybe you need new goals altogether.
When you embark on a new path that is aligned to who you are at Soul-level, you’ll still run into egoic self-sabotage. But once you’re past the first three weeks or so and are taking consistent new action, there won’t be any struggle. Yes, you’ll still have to invest effort. But effort isn’t struggle, nor is it “hard” or even “work.” But you will have no idea whether a new path is aligned to who you are, at Soul-level, until you’re solidly ON that path and have invested a considerable amount of effort in transcending the ego’s reluctance to doing anything new.
Don’t stop too early, just because you don’t “feel” aligned. At the beginning of a new path, remember that your ego is trying to keep you safe by making you uncomfortable, disinterested, even nervous or fearful. Your ego will whisper to you that “this isn’t a good idea after all.” Don’t listen. Keep going. On the other side of ego-level self-sabotage you’ll discover alignment to your Divinity – or have the opportunity to course-correct.
To your abundance,
