The Incredible Gift of Questioning Societal Constructs & Your Own Beliefs

I was raised Catholic and came to believe that some of my thoughts and actions were selfish, shameful and flat out wrong.

I tried to force myself into the box of being a good Catholic girl, and win the approval of my parents and the church, and I wound up making myself miserable.

It wasn’t just the teachings of the church. The rules of family, school and my peers’ expectations also profoundly impacted me.

The result was a very confused and incredibly unhappy young adult with little to no sense of who I was as an individual, or what I really wanted for my own life.

All of this impacted my health dramatically, playing a significant role in the health struggles I experienced.

I didn’t even realize that people had different belief systems or thought differently!

I’ve put a lot of time and effort into understanding the trappings of my conscious and unconscious belief system, what meaning I created out of the experiences I had, as well as reprogramming my nervous system, my body, my beliefs and my life choices to uncover and free “the real me”.

Our right to think for ourselves, to consider whether the status quo is serving us, and move about freely is under attack, all in the context of protecting us from the “enemy” that can result in COVID-19.

I’m not asking or expecting you to agree with my beliefs or choices, however, I can’t encourage you enough to question what you hear, read or currently believe to be true. In relation to what’s unfolding now, and everything else in your life (but not all at once!).

My goal is always to inspire you to take excellent care of yourself so that you can live life on your own terms, with great health and happiness.

You may find, as I have more times than I can count, that my beliefs often differ from “the norm”.

I’m currently having a really hard time with the order to wear a mask and all the sanitation efforts in place.

I want to believe they have been imposed with everyone’s safety in mind. But I question the effectiveness of wearing a mask and have seen research that shows it can be not only ineffective, but harmful.

Depending on what is being worn, there could be chemicals that are being inhaled. And one scientific review I read shows it reduces the availability of oxygen. The implications of that for healthy people are likely small, particularly when a mask is only worn for a short period of time. But for someone with compromised health, it could speed up the disease process. For example, cancer thrives in a low oxygen environment.

What chemicals are being used for sanitation? Chemicals can easily be inhaled and/or absorbed into the body and can lead to all kinds of health concerns, particularly over time as they overwhelm the body’s built-in detoxification pathways and accumulate in bodily tissues. We are already exposed to more chemicals than ever before, so this is an added assault with unknown consequences.

Since I don’t agree with the mask requirement, it feels out of integrity for me to wear one. I’m limiting my time in any situation where I’m forced to wear one, so that I can be aligned with my own beliefs as often as possible.

Honestly, it feels very vulnerable and risky sharing this. I’ve definitely been afraid of being called out in public for not wearing a mask before the mandatory order went into effect. And I’m definitely concerned about pissing people off by sharing my opinion. I’m a sensitive soul and have not yet learned how NOT to care what other people think (I’m working on it).

I do know that the more I consider my own beliefs and make choices that feel aligned for me, the more my health and my life expand.

And that’s what I always want for you, which is why I’m moving through my own discomfort and sharing this with you.

There are many books, techniques and trainings that have supported my curiosity and growth. Two resources I’m currently enjoying are the books, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, and The Mentor in the Mirror Podcast, hosted by my dear friends Kole and Tah Whitty.

My morning walks also provide me with time to think and explore my own thoughts. I’ve been leaning into slower and simpler, whenever possible, to create space for more reflection and expansion.

My greatest hope is that, this uncertain time that has been a big shift in so many ways, will result in a positive expansion that is truly for the greater good.

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