Growing up I had an inclination to experience life intellectually, in my head so to speak… I didn’t wear my intellect as a ‘badge of honour’, I wore my intellect as protective armour against feeling…. and it worked a treat. It kept me ‘safe’ from experiencing all the dreadfulness of life.
Unfortunately, living life from the balcony of my intellect also stopped me from experiencing the joy of the night sky…. or a sunset…. or the expansive ocean… Intellectually I got it “Oh that’s pretty!” but that rich deep embodied connection wasn’t there….. it didn’t touch my heart or light my soul. It didn’t ‘move’ me because you can’t selectively numb.
An intellect is a great way of not feeling!
Over the years I did ‘the work’ to shed my intellectual armour so I could connect more deeply and profoundly to others as well as the beauty that surrounds me. Today, when I walk to our local back beach, I ‘see’ the beauty and I feel a connection to the deep, rich, expansive ocean and its feels fabulous.
I love my job because I experience immense joy on a daily basis, helping clients shed their own intellectual armour, freeing them to truly connect deeply to all that life has to offer with gratitude and presence.
So if you too have used your mind or your intellect to stay safe in the world then good on you… it probably kept you ‘safe’ when you needed it and it’s an effective tool at doing just that. If, however, you are now ready to shed your intellectual armour and experience all that life has on offer, I think you will be happy you did!
Copyright © Dr Helen Mursell 2020