Living Deep

       When we bring forth that which is deep within us, we profoundly impact not only our lives, but the lives of others. When we access our own unique energy, we uniquely mark lives. We set ourselves apart, but at the same time create the environment for true connection.
       For by sharing our special energy with the world, we invite people in. It’s an honest invitation, a real invitation; not one born out of obligation or some false sense of graciousness. We’re throwing a party of the self and sort of inviting the whole world. Those who choose to enter are entering a naked space of authenticity, a place of truth, of vulnerability; a sacred space. It takes stones to do that. Artists do it all the time. We are all artists. Lots of us just don’t know it yet.
       And, those who enter that sacred space are getting a piece of the real you. A piece of what makes you special, unique, one of a kind. If they enter and connect to that naked expression, then they are saying yes to your sharing. In essence, they are saying yes to You. Or at least, an authentic piece of You, and not to a false self; not to a fabrication of you intended to attract the lowest common denominator. And if you show a piece of the real you and someone connects, they connect with a piece of the real “them”.
       If what’s behind the connection is real, the connection itself is more real. The impact is thus more genuine, stronger, and more powerful. Think of when someone shares a heart felt story about themselves that is honest, vulnerable, deep, and revealing. How much more impact does that have then when someone shares something superficial? When our actions come from that deeper place, when our intentions are to share  something that has true meaning to our hearts, then those actions create the potential for genuine impact, genuine connection. We move and touch people so much more when we come from places deep within us.
       Coming from places deep within us is can be a mind set, or a philosophy of behavior, not just a particular action. What I mean is, when we live from a more authentic place and aren’t so afraid of expressing and sharing who and what we are, we naturally come from a deeper place. That deeper place doesn’t necessarily have to be heavy or soaked with emotional content. When I say “a deeper place”, I’m referring to what is closest and dearest to our hearts, to our core. For example, I am an extremely playful person. My playfulness is not a coping mechanism that I’ve developed to say, ward off intensity. Because I am also a very intense person. But it’s a yin/yang thing, not necessarily an either/or. There is an intensity to my playfulness, and a playfulness to my intensity. Or at least there often is.
       This playfulness shows up when I’m out to dinner; it shows up when I’m looking for something at Home Depot; it shows up in the bedroom with my lover. Because it’s a real part of me, it shows up everywhere. And because it’s a real part of me, it creates the potential for true connection. The people who are attracted to my playfulness are attracted to a genuine part of me, not to a false self. So that attraction is more powerful and real and deep.
       On the flip side, my playfulness pushes some people away. Some judge it to be inappropriate, or silly, or immature. That doesn’t necessarily mean that I can’t connect with those people. But it does mean we first have to find a way to remove that block between us. Sometimes that means a conversation, where we get to know each other better. Maybe that leads to a better understanding of where I’m coming from, and thus more acceptance. And sometimes not. What’s important is that I don’t stop being playful just to please them or get them to like me. The risk of being true to yourself is that some people are truly not going to like, accept, or respect you. You have to roll with that.
       I can tell you from years of experience that being true to yourself is a much more fulfilling place to live from. It creates wonderful, deep connections. It creates more profound impacts on other people’s lives, and on your own. It moves and touches people more powerfully. And it’s a lot more liberating and fun than living from a place where your overriding objective is to constantly please other people. Being true to yourself pleases yourself. And that authenticity will attract the right people into your life.


©2014 Clint Piatelli, MuscleHeart LLC, and Red F Publishing. All rights reserved.