Last week I’ve written about being in conflict with others. About how communicating the right message is important to make the argument constructive allowing both sides to express their opinions and feelings free of judgment.
Today I’m approaching the subject from a different angle – I’m talking about inner conflict, when a struggle is happening inside oneself. How is it possible for someone to have a conflict with her/himself? – you might ask. Indeed, it happens more often than we probably realize. When was the last time you did something opposite to what you were feeling?
A clash of such nature may occur when there is a dissonance between what your rational and your emotional sides are telling you. Perhaps you’ve made the commitment to have more time for your children, yet you keep working long hours and arriving home later than you planned. Or maybe you see yourself as a patient person, though you constantly yell at your partner for forgetting something you asked for. Despite the kind of internal conflict, we all have our own ways to process it and deal with it. Some may want to dig deeper into the conflicted feelings or asking for someone’s opinion; others may prefer to ignore it until eventually they forget about it (do they really?!).
Take a moment to think about the last time you felt conflicted with yourself. What was it about? Were there any promises you made to yourself? Was it only about you or did involve others? How did you feel at the time? Could be that you made a commitment you now felt you failed or an attitude opposite to your beliefs.
Now that you are facing your inner struggles, what are they telling you about yourself? What emotions are being triggered? What are you willing to change about yourself and those beliefs – if anything? By getting in touch with your inner Self – the place where all these struggles are happening – you are closer to your core values, to your true Self. You get the chance to create more awareness, get to know yourself better and learning from within.
Being in conflict with ourselves compels us to be true to our needs, to listen to what our mind and our body are telling us even when the message is distorted. It is a natural way to evolve, to grow and it is up to us to decide what to do or how to move forward.
