Who’s Running Your Show?

Do you know the many “yous” of you–the conglomerate of many selves that make up your whole self?

At a recent women’s retreat that I facilitated, we took an entire day to examine and become familiar with different parts of ourselves. We met Responsible, the Pusher, Do-Nothing, the Child, the Spiritual One, and many others. We asked them what they needed from us, how we could better support them. With some of these aspects, we asked for cooperation. By the end of the weekend, we were more conscious of the many parts of us than we have ever been before!

Why bother with such a process of getting to know our many selves? Because there is one Greater Self that is hidden among this committee of selves. The parts come in and run the show, often times without our awareness or permission! The more we get to know the parts and learn what their needs and desires are, the more consciously we can decide if those needs and desires are aligned with the intention of the Greater Self. If so, we can go with it because it will align us more with the Whole. If a part of us has needs and desires that do not align with our soul’s goal, then we are able to set clear and firm boundaries within ourselves to keep us on track with our Greater Self.

When we feel stuck, we can ask, “Who is running the show?” As we become familiar with the many different expressions of self that we have, we can more easily answer this question and make choices for ourselves accordingly–conscious choices that keep us on track, instead of unconscious impulses that pull us every which way.

What are the many different parts of you? List them, one by one. Ask them what role they play in your life. What do they need or want from you? When do they like to run the show?

There is great power in being aware of these aspects of ourselves. We become freer to “run the show” in ways that bring us more and more into alignment with that Greatest Self, the One we truly are.