"Before I built a wall I'd ask to know, what I was walling in or walling out?" - Robert Frost
Whenever I ask someone about the benefits of building walls they give me the exact same answer every time. "They are good for keeping things out."
That is certainly true. And then I ask, "What else are they good at doing?" You wouldn't believe the dead silence that usually comes back my way.
"Hmmmm...I don't know!" Don't worry I'll give it to you. As good as walls are for keeping things out they also do a great job of trapping things "in."
This is exactly where the trouble is when it comes to our daily lives. We build walls for many reasons: fear, pain, regret, doubt, worry...I mean the list goes on and on. In fact, the more pain we go through the more walls we build. We build them higher, double back them, and try to make them indestructible all with the intent of keeping out those bad experiences again.
When you build walls to keep everything away from you, you hide your gifts inside your own personal little prison where no one else can see them. In fact, you are hiding your true self away from the world.
But it gets worse. Since you spent so much time building walls you never built any doors to help you escape from this prison when things get bad.
As life would have it, it loves to create a little bit of chaos once you think you are safe. It will find its way into your "protected" zone and start a few fires here and there. Then, since you have no escape, you will watch everything burn straight to the ground.
Walls can numb you. They can turn you to ice.
When you shut yourself off from experiencing life, you aren't really thriving you're just surviving. You are trying to string it together day by day and time passes you by. You never really get out there into the world and live it.
These walls that you've built served you at one time in protecting your heart, but now they are just hurting you. They are hurting you because you can't grow from that trapped place anymore. You can't experience what you need to experience to help you continue to develop. The negative emotions stay out (for the most part) but those positive qualities that you have - the potential that you have discovered - those stay in.
Your gifts will never come out to play if you are living safely inside your castle.
If you want to have an amazing experience living in this world, you have to tear down the walls.
Yes, it will be scary. But when you make the decision to step into vulnerability you will remember it for the rest of your life.
Take a risk. Break down your barriers
Whenever I ask someone about the benefits of building walls they give me the exact same answer every time. "They are good for keeping things out."
That is certainly true. And then I ask, "What else are they good at doing?" You wouldn't believe the dead silence that usually comes back my way.
"Hmmmm...I don't know!" Don't worry I'll give it to you. As good as walls are for keeping things out they also do a great job of trapping things "in."
This is exactly where the trouble is when it comes to our daily lives. We build walls for many reasons: fear, pain, regret, doubt, worry...I mean the list goes on and on. In fact, the more pain we go through the more walls we build. We build them higher, double back them, and try to make them indestructible all with the intent of keeping out those bad experiences again.
When you build walls to keep everything away from you, you hide your gifts inside your own personal little prison where no one else can see them. In fact, you are hiding your true self away from the world.
But it gets worse. Since you spent so much time building walls you never built any doors to help you escape from this prison when things get bad.
As life would have it, it loves to create a little bit of chaos once you think you are safe. It will find its way into your "protected" zone and start a few fires here and there. Then, since you have no escape, you will watch everything burn straight to the ground.
Walls can numb you. They can turn you to ice.
When you shut yourself off from experiencing life, you aren't really thriving you're just surviving. You are trying to string it together day by day and time passes you by. You never really get out there into the world and live it.
These walls that you've built served you at one time in protecting your heart, but now they are just hurting you. They are hurting you because you can't grow from that trapped place anymore. You can't experience what you need to experience to help you continue to develop. The negative emotions stay out (for the most part) but those positive qualities that you have - the potential that you have discovered - those stay in.
Your gifts will never come out to play if you are living safely inside your castle.
If you want to have an amazing experience living in this world, you have to tear down the walls.
Yes, it will be scary. But when you make the decision to step into vulnerability you will remember it for the rest of your life.
Take a risk. Break down your barriers
About the Author:
Evan Sanders is a professional life coach at AYKME coaching. Dive into these great Great Quotes On Happiness or these Quotes On Having Patience to get some motivation to move forward!
