Introducing the Upward Spiral

Is it possible to spiral upward?
Linda shares her visual model for growth and development. Let's enjoy this ride together!

• Why it doesn't mean you're not growing, even if you stumble over some of the same issues.
• How you are living bigger and better if you know how to look 
• What is overcome-able and what doesn't actually need to be overcome (integrate it instead!)
• In this framework, you can better see how you are stronger, more.
   grounded, more integrated, and more in mastery of yourself. Let this framework allow you to BELIEVE this. 
• Allowing 100% approval of yourself 

Transcript

Is it possible to spiral upward? Spiral upward? What does that even mean? Well, I think we all know what, what a downward spiral is. Am I right?  Shame spiral. , negativity, spiral. I'm so guilty of all these things. Sometimes it's a bigger spiral. Sometimes it's just a momentary. Negativity spiral, right?

Somebody looks at you funny. You have a bad thought, which begets another bad thought, which begets another bad thought. And next thing you know, negative things from the past are all being pulled in into your little vortex and, , and you're going down, right? So, . I feel like I've, I've struck on this thing where, and it's not new, right?

I'm sure somebody's talked about this before, but what is an upward spiral? Like if we can spiral downward, we can spiral upward, right? And I want to think about it again in a momentary way. So, Just like gratitude begets, better thoughts, right? More positive feelings, which beget more positive synchronicities, which you know, are good luck, right?

Things that you consider where you're blessed and you're lucky. Um, nice things happen to you. People say nice things to you, right? Um, so there's that sort of momentary,  spiral. I think what I really want to talk about is the upward spiral of your life. So you may not see it this way, but I just want to introduce a framework that might just allow you to see that.

As you, as you go around and around and around, right? Um, not just that one turnaround, the sun like each birthday provides, but really, your own evolutionary spiral. So you may notice that. Something that you've laid to rest or you feel like was resolved, gets reopened in a weird new way, but you're like, oh, I've been here before.

Why is this happening again? Why is this happening again? and you're like, you know, I, I overcame that, or, , um, that was in the past and I'm onto better things. and then you get, you know, smacked with this, um, event or reality or news, what have you.

And really, if you look at it as an upward spiral, each circle's getting bigger, right? So, your little spirals way down. When you're much younger, they're really not that big. I mean, they might be, there might be some big ones for you depending on the life you've lived and circumstances, around you.

But ultimately you're spiraling and each circle's kind of getting bigger, and as they're getting bigger, they're getting thicker. So I just want you to visualize. Like a ribbon,  each stripe as it goes around gets wider and thicker and broader and more robust. And again, just in my framework, let's suppose that you are stronger, more.

Grounded, more integrated, more in mastery of yourself. You've learned a thing or two, right? you are aware.  of the things that did not kill you, , right? Like when you're in the divorce, the divorce is the worst thing possible and you want to die. Maybe not kill yourself, but you're kind of like, can this just end?

Can I just end? And then you are five years away from it and you realize, well, what's happened since right. , I'm sure you can find some good things that have happened since you might be in a new relationship. You may have moved, you're in a different job, whatever it is, you have better furniture, right?

You're doing your hair better, who knows? think about the self that you're bringing, say you're encountering a new relationship challenge and you're like, Ugh, you know, I thought I was further up. The ladder, right? Or more evolved or, Insert your word here. Um, but I think with the ladder model, it kind of feels like, oh, you're, you got to be going up and that's it, right?

And look down and you're like, Ugh, no, you just want to look up. But I think with a spiral, you can Appreciate that. Although circumstances seem to be repeating themselves on some level, like offering you similar emotional challenge, the you that's, that's up on that spiral is, is not the same as you were down there in that lower part of the spiral.

Right? That's the part that's more. More robust and more, knowing about your life. And so I'm really, obsessed with this,  in this moment because I think that when you are doing this kind of work, it can feel discouraging like you haven't made progress. , some areas you may completely recognize progress.

Those pieces of us that were formed very early that we kind of can consider our weakness or our,  our scars, maybe our shadow. When you're doing inner child work, It's like those gremlins that were formed. We will keep carrying those. and I think we also are, we keep integrating those things, right?

We come to greater self-acceptance. we start to recognize what is overcomable, and we also can discern like what doesn't actually need to be overcome, maybe toned down, maybe worked with in a certain way, maybe. Reapplied reassigned, right. Um, sometimes we just have to reassign our gremlin and, and then it can go about and do the work that really, it was, it was originally trying to do for us.

Right? That kind of,  got outta hand. So yeah, upward spiral.

So I'm not going to. Go into the whole thing in this episode, I'm really just wanting to introduce this concept because this season is going to be all about the upward spiral, and what does it take to be able to view your life this way?  What does it take to, not control, but to decide like what are the experiences that you still want to have and how will you get them? And how do you overcome, a past you, a certain identity that wouldn't allow. For greater greatness. , better things, right? Upgraded things. I mean, this really is all about upgrading, right? And you know, as we're getting older, um, we have better things in most cases, right? We're not driving the shitty cars that we were when we were 21.

we have better, better. Like, we know how to spend money on our hair ,  on good things, right on, proper techniques. we know how to  not drive our body into the ground. Sometimes aging will help us actually take better care of ourselves instead of being so reckless with our bodies. this season will be about spiraling upward and just being able to recognize the beats to the spiral, to envision it, to keep you motivated and excited about the future. You know, not seeing the future. Diminishing returns, , or, more things to not get to be, do, or have. Right. Um, you know,  I'm in my forties and it's kind of like I start to see things that I hadn't seen before, like my face or my neck, and I'm like, oh man, I'm, I'm.

This was holding and now it's not. Did I turn a corner like what's happening? And you just think, oh, this feels less than, less than, less than, right? Like I'm less attractive. Um, I'm less youthful, I'm less appealing. And you can, you can put it into those terms. The thing is, is, when. Allow yourself this model of the upward spiral you.

You may have heard people say like, Ooh, you know, the scar, like this scar has become me and I really embrace it.  Or that, uh, concept of kintsugi, which is when something's broken and they piece it back together and they use this,  glue and gold paint. And so the seams where,  the cracks were.

Are now very much visible., and if anything, they're more decorative, right? The thing itself becomes transformed and different and in its, I guess, almost exhibition of its scars becomes something much more beautiful than the original in, in some cases. And I would say that when you give yourself the opportunity, To approve of the changes that are happening, Be like, oh yeah, lines, I see you and I 100% approve. You know why? Because I'm living. I get to be alive. I get to be on this earth like I get to. , I get all these opportunities to be do and have more things than you know, I did five years ago, and how freaking lucky are we? I think it's about recognizing that moment, but also letting that create the motivation and energy to actually dare yourself to go for those.

Right. So, I mean, you're gonna spiral upwards as long as you keep on this track. You know, stay the course.  You are so worth knowing. You are so worth exploring.  You are so worth loving. So stay that. Okay. and we're gonna talk about how to spiral upwards, how to do it gracefully, how to do it messily, like whatever it is.

 You know, and sometimes it's just, it's slap dash. Other times it can be a very elegant arrival. But either way, keep moving, keep moving my friends. alright, that's all I have for tonight  bye for now and I'll see you soon. Bye