We Are One But We're Not The Same

People often speak of the concept that "we are one" . . . meaning that we are all energy, we are all divine beings having a human experience and we are all portions of a greater whole.

At the same time, we are each on our own journey . . . having our own experiences . . . reacting and responding to things differently - based on how we were raised (beliefs, culture, etc), based on our unique body chemistry, etc.

I'm learning just how important it is to honor our uniqueness - our individualness - because there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to anything in life.  I'm also learning that the key to being able to honor our uniqueness lies in our ability to truly listen to ourselves.  The more we listen to ourselves, our bodies and our hearts, the easier it is to navigate the multitude of options available to us.

I got "schooled" in this when I first adopted Kino.  He was a German shepherd, just like my previous dog Lucky, so even though I knew his temperament and his personality were different, I assumed everything else would be the same.  I was wrong.

Lucky loved eating ice cubes and always got a frozen Kong filled with goodies when I left her alone so I did the same thing with Kino . . . and quickly discovered that when anything cold hit his stomach, he would projectile vomit.  It had never occurred to me that he wouldn't be able to enjoy the same treats as her.

I used a prong collar with Lucky, which kept her from pulling when we were on walks. She didn't seem to mind it at all so I used one with Kino early on and quickly (although not quickly enough) discovered that it sparked intense aggression in him.

They are unique individuals - regardless of how "alike" they seem - and I have learned that I should never assume that because something worked with her that it will work with him.

This applies to humans as well.  We forget sometimes that we truly are different, even if we seem similar from the outside.  I am very cautious now when I hear people push things from a "one-size-fits-all" perspective . . . whether it's a diet, a holistic approach to healing, or anything else.

People have such strong opinions about the food we eat.  People who are vegan often believe that it's the ONLY way and admonish people who still eat meat. Many people who follow the Paleo diet do the same thing. People who have had success following the guidance in the book The Medical Medium often believe that if anyone has any health issues, they just need to drink celery juice every morning and all their issues will be resolved.  I don't believe that is true.  Our power lies in learning to pay attention to our own bodies, to pay attention to how we feel after we eat this or that.  The more we listen to ourselves, the less we pay attention to what everyone else says is the "right way" the happier and healthier we will be.

From a healing perspective there are so many options out there.  There is EFT and tapping, Reiki, acupuncture, breathing techniques, affirmations, somatic therapy, cranial sacral therapy and so many more!  And what works for one person may not work for the next.  If we try out a specific healing modality, what's important is for us to then listen to ourselves to know if it helped or not.  Just because it helped someone else doesn't mean it will be the right modality for us.

I believe one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is the gift of listening . . . listening to ourselves, to how we feel, how our bodies react and respond to different things.  There's a lot of pressure out there to "conform" because people inadvertently think they have "the" answer, when the truth is, "the" answer is unique to each one of us.

So listen to yourself, trust your own inner knowing about what is right for you.  It will help you in ways that may surprise you.