Hidden Affect Of Religious Programming Part Two

Hiding Yourself To Be Acceptable

You feel forced to hide your sexuality, beliefs, doubts, or ambitions because they do not align with what religion told you is "pure," "right," or "godly."

You are still hiding, not just from other people, but from yourself! You're hiding your desires. You're hiding your sensuality. You're hiding your beliefs. You're hiding your doubts. You're hiding your ambitions. You're hiding your genius.

You've told yourself that you won't be accepted if you accept who you are.

You've convinced yourself that embracing who you are will only lead to negative outcomes. This feeling of being forced to hide is a direct result of not fitting into the religious standards of 'right,' 'godly,' and 'safe.'

You still feel like you have to present in a certain way to the world to fit into a nice little box.

And you don't even realize you do it.

How does this show up in your life right now?

I'll list a few ways to recognize the lingering of religious programming.

1. It shows up in how you dress.

You know you want to celebrate your sexuality more in the way you dress. You know you want to wear a short dress, but you tell yourself you should be more conservative. Where does this "conservative" idea come from? It comes from the religious dogma still lingering in your life.  

2. Shows up in how you speak.

You soften your voice because you don't want to be too loud, but the truth of you is that your voice carries because you were meant to speak. When you talk, healing takes place because your voice can break shackles. Your voice is authoritative- that's who you are!

3. When you imagine your life as you want it to be, your mind waters it down through over-analyzation and catastrophizing, and your ego will talk you out of your desires because you don't know how those desires will manifest!

One of the most powerful tools you have is the ability to ask yourself, 'Who am I?' and 'What do I want?' These questions can unlock your true self and reveal the barriers to your authenticity. It's a journey of self-discovery and empowerment.

These questions will bring answers and reveal the blocks to the authenticity of those answers.