Guest Opinion | Simplify

(Photo – Emma Shupper)

We are defined by what we choose to reject.

By Emma Shupper

We are defined by how we choose to navigate the world.

We are defined by how we choose to treat others.

We are defined by how we choose to connect. We are defined by how we choose.

In a world that is growing so quickly – a world where we are seeing so much systemic polarization – we are defined by how we choose to respond and how we choose to heal, both ourselves and our communities.

Sometimes healing requires taking a step back – a step back to look inward, to look backward, and to look forward… to see where we were, where we are, and where we are going.

As humans, we are wired to learn. Sometimes, it takes reflecting, taking a pause, and Simplifying – looking at things on a deeper level, looking at our deepest roots and deepest intentions. Sometimes it means taking a step back to be grateful and appreciative of the people that we have in our lives and the things that bring our lives meaning.

It is about taking a step back to recognize that behind all of the words and fear and anxiety and hate and anger… we are all the same…

We are all struggling in our own ways; we all seek connection – and the beauty of life lies in the dichotomy between this simultaneous uniqueness and togetherness. Uniqueness in that no life is the same, but togetherness in that each of us has pain.

Maybe we just need a moment to look a bit deeper than what is on the surface – what is on people’s faces and on the walls that each of us builds to be able to navigate a world that is painful.

Maybe it takes looking past the superficial to realize that we are all human and we are all worthy on the inside.

I do wonder when we can take these masks off and be vulnerable to the hurt that we are all feeling inside… so that we can move forward to the other side, to the light side that always follows the dark side.

Emma Shupper, a former mechanical engineer, is a personal trainer and business owner with passion for helping others find meaning and clarity in their lives through the integration of movement, intuitive eating, and mindfulness.