What's hidden in your vault?
exploring the private self
It’s a vulnerable act to invite someone into the inner sanctum of our minds. The secrets we keep hidden there often revolve around feelings of shame or elation, which we hide from public view due to fear, guilt, despair, or the potential for misinterpretation. I have a vault that I keep these thoughts locked up in. Not only do I not share them with others, I rarely open the vault for myself to view.
But that’s exactly what today’s self-reflection exercise is about.
It is easier to sail many thousands of miles through cold and storm and canibals, in a government ship, with five hundred men and boys to assist, than it is to explore the private sea, the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean of one’s being alone. - Henry David Thoreau, Walden
Self-Reflection Exercise
We're afraid to let anyone see our degraded self-image, mostly because our degraded self-image often centres around feelings of fear, weakness, anger, and confusion. Equally, we tend to conceal our tender ideas, grandiose visions, and ecstasies.
The reason for this exercise is that sometimes you can dispel your shame or expand your pleasure by sharing your secret.
If you have someone you truly trust, share your secret with them. Or you can share your secret anonymously by participating in this art project.
Consider these three questions:
What are the secrets that you never (or rarely) share with anyone?
What secrets would you be relieved to share? With whom?
What will become of your secrets once they're out?
This is an interesting exercise, especially if you’re holding on to secrets that you’ve never told another soul. I have a few dark and a few light secrets that I’ve been holding onto, mostly out of fear of judgement or rejection.
Let me know how you get on with this exercise. Were you braver than me?
Reference text: You Mythic Journey, Sam Keen, and Anne Valley-Fox