A Long-Lasting Rebuild: Ways to Do it

 Dear Reader,

Rebuilding oneself after complete after complete spiritual destruction and community abandonment is not easy… yet it is possible. I am living proof.

Like any expert on themselves, I've tried many methods and ultimately discovered what works, after much experimentation. Hopefully, you can extract some useful tips from my trials & tribulations and heal yourself.

1. Corrective Emotional Experiences (CEEs) are essential to promote positive associations with previously experienced places and things. Facing them, without or without recreational substances, fosters new memories and eventually overpowers old ones. For example, visiting a restaurant you frequented with a toxic person removed from your life, with intention and purpose, will resolve negative memories/associations with that establishment. Naturally, the lengthier the relationship, the more places you'll need to revisit, but trust me, the long-term pay off is worth it! And consider making the experience fun, because you deserve it. Thankfully, I have been incredibly well self-educated on the power of the present moment and often used related tools to enjoy myself with new company.
   
   
2. Modifying Past Postings/Photos can actually be a fun exercise. I've gone through prior Strava postings, re-titling them and removing photos, so that if I decide to reflect back, there's no visual recollection or mention of that person. This is a beautiful way to rewrite my history, as I like to think of it. Also, I did this practice with Yelp! It's a wonderful way to reclaim yourself. This practice, although difficult at times, can also serve as a helpful gratitude practice. Cultivating courage and vulnerability within oneself is on the path to experiencing your highest self. So, yes, while I experienced both unexpected and expected tears doing these practices, I also allowed myself grace, space and paced myself and am so thankful I did.
   
   
3. Utilizing pen and paper as a method of recording thoughts, versus technology, is a nice way to heal, as not only does it provide an emotional outlet, but provides a physical account, to which you can return to, as a gratitude practice, days or months later. In this day of excessive technology use & temptation, it sure does feel good to grip a physical binder, journal or paper pad in your hands. There's also a sense of beauty and exclusivity holding paper versus digital docs, as true privacy is increasingly rare these days, exacerbated by the invention of cloud computing technology.

Keep in mind, this is a partial list and everyone is built differently and while most lawyers annoy me, let me disclaim I am not a medical professional, so please exercise caution when following my advice.

With Aloha,

Heidi