That’s the shift. That’s the flip. And it changes everything.
It’s something I keep returning to especially in moments where I feel stuck or small or unsure of my path. Buddhism teaches that we’re not passive recipients of the world around us. We’re co-creators. Our mind is giving meaning, flavor, form. It’s not that things are a certain way, it’s that we see them a certain way, and that seeing changes what they become.
And if we’re the ones creating meaning, then we’re also the ones who can shift it. Reframe it. Soften it. Grow from it.
But that kind of responsibility? It’s a lot. It's liberating, but it can also feel like pressure.
That’s where the Inner Guide practice comes in. It reminds me that even though I’m the one generating my reality, I’m not doing it alone. That the strength and wisdom I admire in others their clarity, their calm, their kindness isn’t separate from me. It’s a mirror. A projection. And if I can see it, I already have it in me.
So when I get lost, I don’t wait to be saved.
I sit down and merge with the version of me who already remembers.
And lately, these are the 8 things I’ve been noticing patterns I’m gently trying to unlearn as I walk into a “come back”.
1. Thinking you’re behind
This one’s sneaky. It tells you you’re late. That everyone else is miles ahead.
But you’re not behind you’re right on time. Your time was not “wasted”, everything leading up to this moment, is the reason why you are on this path and even aware.
The you that’s panicking might actually be standing at the threshold of something big.
2. Being apologetic about what you want
There’s nothing shameful about wanting more.
Desire isn’t selfish, it’s a signal.
You don’t have to earn it. You don’t have to explain it.
Just honor it.
3. Underestimating your subconscious mind
You can be doing all the right things and still feel stuck.
That’s not failure. That’s your inner system asking for a deeper kind of care.
Sit with the part of you that doesn’t feel safe yet. Teach it how to trust. Be careful how you speak of yourself, and try to minimize your beauty because you want to shelter others.
4. Focusing only on your how instead of your why
The how gets overwhelming.
The why is what brings you back to earth.
It doesn’t have to make perfect sense. It just has to mean something to you. So why, do you meditate? or why do you want xyz? “he who has a why, wills a how”
5. Undermining the power of small changes
Not everything has to be revolutionary. A plane to LA just needs to shift one degree to end up in D.C.
Sometimes the quietest shifts carry the most weight.
One small change, repeated often, can change your whole story.
6. Focusing on what you can’t control
You can’t micromanage the universe.
But you can choose how you move.
What you say. What you give your energy to.
That’s where your power lives.
7. Waiting until you’re ready to start
Readiness is a myth.
The version of you who’s “ready” only shows up after you begin.
Start from exactly where you are. That’s the bravest way forward.
8. Using self-hate as fuel
Being hard on yourself might feel like motivation—but it’s just exhaustion in disguise.
Growth that’s rooted in shame doesn’t last.
Try tenderness. Try kindness.
Let your future be built on love, not punishment.
None of this is about being perfect. It’s about being honest.
Sometimes I sit with my inner guide and ask: What am I not seeing?
Sometimes I don’t like the answer.
But every time, I feel closer to the version of me that’s not scared of the truth.
So if you’re reading this and feeling like you’ve stalled just know:
You’re not stuck.
You’re crossing the bridge.
And who you’re becoming?
That person is already proud of you.
More soon,
Caroline
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