You can be so steadfast on your journey and so serious about your goal that you don’t even recognize the nature of the problems that come up along the way. That’s the hidden danger—moving with discipline and focus, yet unaware of what’s actively working against you in the background. There is often a battle between the internal conflicts that you face on a daily basis and the external challenges that arise unexpectedly. Some of these battles scream at you, while others whisper just loud enough to sway your focus. Regardless of whether it's an internal or external conflict, you, the individual, have to choose to face these struggles in order to continue evolving and ultimately achieve your goal. Identifying the makeup of the challenges ahead of you on your path to elevation is essential because what you don’t overstand, you can’t overcome.
Your internal demons rarely show up with warning. They try to take control of your mind by subtly filling it with negativity, doubt, fear, and anxiousness. These thoughts don’t always shout; they creep in silently, camouflaged as caution or logic. Over time, these emotions can often be paralyzing as they slowly seep into your mind without you even realizing. They take control of the fragile parts of your mind that are not hardened from the constant programming of positivity that you willingly put yourself through in order to overcome the external pressures that try to alter your steps. Once the fragile parts of your mind are consumed, these infections work next to take over the rest of your mind. Your mind controls your outlook on life and the way you perform literally every action. So once your mind is filled with negativity, every action you make consciously and each reaction you have subconsciously is altered for the worse, making the corruption of your mind the most dangerous thing that can happen to you because your entire reality is changed.
Societal expectations themselves can be extremely crippling if you allow them to dictate and measure your success or progress. Subconsciously, they can have a huge impact on the reality that you’ve created for yourself because these expectations help to shape the view that you live so dearly by. They influence how we define success, happiness, and even self-worth. These external factors play an important role in helping one to set the boundaries needed to give structure to the decisions that you make on a daily basis. Over time, what you believe to be your personal goals or values may actually be inherited ideas—reflections of what others told you life should look like. Your limitations also become victims of the outside world, subtly being affected by society itself. You no longer have full control over your abilities and your perceptions of reality because they’ve been manipulated by the outside world.
Addressing both internal and external conflict is what ultimately leads to true accomplishment and true evolution. In both cases, you have to identify the problem and fully overstand it in order to be able to move forward. Addressing both internal and external conflict is what ultimately leads to real accomplishment and true elevation. But first, you must identify and overstand the root of each challenge before you can eliminate it.
Use this process to get to the core:
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Sit in silence and breathe. Let your mind slow down.
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Write down your immediate goals. Be honest and clear.
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Under each goal, list what’s holding you back from achieving it right now.
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Whatever comes to mind first is what you need to face.
The key is to silence your mind from any stimulation so you can truly analyze yourself and identify setbacks that lie in front of you. Although both types of conflict have a negative effect on your progression, you have to deal with them in different ways. With internal conflict, you have complete control in addressing what is troubling you, coming up with a solution that you see fit, and implementing the change necessary to get rid of and overcome the problem. The goal is to develop an unshakable inner resolve in order for you to face these internal conflicts head-on. The power lies in your hands, in your mind, and within your spirit. It’s up to you to make the change.
When it comes to external conflict, you have to build up your mental and spiritual fortitude, whether they’re intentional or not. Life will challenge you. The world will test your resolve. You must become like a sword forged in fire to be able to defeat anything that is put in your way.
Your level of awareness is essential in facing these challenges head-on. There are three forms of awareness that you should focus on to ensure the challenges are acknowledged and addressed:
1. Self-Awareness (The overstanding of your own thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and values.)
Start with:
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Mindful meditation. Begin with guided apps like Headspace or Calm. Eventually, challenge yourself to sit in stillness without assistance.
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Journaling. Use pen and paper to track your emotional patterns, thoughts, and reactions. This disconnect from tech helps reconnect with your true mindstate.
2. Situational Awareness (The ability to observe and assess your environment).
Practice this through:
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Observation drills. Notice the small things—how people move, the rhythm of your surroundings, energy shifts.
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Mindful walking or driving. Focus your senses during everyday tasks. What are you hearing, seeing, feeling?
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Contingency planning. Assess possible risks before they happen. Prepare mentally for different outcomes.
3. Social Awareness (The overstanding of others' emotions, intentions, and the larger social dynamics.)
Build this by:
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Active listening. Not just hearing words—but the tone, pauses, and body language.
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Practicing empathy. Imagine yourself in someone else’s experience. Try to feel what they feel—not just to sympathize, but to overstand.
These are essential to building your ability to make the best out of every social interaction you have as well as addressing the internal problems that could plague you. Next week we will dive deeper into being aware of awareness itself and overstanding how this skill can elevate your mind and inner resilience to a new level to be able to continue your evolution.
No matter what conflict you are experiencing, building your awareness and taking action based on what you’ve become enlightened on is essential to the growth you're seeking and achieving your goal. Internal conflict requires self-overstanding and the courage to take ownership of your healing, while external conflict demands social awareness and situational awareness to build the resilience and the strength to stand firm against outside pressure.
Strengthen your mind, sharpen your spirit, and move forward by choosing growth in the face of both—even when it's uncomfortable. Especially when it’s uncomfortable.
Edge Hill is here to walk beside you in your journey of constant evolution. Because we believe in one truth above all:
Endless Elevation!