Don't wait ! Time to Come Out of Your Shell.

Hello everyone.
I will try to convey my experiences and lessons from life to you as much as possible.

I don't know how close we are to the animal kingdom, but it is certain that there are many living things that we should take as an example.

“Remember, whenever an option comes your way, choose the unknown, the risky, the dangerous and the precarious. You will never be harmed.”
– Osho

Some of us cannot look with one eye out of fear, some of us look at the screen valiantly, but surely everyone has encountered it once.

We have witnessed the miracle of nature, the struggle of those animals to survive.

Remember snakes, in many of their species, this leather covering their body can be changed in one piece, like a jumpsuit. How he comes out of his shell, like changing a dress.

Or think of a crab with a narrow shell and seeking regeneration. Because it has to change its shell in order to continue its physical development. As it grows, its shell begins to narrow for the crab and it can no longer fit inside. And when the time comes, it gently leaves the old behind and is almost reborn.

The crab, which has left its old shell behind, is now much more vulnerable to external dangers than before, with its pinky texture that has not yet hardened. But fortunately, as time passes, the upper tissue will harden again and become stronger than before.

So what about us humans? How do we evolve? By hiding inside our invisible shells that we wrap around us? Or by breaking these shells and continuing to grow?

GOING OUT OF THE COMFORT AREA

Or think of a crab with a narrow shell and seeking regeneration. Because it has to change its shell in order to continue its physical development. As it grows, its shell begins to narrow for the crab and it can no longer fit inside. And when the time comes, it gently leaves the old behind and is almost reborn.

Which one of us does not have a shell around us that we believe protects us from outside dangers? Every sad experience we've had has made this crust thicker and harder over the years, hasn't it? And now we have become so accustomed to living with this shell that we have even begun to identify ourselves with it. Yes I know, being in it makes us feel so safe. That's why we've been carrying it for years. But we also need to see the truth. Without breaking this shell, we cannot progress!

The crab has no choice but to change its shell to survive. Believe me, neither do we! Okay, maybe we continue to exist physically, but living isn't just about that. How can we truly feel alive unless we develop our emotional body, which we hide behind shells?

The crab is aware that the process immediately after changing its shell is very vulnerable, but it does not run away from it. On the contrary, he is pursuing it with determination. Doesn't he get scared? It's probably coming. In this way, its outer texture hardens again, making it even more durable.

Unfortunately, we are not as brave as crabs in this regard. We are frantically afraid of revealing our vulnerable side. What if I get hurt, or if something bad happens, or if I regret it, or if others think the wrong thing about me… Yes, maybe all of these fears will happen to us. But don't worry, they won't kill us, on the contrary, they will make us stronger.

Courage and leaving the comfort zone are necessary for development.

It is possible to question your comfort zone by yourself. If you prefer to eat the same meals every day, if you are constantly visiting the same places and avoid different experiences, if you always go on vacation to places you have been to before, if you are afraid to buy products other than the brands you know, then you are trying to protect your comfort zone. This is not wrong. It is a mechanism that develops naturally at the subconscious level and tries to minimize your harm. You want to progress, grow, learn something new, build a career, etc. If you are aiming, you have to break your comfort zone. If you do nothing, even if you win the lottery jackpot, your comfort zone will be disrupted.

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

But how do we break this crust formed by the accumulation of years? There are many books and techniques written on this subject. However, here I would like to share with you the methods that I personally apply;

Make your intentions clear for your emotional growth. The first step taken with sincere intention is the guarantee of success.

Do not suppress, digest, or ignore your emotions. Even if the feelings you are feeling do not please you, do not try to get rid of them. On the contrary, allow yourself to feel it unconditionally. The key word here is just feeling the emotion without “reacting”. And to observe the repercussions of this emotion on the physical body.

Perform breathing exercises as described below for at least 15 minutes a day in a quiet environment where you will not be disturbed.

Inhale through the nose and exhale through the nose.

Breathe connected. So, don't pause between breaths.

Keep the inhale and exhale times equal.

Distract the mind from thoughts and focus only on your breathing. (If you catch yourself chasing any thoughts, gently bid them farewell and refocus on your breathing)

I also recommend Michael Brown's book "Existence Process" for emotional body awareness and development. This book is a guide that includes theory as well as a 10-week applied emotional integration process. I am now in the 7th week of the process. I can say that it has been very good so far, since it can be applied anytime and anywhere without disturbing the flow of daily life.

As someone from the engineering school, I have always kept rational thinking at the forefront and ignored my emotional side for most of my life. I cared more about what should happen than how I felt. Living this way was no different from trying to hop hop on the path of life, and it was unpleasant. However, I wanted to move forward with the taste of dance in this life. If you are like me, what we have to do is very simple; stop jumping on one leg and use both legs together.