#41 PERCEPTION AND SOUL PAIN PROJECTION
Dear listener, what if everything you see "out there" is actually a sacred mirror reflecting what lives within you?
This episode invites you into one of the most profound spiritual truths I've discovered on my journey (and a hard one sometimes): our perception shapes our reality in ways we rarely recognize. The world we experience isn't an objective truth—it's a unique reflection filtered through our beliefs, wounds, fears, and dreams.

We are each other's mirrors, walking through life showing one another what we most need to see in ourselves. As human beings sharing this earthly experience, we're constantly reflecting back to each other our own inner landscapes.

When someone's behavior triggers you, when their opinions make your blood boil or sad or irritated, when their lifestyle choices confuse or upset you—pause and ask yourself: What is this showing me about myself? Your reactions are your greatest teachers.

We call them our shadow sides. The way you respond to others' actions, ideas, opinions, and ways of being reveals so much about your own spiritual and personal development. It illuminates where you're still healing, where your shadow sides are hiding, and where your inner child is crying out to be seen and held with compassion.
It’s a simple as that and yet so complicated. 

When you're truly at peace with yourself, very little in the external world can disturb that peace. When you've integrated your shadows and healed your inner wounds, you can witness others' journeys without judgment or reactivity. You become the calm observer, rooted in your own wholeness. But this isn't about perfection—it's about awareness.

The shadow self—those parts of us we've rejected, denied, or hidden away—plays a profound role in how we perceive reality. We're all works in progress, continuously evolving and expanding.

Some days we'll see clearly, recognizing our projections and taking responsibility for our perceptions. Other days we'll forget, getting swept up in the drama of blame and righteousness. Both are part of the journey as the soul pain and inner child are our players too.

Whatever qualities you judge most harshly in others are often the very qualities you haven't made peace with in yourself. The person who annoys you with their neediness? Perhaps you've suppressed your own need for support. The one whose confidence bothers you?

Maybe you're not allowing yourself to shine. This is shadow work, beloved—and it's some of the most transformative healing we can do along with taking care of our inner child.

Thanks for listening.
// ASH

This podcast is made for inspiration and entertainment only.