Recently, I was given the opportunity to revisit the interpretations that were useful to me in referencing myself and my life 22 years ago. I was surprised to find some old pain lingering in those interpretations. I hadn't focused on these memories in quite awhile and was unaware that my interpretations were unconsciously holding a marker for an outdated perception from my past. I mostly remembered myself at this time in my life as having a desperate readiness for change, an inability to bring resolution to my current circumstances, and a culmination of intensity that gave me the will to fight for my right to change my life in ways that were essential for me to flourish. I did move into a new direction of life, with new relationships and different routines, while also carrying with me the unsettled acceptance of things left incomplete. I internalized my inaccessible sense of resolution in a way that engaged me in a very personal, probing inquiry about the quality of my overall relationship to life: "Why can't I have what I want?"
As my life moved on, I hadn't realized that this question had stayed with me and become a link in my subconscious orientation to change. Whenever I would sense a need for change in my being, this unconsciously held interpretation of being unsupported through the process of change would flip on like a switch. The definition of an interpretation is "an explanation that establishes the meaning or significance of something." My interpretation established that change was a desperate & difficult process that challenged my sense of permission to have what I wanted in life. This interpretation instructed me to go about the process of change by building my internal fire of frustration, anger & dissatisfaction, finally culminating in a force of will to stand in the place of "I no longer accept this!" so as to catapult me across the chasm of indecision & compromise into greater clarity and movement toward what I wanted. This interpretation maintained the necessity for struggle in accessing and responding to my changing needs. This assumed sense of embattled effort was a reinforcement of my parents' model of change, and became a self-imposed state of suffering as I transferred this meaning into my own experience of change.
As my self-understanding has grown through the years, I have learned that my personal model for change actually involves much greater degrees of ease than I ever thought possible 22 years ago. I actually "go with the flow" really well and have a natural comfort & excitement for embracing change. As a result of my shift in self-perception, my relationship to life has adjusted a great deal since back then. However, amidst all my changes, that 22-year-old interpretation was still active. It wasn't a daily program I used in life, but it was still there as a lingering undertone that was once useful in making sense of my experiences. Even though I had moved on for the most part, my system was still allocating energy for that interpretation to be available just in case it could be useful again someday. The catch is that based on who I've become, there is absolutely no congruence in that interpretation with who I am today. I had "forgotten" about my inborn ability to reinterpret my past interpretations so that my precious energy for living was feeding who I am right now and who I am becoming in the next moment.
Our interpretations provide us with everything we need to originate and modify different versions of reality as we change. They are the primary mechanism through which we extract meaning from our thoughts and feelings. At first, we use our senses to acquire information and then mentally translate this information to form a perception. Without even realizing it, we can easily make the leap into accepting our translations as real and true. If the meaning we apply is useful to us, then we are inclined to organize our interpretations into beliefs. With consistent usage, we further refine these beliefs, expanding their usage into a full-fledged belief system. However, we also possess this remarkable ability to reinterpret our interpretations. Meaning holds different values for us as we change, and through interpretation, we assign meaning. So how is it that we so easily forget to utilize this amazingly creative ability to reinterpret our experiences?
Even though your family may not have offered you this tool, it is your natural birthright as a human being to determine what is meaningful for you and to utilize your interpretations to give you access to the meaning that will bring your life into purpose. Many people will argue that "These events took place, this is what happened, and nothing can change that." This is the statement of a mind that has accepted its own interpretations as truth. The "facts" of what has happened are what they are – something was done, said, denied or lost. But what it means is determined by you through your interpretations. Even the most harmful events don't require you to be harmed. Even the most personalized encounters can be reinterpreted to restore freedom to the perception of being held captive to your experiences. Reinterpretation is a skill that needs practice and is often best supported through the assistance of others. However, sometimes we are so ready for change that when life offers us the chance to let go of old interpretations, we simply open ourselves to a shift in perception, allowing the part of us that was being held hostage to be gently guided back to the heart of who we are now.
Even if you aren't aware of your past interpretations having a hold on you, your clarity of purpose, or the direction & momentum of your life, it is still useful to ask yourself if you are willing to take the time to review your past and see if any parts stand out as having a set-in-stone meaning associated with your stories. Sometimes, those places of perceived certainty are referenced by the remembrance of your storyline being "the only way things could have happened," or the feeling of being stuck with the way it was and having no choice, or reflected in your held judgments of someone else's actions, inactions or words. This isn't a suggestion to wrestle with your past. This is an invitation to become aware of the interpretations that give meaning to your pain, struggle and incompleteness ~ so that you can offer yourself the chance to reinterpret your interpretations in a way that empowers you to grow into your fullest potential and bring forth your greatest expressions of inspiration.
"Each of us has to come to terms with how we're affected by holding
on to an old, unevolved view of ourselves and our lives.
Each of us has to make a conscious decision to alter our world
by altering our interpretations. Shift your interpretation of a word,
and not only will it lose its negative charge, it will return
your own power to you. … Remembering we are the ones
choosing what we see is essential."
Author Debbie Ford offers further insight into the process of reinterpreting your interpretations in her book, The Dark Side of the Light Chasers: Reclaiming your Power, Creativity, Brilliance & Dreams ("Reinterpreting Yourself"—Chapter 8, pp. 123, 133).
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