The Three-Second Window

Everything is a little blah right now. I am in a state of non-doing, living numbly while my frustration is building. But today is another day: focus and understanding with heart connection. This morning is about being productive, intentional, and organized. My podcast and the writing of my book need to be front and center. I see my task, and I must follow it. Listening does not just mean in the ears. Listen to your heart. Listen to your inner guide. Listen to your visions. Allow all to be seen and heard, then follow them. The follow is hard; it takes getting up and doing. If you do not, the ego gets louder, pushing you further from the doing, giving you every excuse to keep you stuck in the resistance. It will throw everything it can until something grabs hold to keep you in the non-doing—in the illusion that you are stuck anywhere except where you grow and shine.

The noise is getting loud. The ego is pressing. The war between ego and self is strong. Your ego is an ecosystem. It is built through years of living in traumas and hardships, joys and pleasures, and pains. It is built from every version of you that has seen anything it felt it needed to create a protector for—to stand in front so you would never feel that way again. They are not your enemy. They are not against you. They are simply standing in front of you to keep you safe. But now, it is time to change that narrative. Listen to them. Help those parts of you heal so that you can become one again. What I want and what I am being told to do are loud, so the ego gets louder. The stories become harder not to follow. They test every part of my being. This tells me I’m on the right path—the path of change and growth. The fear is high. The anxiety is strong. My ego plays off of this. Why? What am I afraid of? Which parts of me are speaking the loudest? This is the practice of listening. These parts need to be heard. They need to be allowed to express their fears—not to stay stuck, but to heal.

To ignore to avoid is self-harm. We must learn what these parts of us are afraid of and what their pains are. We ignore our ego or try to push it aside. We have been taught this. We have been told that we can kill our ego so it no longer exists. This is simply not the truth. The hard truth is that the ego is a part of us, and it always will be. That said, it does not have to go on being a protector. Just like the rewiring of the brain, we can help the ego heal. We can help these parts of us heal so the ego no longer feels the need to protect, but instead becomes a partner in the journey to become. Free them to speak their truth in a space that is safe and free of judgment. Sit with that part in its pain. Give yourself the love, grace, and compassion needed in that moment. Nothing more is needed. That is where healing begins: acceptance. Acceptance of what and where it is so it feels safe to be fully present. Create that space. Create that trust. The ego is built from every version of you, from every experience, trauma, and fear inside you. It manifests to expose that vulnerable part where the pain resides. It is a call for help. It is a call to be seen.

Ignoring or neglecting your ego is simply not the answer. It will not get you the life that you want. It will not give you the growth that you deserve. It will not give you the happiness that you seek. At some point, if you ignore the ego long enough, it will come to collect. You will have to deal with that part of you that needs healing. So my question is: On whose terms do you want to deal with this? Would you rather deal with it on your terms—in your way, in a graceful, loving, compassionate manner? Or do you want to wait until the ego comes to collect and the bill is due? Because at that point, it is almost insurmountable. The example that comes to mind is a person who takes their own life. They say that they show signs, they are calling out, even to the point where they are almost their best self just before the act. As if that part of them says as their final act on Earth is to show the truest version of themselves. This is why we must take this upon ourselves to listen to these hurt parts of us. Show these hurt parts that we are here for them, that they are not alone and they do not have to suffer. Suffer. That word has taken a heavy place in me. I do not need to suffer any longer. It is a choice. It's not magic. It's not instant. But through the work, we can end the suffering.

The time will come when you will have to do the heavy lifting. Listening to these parts of yourself that are crying out to be seen and heard is important. Allowing a space that is safe, loving, and unjudgmental is necessary. Though, that is just the beginning. The hardest part may be the following. The doing. The taking action on what you’ve allowed to be seen and heard—on what you’ve listened to. The pain and the fears come through. Affirmations and words can only take you so far. Taking action, creating movement, and doing is the only way to finish the journey of healing. Action is the message today. I must start doing to figure out where to go. This does not mean stopping the listening, but I am not writing to be him—I am him now. I need to quit speaking the parts of becoming and truly do the becoming. I must disregard the judgment and the inevitable resistance. All people are hurt and scared. I must keep this in the forefront of my mind, give grace, and help move others past the hate and fear. I can take the bullets. I am the authority and can show others the way. I belong in this arena. My own life will not wait for me to figure it out. I will or I will not; life goes on either way. The reason people are not buying in is because I am not showing the actual doing in my presence. The belief behind my words has the knowledge, but not the action. My doing has to equal my message. If I do not do, I cannot teach. Nobody is going to do it for me. Nobody is going to become Cory J. Riggs. I am he, and it is time to start the doing of him.

I feel a sense of peace within, listening to its desire to be open and allow love to flow in and out. The ego has kept a numbness over me lately, but there is something my heart—my soul, my truest self—is missing, needing me to follow. The only way to get that clarity is to do the work. Focus on the now. Stay present. In my reflections, I'm not taking these moments. I'm not finding time to breathe and allow. Then I get caught up in the noise and neglect myself, allowing the ego to get loud and fill my head with distractions. So when I feel that resistance, the noise getting louder, the anxiety within, I need to stop. Take a breath. Allow my heart to settle and my body to calm. Listen and connect to the messages flowing within. Listen to them until I feel the need to move, and move. Do not hesitate. That first instinct to move and follow is true. If I ignore it, or rest, or hesitate in that feeling, the ego takes over and resistance gets louder. It is in that first moment—that first fill within—listening and allowing the heart to be heard. When my body feels action, I need to do. Start moving to that feeling instantly. This is how I stay in the work. This is how I become.

I want you to take a moment right now. Stop worrying about the next sentence. Stop worrying about the message that’s coming on the next page. I want you to sit with yourself. I want you to close your eyes. I want you to breathe deeply and connect. Feel your heartbeat. Feel every breath. Consume your entire being. Listen to your heart. Feel your body where it might hurt, where anxiety might be tapping at the door. Once you arrive at that place, simply sit with it and have a conversation. Ask it what it needs. Ask it what its fears are. Ask it who it is. Build a trust through conversation and understanding. The more you can practice this, the better you’ll get at it. The more you can build this trust with the parts of yourself that need healing, the closer you will become to your truest self.

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I’m Cory J Riggs. I love you all. Be blessed.