We feel like it when life is at its hardest and its worst. Sometimes we feel it every day.

Broken.

Society and culture teach us that we are able to break, and that we are, inherently, not enough, and, sometimes, irreparable. It is a sneaky seed that is planted in our collective psyche, not by anyone in particular, but has been for centuries, from youth onward, perpetuated because it is readily reinforced and proven by our own feelings. Our hearts can break, for example. I feel it. Don't we all feel it. We also get broken down by work, friends, enemies, illnesses, and tragedies. Many times in our lives we feel utterly shattered. Domestic violence, rejected by our own families, the list seems endless. Sometimes even living regular lives, we feel disintegrated by the monotony.

But this idea of broken, where did it come from? Who says that we are breakable?

The crazy catch is that WE do. We teach ourselves and condition ourselves to believe that we have the ability to break and, more importantly, that others have the ability and power to break us. But it isn't true. No one has that power over you. Our inner being, soul, spirit, identity - whatever you decide to call it - is, in fact, entirely whole and untouchable; that is, unless you allow it to be. It is a matter of perception.

Think of it...something awful occurs, and you are understandably shattered, broken, and laying on the floor. Trying to put yourself back together seems impossible. (Believe me, I've been there.) But with a slight shift in perception, hope becomes more of a possibility. Realizing that I am still whole, deep down in, I no longer have the monumental task of putting myself back together; I just need to wade through, get past, and let the broken pieces fall away. I am still whole inside. I am still myself, to my core.

This idea sounds good and well in theory. But in real life, theories fall away. In practice, I have developed some easy to digest tips and strategies for recall, even at our worst. But the bigger point here is that, in order to more easily access our truest selves, we require an entirely different outlook and perception of our own inner power and breakability. We need to believe that, to our core, we are neverbroken.

My assertion is aligned with the beliefs of many before me in that our purpose is joy, both living it and giving. This joy, however, is made hard to find when we are taught that we are breakable. Even using the opposite word, unbreakable, in contrast, suggests that, at some point, we have been or could still be broken. Breakable and unbreakable put us in a more simplistic condition of disempowerment, and thus place us at the whim of outside influence, past or present. Neverbrokenness does not. It states that we have never been broken, as a spiritual fact, and never will be.

There is so much power in that, in neverbrokenness. It EMPOWERS us to live our lives from a place of WHOLE. And the way that I see it, it still allows (and, perhaps even asks) for vulnerability, sadness, and softness. These are still our human things. It does not contradict human nature, flaws, mistakes, or asking for divine help or forgiveness if that is your way, nor does it negate how broken we can most definitely FEEL. It simply - or not so simply - replaces the erred thought that we are ever less than whole, deep within.

The soul/spirit/self is a beautiful, unique, and powerful thing. Whatever you believe in, life, spirit, or science, we can agree that we are a powerful, beautiful, miracle, given this gift, called life, in order to live it out; and in doing so, we have a choice of how we want to live it. We can see our lives through the eyes of being subject to everything around us. Or we can toss the breakable belief on its head and say - hey - I am in there, running the show (with or without assistance).  

Point being, YOU are in there no matter what happens around you, in you, or to you. NO ONE can change that, or alter that, or break that, especially without your say so. You will always be beautiful and neverbroken, even if you are lost or afraid. The challenge becomes finding you, underneath the gunk, and then allowing you to live your life to the fullest. Once we learn this new ancient truth, that we are all neverbroken inside, just imagine what strength, what awesome possibilities, lay ahead in your amazing life.