Page 43 - The Truth Landscape Format 2020 with next section introductions-compressed

Perhaps a relationship you once hoped would fulfil you in every way, started to lose its spontaneity, passion, honesty and excitement. Perhaps those endearing
little traits became or were replaced by, annoying habits he wouldn’t change. Maybe fear crept in. Fear of causing pain by revealing the truth of your feelings.
Fear of acceptance that some of the responsibility for the problems might be yours. Fear of confrontation, fear of loss, fear of pain.

“I am recognised as an expert in my field. I have the respect of my peers and an outwardly successful career. What people don’t see is that it’s all a front. I
am desperately unhappy, feeling trapped in a role that no longer suits me.”

Could it be that a career path that had been your lifelong vocation turned out to be soul destroying, disappointing or damaging to your self worth? Maybe you
put on a brave face and tried to work through it, convincing yourself you couldn’t have made such a wrong choice, but subconsciously knowing the truth?

“At some point earlier in my life, I must have listened more to what others said the perfect life should look like, rather than thinking through what would
make me really happy. I have all the trappings of success, a wife that loves me, two beautiful kids, a lovely home, two nice cars, a successful business…. So
why do I feel so disillusioned?”.

You may have acquired all the things you had hoped for. Perhaps you have been, had and done all you set out to be, have and do, only to discover your
happiness was marred by a gnawing sense of dissatisfaction? This torturous discontent is bewildering and you feel trapped.

You may have everything you thought would constitute a perfect life only to find yourself asking : “What’s missing? How did this happen? What do I do
now?”.

The most common reactions to these crossroads in life, are various types of denial. In an effort to drown out our inner voice of discontent, rather than face our
inner truths and get back on course to happiness, we busy ourselves even more than usual, in the wishful state that some magical solution will make things
right. Once we allow it to control our thoughts and behaviours, it has us in a powerful, vice-like grip that is difficult to escape.

Denial is a coping mechanism that gives you time to adjust to distressing situations — but staying in denial can interfere with treatment or your ability to tackle
challenges. If you're in denial, you're trying to protect yourself by refusing to accept the truth about something that's happening in your life.

Denial through Distraction

Distraction is itself a form of denial, in that we can allow ourselves to become almost subconsciously preoccupied with other things, like addictive
behaviours, work, excessive spending, or caring for others that we can end up becoming control freaks or achievement junkies, anything to avoid dealing
with the painful issues we know at a subconscious level we must eventually face.

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