May 29 — Sagittarius Full Moon: The Lies We Tell Ourselves

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Some of my favorite people in my life are Sagittarii. They are full of life and love and even when things aren’t going going their way, they have an upbeat optimism that carries them forward and through. Or is it a refreshing sarcasm? Either way, Sagittarius is all about looking at situations logically and exploring new ways to solve problems while being honest with their self. I invite you to drawn in this Sagittarian perspective this full moon to explore the lies you tell yourself and to explore these areas with yourself with honesty and optimism.

It’s sometimes difficult to determine what lies we tell ourselves because we might not be aware that we are lying to ourselves to in the first place. For me it is much easier to see when those whom I care about are lying to themselves than it is for me to see through my own bullshit. For this exercise I invite you to do the best that you can in this moment and to continue to reflect as you move about your life. The next time you catch yourself in a lie, take a moment to examine it so that you may learn from it.

Write down the lies you tell yourself. You can make a list of things about yourself that make you feel stuck or jot down all the limiting beliefs you’ve accumulated over the years. Here are some examples:

1. No one loved me as a child and therefore I’m unlovable as an adult.
2. I will never be happy again.
3. I’m not just not good at __________ and there’s nothing I can do about it.
4. I’m only lovable if I’m happy.
5. I would be more worthy if I was thinner/heavier/taller/shorter/different skin color/different than who I am now.
6. I have to hide who I really am for people to like me.
7. If I don’t have money/kids/a spouse/own a house/other material possessions, I’m doing something wrong with my life.

Ooof. This can be a difficult list to look at. While there are many situations in life that seem to be truly hopeless, we do have the power within ourselves to change the perspective that we have in the situation. And we certainly can’t expect everyone to like us, but what we can do is learn to love ourselves and remember that fact that we are alive on this planet is what makes us “worthy.”

For a different perspective, what would you do if someone close to you gave you a list like this about themselves? You would probably be able to to counter many of these beliefs with something that your loved one might not think about. Do this for the list you created. If your friend told you that they were unlovable, how would you show them the ways they are? Now what are the ways that you are lovable? You can also share this list with someone close to you whom you can trust to tell you the truth. This person might be able to point out the half-truths that exist and help you see the way out of your lies (Well, you aren’t very good at interviewing for a job, but that’s because you let your anxiety get the best of you, you don’t have any confidence in your abilities which are actually quite strong, and you have a tremendous fear of rejection…). Hearing their perspective might help you create action steps to counteract your limiting belief (How can I reduce my anxiety? How can I become more confident about my abilities? How can I reduce my fear of rejection?).

This can make you feel emotionally tender so remember to practice good self care. Get plenty of sleep, make sure you eat and drink enough water. If you need to cry it out, cry it out! Let those around know what you are working on so they can be more compassionate towards you and support you and the work you are doing to heal yourself.