Good Morning ☀️
Just wrapped up my morning practice, and this week’s contemplation brought me to something we often miss in the rush of everyday life: identity—and the flexibility (or rigidity) with which we hold it.
Whether we’re navigating life as a mother, father, sibling, boss, colleague, friend, or guide…
There’s something we tend to forget:
No identity is universal.
Each role we play—and each role we experience from others—is shaped by our definitions.
Definitions are formed from our upbringing, our wounds, our stories, and the examples we were given.
So where does the conflict really begin?
Not in the differences.
But in the insistence that our definition is the right one.
In the subtle (or not-so-subtle) judgments.
In the expectations that others must mirror our version of what it means to love, support, guide, protect, or care.
Here’s a line I often return to:
“An orange can only give orange juice.” 🍊
You may be asking for mango juice…
But the person in front of you only knows how to be an orange.
And maybe that’s enough.
Maybe conflict is not a problem to solve, but an invitation to see more clearly—
To meet people as they are.
To let go of needing to be “right.”
To honour the juice they can give, even if it tastes different than what you expected.
🪴 So here’s a reflection for your week:
Where are you holding tightly to a definition?
What would soften in your life if you allowed another version to exist alongside yours?
As always, truth creates peace.
And peace begins the moment we stop needing the world to match our version of it.
Love
Manna 🙏❤️