When Partials Get Devious
Partials can be devious and you may seem to be getting a negative message from one kind of partial, but really it is another kind of partial trying to downplay the importance of another partial to their own end.
When this happens, you need to work out:
a) Why the partial is doing this
b) Why the partial is being overshadowed by another – this suggests it has in some way been weakened – usually because you haven’t been listening to it, but sometimes there’s something else going on
c) An interaction between the partials such that one has overriden the other through an action you may not be aware of. This typically happens below your consciousness – sometimes in the dream world, sometimes through enacting this in the real world, like playing a dramatic script – watch out for unusual behaviour you may be exhibiting in this case, and see if a dominant partial is trying to run a script through you, and whether you want to go along with this.
The Paradox of Good News
The surprise here is that this can often happen in the aftermath of good news, or a time of celebration. What is a celebration for one partial may trigger jealousy in another partial that their aspect may not be being celebrated. So watch out during times of joy as well in case you pique a petulant partial!
This is one of the most counterintuitive aspects of working with soul partials. We expect our inner conflicts to arise during difficult times, but celebrations can actually be triggers for internal discord.
Why Celebrations Trigger Jealousy
Think about it: when you celebrate an achievement, you’re essentially saying “This aspect of me deserves recognition and praise.” But what about all the other aspects of yourself that contributed to your life but aren’t being celebrated in that moment?
- Your creative partial might feel ignored when you celebrate a business success
- Your practical partial might feel undervalued when you celebrate an artistic achievement
- Your nurturing partial might feel forgotten when you celebrate personal accomplishments
Celebrations and Change
Celebrations often accompany change too, and that can be a challenge for type two partials, which may seek to keep the celebration short-lived, or counter it with extremes of action that can cause regret later, which can then sour the good feeling originally accompanying the celebration.
Anything to temper the change and increase reluctance. Such celebrations that over indulge can also take the focus off the actual accomplishment and what it potentially leads to, and other partials may be employed to distract you from the partial(s) responsible for the thing being celebrated and push this back into the shadows of the unconscious and minimise it’s importance.
The Sabotage of Success
Have you ever noticed how sometimes, just when things are going really well, you find yourself doing something that undermines your success? This is often a partial trying to restore what it sees as “balance” by bringing you back down to a level it’s more comfortable with.
The partial that’s been keeping you “safe” by maintaining the status quo suddenly feels threatened when celebration suggests that change is not only possible but desirable. So it might orchestrate scenarios that:
- Create drama that overshadows the celebration
- Lead to overindulgence that creates guilt or regret
- Cause you to downplay your achievements to others
- Generate conflicts that distract from forward momentum
Staying Focused During Celebrations
Keep a look out for this kind of antagonistic behaviour around times of celebration, and make sure you keep focused on what it is you are celebrating. And in particular, the next steps after the accomplishment, so you can visualise where you are going to next.
Acknowledge the feelings that a celebrations brings to your various partials, but don’t let them rule your reactions. Each partial should be celebrated when they have contributed towards your time here, but not at the expense of another partial’s accomplishment.
Inclusive Celebration Strategy
Here’s a practical approach to celebrating in a way that honors all your partials:
Acknowledge the Achievement: Be clear about what you’re celebrating and which aspects of yourself made it possible
Thank All Contributors: Even if one partial was primarily responsible, acknowledge the others that supported the effort - your disciplined partial that kept you consistent, your social partial that networked, your analytical partial that planned
Include Future Partials: Recognize which aspects of yourself will be needed for the next phase of your journey
Set Gentle Boundaries: If you notice sabotaging behaviors emerging, gently redirect rather than fighting them
The Shadow Side of Success
Success can cast shadows, and those shadows often reveal partials that have been working quietly in the background, suddenly feeling exposed or threatened by the light of celebration.
The key is not to suppress these feelings or pretend they don’t exist, but to understand them as information about the complex ecosystem of your inner world.
Sometimes the “jealous” partial has important information:
- It might be warning you about becoming unbalanced
- It could be highlighting values you’re in danger of forgetting
- It may be protecting aspects of your life that deserve attention too
Integration and Wisdom
Learning to navigate the complex emotions that arise during celebrations is part of the deeper work of integrating your soul partials. It’s about developing the maturity to hold multiple perspectives simultaneously - celebrating genuine achievement while remaining connected to all parts of yourself.
This is advanced spiritual and psychological work. It requires you to become comfortable with paradox, to hold both joy and concern, celebration and caution, success and humility all at the same time.
When you can do this, your celebrations become not just acknowledgments of what you’ve accomplished, but invitations for all parts of yourself to participate in your continued growth and evolution.
This completes the first six lessons of your Soul Partials journey. Take time to integrate these teachings and observe how they manifest in your daily life.
Previous: Lesson 5: So You Keep Fighting Progress?
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