"Human Design isn’t about changing who you are; it’s about accepting all parts of yourself."
I met
During our time there, we each shared a gift of ours in a gorgeous 120 year old home set in the snow covered countryside.
Each session was so different- from an outdoor nature experience, to somatic dance, to breath work and more. But there was a deep common thread woven amongst all of the work- women leaning into their own vein of magic & using it to invite each other to come home to ourselves.
Sylvia’s contribution to our time there was a masterclass in human design. I have known about human design for a while now but this experience felt like learning about it again for the first time.
There’s a rush of adrenaline that hits when you feel understood, validated, and seen in the way that human design offers.
I’m hellbent on uncovering the invisible ways in which we contort and shame ourselves in our lives and human design offers such a freeing and clarifying way to view ourselves and then LIVE more effortlessly through our own design.
The following is a few highlights from my talk with Sylvia-
for the full spiel you can watch the video above or click through to the audio podcast version and take it on the go.
The Constellation of Who You’re Meant to Be:
A Journey through Human Design
In this episode of Help Me See, Sylvia and I explore how Human Design offers a framework for understanding our unique selves. "It's a tool that helps us realize the way we are designed to operate in this world."
By diving into our body’s design and understanding its nuances, we can create a more aligned life, living from truth and eliminating so many of the energy leaks we open when we reject our natural instincts.
On the importance of strategy and authority:
"The strategy is the way that we interact with the world, and the authority is the way that we make decisions in alignment with our design."
For example, as a Manifestor, you are here to initiate, but it's essential to wait for the right moment and then act. Each of us has our own way of interacting with the world based on our Human Design, and the key to finding fulfillment is aligning with it.
"Your strategy tells you how to engage with the world, and your authority guides how you make decisions. The key is aligning your decisions with your true self, not based on outside pressure or conditioning."
Embracing both your strengths and challenges:
Sylvia noted, "The challenge is in the awareness of our conditioning, and the gift is in being able to transform that conditioning into something that is empowering." The process of transformation isn’t instant, but through understanding our design, we can begin to move toward more empowering choices.
"Human Design isn’t about changing who you are; it’s about accepting all parts of yourself."
When we live into human design, it is not just a tool for understanding oneself but a guiding philosophy to embody more freedom and connection with ourselves and others.
A Powerful Reframe:
Embracing the Bigger Picture of Our Struggles
Struggles and challenges are often symptoms of something deeper. As an NLP practitioner I’ve learned and witnessed how so often, when we are focused on a problem/struggle in our lives- so often it is the tip of an iceberg. A symptom that travels under the surface and connects to a lot of other symptoms.
This may sound daunting but if you keep going, those symptoms then narrow again and lead to a point. Usually one main linked commonality.
When we get to that point, we can make it the big bad monster under the bed (or ocean) or we can disarm it by loving it. Really getting close enough to see the soft underbelly of what’s causing pain.
The way we classify our struggles matter.
Sylvia shared about the nuance of how we can witness and describe our emotional landscapes- "We think it’s a lot easier to say, 'Oh, I have social anxiety. I am an anxious person,' or 'I’m an alcoholic.' But really, it's all these symptoms of something bigger."
She went on to explain that social anxiety isn’t just a condition; it's a manifestation of a much deeper existential curiosity. "Instead of being socially anxious, I am sitting in existentialism all the time. I’m curious about the big questions. I’m looking for the answers."
This reframing shows us that the struggle isn’t our identity, but rather an experience pointing us to something much more profound—our drive to search for meaning.
Sylvia shared another reframe: "You could say, 'I'm an alcoholic,' or you could say, 'My emotions are too big for me to feel sometimes. My power is too big for me to feel, and I can’t live my life feeling like I’m squished into a box. So I dampen that emotion with alcohol.'"
This distinction is a game-changer, as it shifts the narrative from defining ourselves by our struggles to understanding them as a way to express something greater within.
This reframing of self allows for a gentler, more compassionate relationship with our challenges. It doesn’t make you immune to feeling all of the other things. It’s not like I’m a superhero now. But it feels like I have a shorter wait period before recovering. It goes from a tsunami level emotion wave of up and down to something gentler, softer, quicker to come back to your self-equilibrium.
This process speeds up a more intentional life, allowing us to come back to center faster instead of being trapped in a cycle of suffering.
“The wave can feel like huge highs and huge lows, just crashing. But as we respect each part of that wave—whether it's the productivity, the loss of momentum, or the deep emotions—we get to honor where we are," Sylvia explains. "This leaves more room for contentment, realizing that this is where I’m at right now, and that’s perfectly fine."
This respect for each moment of the wave—each part of who we are—is transformative. It removes the pressure to judge or categorize our feelings as good or bad. Instead, it encourages us to ask, "How can I respect this part of me right now?" It’s a question that opens the door to deeper self-acceptance.
“If I respected this trait about me, what would it look like in how I’m living my life?" This simple shift in perspective can change everything about how we approach our challenges, and how we live, embracing all of who we are.
If your spidey senses are tingling and you're craving to know more, listen to the full episode above and head to the Sylvia’s website to download your free chart and dive in.
one last thing-
AN INVITATION TO TAKE IT SLOWWWWWW
Just typing that made me roll my eyes at myself lol.
I very often do not take this advice and if you’re like me, you won’t either- BUT I have suffered the spiraling blur consequences so here’s my attempt to save you lol.
Something Sylvia has mentioned during our conversations is how important it can be to take it slow in uncovering the depths of each part of your human design. Each specific grain of self discovery in this work (and in life itself in general) can open a galaxy of possibility. A portal to discover how this has manifested in your life thus far and how you might unlearn the way of others and relearn yourself in both broad conceptual ways and in tiny practical ways. This is how we integrate and create long term sustainable nourishment.
When you FIREHOSE YOURSELF WITH INFORMATION LIKE I DO it’s too much to take in. It’s paralyzing. and then nothing happens but you get worked up and dizzy. (at least that’s what happens to me)
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