The Wisdom of Shrek

Ogres (and humans) are like onions

While Shrek shows an uncanny sense of self-awareness, we would do well to take that idea on board and contemplate our own layered onion-ness. All jokes aside, the onion metaphor is a perfect representation of what it is to be human. The older we are, the more layers we have and the further away we get from our core essence. Most of the layers came about unconsciously through our conditioning and attempts to fit in and get on in the world, carefully placed to form the well-rounded structure of our identity.

There comes a time in Life when we wake up one day and wonder ‘who am I really?’ That’s when the peeling process begins and, just like peeling an onion, there will inevitably be tears – of frustration, of pain, of joy, of relief.

Each layer comes with its own set of challenges. There will be denial and disbelief, searches down rabbit holes and a-ha! moments, and if you’re anything like me, analysis paralysis.

You will find reasons and excuses, point fingers of blame – at yourself and others. You will resist, refute and oppose and then you will gloss over what you found with a heart-wrenching story of why this is so because the truth is often not pretty or palatable. The one thing you can be sure of when you start peeling the layers is that you will come face-to-face with personal responsibility – for your actions, and for what you have created. You’ll want to go back but now you’ve opened THAT can of worms you can’t unsee any of it.

You keep going because somewhere under these layers is YOU, the authentic you that yearns to be liberated, to be seen and heard. You keep going because you cannot bear the weight of all those layers anymore. They may have served you once but now they feel heavy, burdensome, oppressive or perhaps not quite right, like they don’t fit as comfortably as they once did.

There will be questions – many, many questions. The types of questions that you can’t Google and find the answers to, like what’s the capital of Patagonia or the value of π to 15 decimal places. I’m talking about questions like ‘Who am I really?’ and ‘What lights me up?’ The answers to those questions are not ‘out there’ somewhere nor are they in any number of self-help/spiritual books. (Found that out the hard way!)

ese questions arise because the answer is wanting to be found within you in between the layers. The answers you are seeking are seeking you, ready to be heard albeit in soft whispers. You may not find the answer straight away. You may need to ask it over and over until the debris around the truth is removed, until the layers of false beliefs and conditioned ways of being are removed.

Let them rise and give them space. Witness them and allow yourself to consider whose voice is giving you the answer. Is it your heart’s authentic voice or is it an echo of another person from your past? A parent? A teacher? Some other person’s point of view that was intentionally or unintentionally imprinted onto you. Keep listening, softly and with intent, and soon you will discern truth from illusion. You will recognize what is yours and what was borrowed.

Keep asking the questions, my friend, keep peeling those layers, and trust that you will find your truth, your light. It is there waiting for you.