I’m Rachel Dickson: TEDx speaker, storyteller, and truth-teller exploring what it means to return to your truest self. This is a space for healing, authenticity, and the bold inner work of choosing yourself, unapologetically.
Entering the Deep, Dark Cave: Field Notes with Rachel Dickson
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11/05/25 Hey there, travelers between worlds — the inner and the outer, the seen and unseen! Entering the Deep, Dark Cave“In order to succeed as a Jedi Knight, one must identify one’s deepest fears and learn to overcome them. As part of his Jedi training, Yoda makes Luke enter the recesses of a dark cave where he will come face to face with himself as he confronts the fearsome apparition of Darth Vadar. When Luke enters the cave, he’s ignorant of the nature of these fears, he doesn’t know himself as well as he should. Clearly, this lack of self-knowledge can interfere with his self-control. It’s difficult to control what you don’t understand. Self-knowledge entails an understanding of our fears and other emotions, habits, and personal relationships. It implies an understanding of the possibilities that are open to us, as well as a realistic sense of our limitations. And it implies an understanding of our strengths, weaknesses and faults. So when Luke enters the cave, as frightening as it is, he’s given an opportunity for self-knowledge, a release from his ignorance of the hidden aspects of his nature.” — from Star Wars and Philosophy What if…Maybe you’re not a Star Wars fan, but beyond a shadow of a doubt, this movie series is chockablock full of truths in plain sight! We as “watchers of movies” tend to view screenplays in a consumer sort of way...as mere entertainment. But I find it utterly joyful to view such movies like I’m in a scavenger hunt looking for the clues of hidden truths that I can then extract and apply in my own daily life. I’ve been doing this for years...and let me tell you...there’s bucket loads of truth-in-plain-sight movie moments. So what if...what we see play out here regarding this Jedi training moment with Luke...is true for us, too? That our own worst enemies are ourselves and more specifically our own deepest level fears. When I really sit and consider the possibilities of “what if”….as in...what if I were to really pick-apart what my deepest fears really are...and what might this mean in unlocking some of my own inner truths? When I really sit with that — really consider what if — I can feel the truth of it start to shift things. Because when we face our fears directly, they can’t stay intact. They either dissolve or weaken in the light of our awareness. Into the CaveSo ask yourself: Pause. Let the answer surface. It will. Then ask: Each pause brings something new to light. Within my own personal journey into the Deep, Dark Cave of myself...something fascinating surfaced. I discovered my lack of self-trust. Somewhere along the line, I stopped trusting myself to do what needed to be done for me. As someone raised in the Christian faith, this isn’t a surprise. It was ingrained in me — like a hidden software program — that to put others first, no matter the cost to myself, was the “right” path. And to obey authority, no matter what my own inner compass said, was the “holy” one. The fear of punishment was baked into that system. Choice wasn’t really choice. So, of course, when self-betrayal entered the picture, self-trust disappeared. I learned not to speak up, not to stand firm in my own knowing. And even though I was very young, those roots went deep. It’s no wonder that today, the thought of stepping inside a church still makes me flinch. The air in there still carries the echo of those impossible choices — to stand up for myself, or stay silent and cause no “harm.” The Deep, Dark Cave branches in many directions. What’s on the Other SideThis sounds horrible...this road of discovery. Because, it is. But...on the other side of it is clarity. Understanding. Compassion The recognition that we were simply doing the best we could with what we knew then. And that realization? It softens everything. The inner critic, the judge — they start to loosen their grip. CompassionCompassion is the ability to step into another’s shoes and see from their view — even when that “other” is ourselves. Self-compassion is no different. Self-love has taken on a new meaning for me lately. I’m no expert, but this much I know: Let’s be brave, courageous, and fiercely curious — on behalf of the deepest parts of ourselves. Namaste. Wild-Heart Practice of the Week:
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Field Notes is a weekly letter. A landing place. A pause in the noise.
A simple reminder to come back to yourself, one breath at a time.
If you like what you’ve read here...please feel free to forward to a friend.
Until next time...in love and light! Namaste.
Rach
You can find more writings by Rachel here on her blog.
You can find Rachel's Tedx Talk that ultimately led to the creation of these Field Notes at www.RachelDickson.com
Rachel Dickson
I’m Rachel Dickson: TEDx speaker, storyteller, and truth-teller exploring what it means to return to your truest self. This is a space for healing, authenticity, and the bold inner work of choosing yourself, unapologetically.
11/27/25 Greetings Creators, Collaborators, Hope-Dealers, Bridge-Builders and Bringers of Light! If you’re new here — welcome. Field Notes is a weekly dispatch of reflection and soul care sent every week. It’s Thanksgiving Day here in America. And this is the first year in many years that I did not make a made-from-scratch pumpkin pie. I distinctly remember when I was living in Tennessee ….when I decided from that day forward I would always make a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. This was due to...
11/21/25 Hello, quiet souls finding meaning in ordinary moments. A Note on Gratitude (and a Slow Driver) I didn’t feel inspired when I sat down to write this. No big revelation.No thunderbolt of insight.Just a small memory from my moment on the road. There was a driver in front of me going slower than I wanted. You know that feeling — the tightening, the impatience, the silent wishing they would just move along. And then something unexpected happened. I thought:What if? What if that driver...
11/12/25 Hello, fire-starters, edge-walkers, and audacious hearts! What if? What if you went digging through my blog posts and landed on a post from October 19, 2012?I’ll save you the trouble and share it here — because it’s worthy of a revisit 14 years later. Here's a recap. My gosh, how time flies. Back in 2012, I was just beyond hobby-artist territory — painting, experimenting, and looking for new ways to stretch my creative wings. Somewhere along the way, I stumbled upon a call for...