Now you - then you - now you
Inward-directed compassion and empathy...
Imagine this; Close your eyes, just for a moment.
Let your breath slow. Let the noise settle. And let yourself go somewhere quiet inside.
Now… imagine this:
You’re standing in a room — not one you recognize with your eyes, but one you know deeply in your body. It’s soft, still, and safe. And across from you, you see someone.
It’s you then.
Maybe they're five. Maybe thirteen. Maybe eighteen. Maybe yesterday.
They're caught in a moment that left a mark — a time when something felt unfair, too big, too sharp.
You remember that moment, don’t you?
They look at you — confused, small, perhaps already bracing for blame.
Because back then, everything felt like your fault.
Like you were the problem.
But now… you now step forward.
You kneel gently beside them — not above, not below. Just beside.
You offer no corrections, no advice. Just presence. Just warmth.
And then you speak — not from the mouth, but from the knowing in your chest:
"None of this was your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong. You were just trying to make sense of it all. You were surviving the best way you could."
You now can see it clearly.
You then was just responding to life — to the conditions, the environment, the people around them.
They didn’t choose their software.
It was installed by circumstance — unconsciously inherited, unconsciously repeated.
And now?
Now, you have the choice to upgrade.
Not by erasing you then, but by welcoming them fully.
By letting them rest.
By saying: “I see you. I love you. You’re allowed to come home now.”
This is integration.
Not fixing.
Not fixing them. Not fixing you.
Just the gentle merging of past and present, until there's no more separation.
You hold you then and say:
“You belong. Even with the hurt. Even with the fear. I accept you — all of you.”
And something shifts.
That old, heavy code — guilt, shame, self-doubt —
it doesn’t need to run anymore.
It can be updated. Rewritten.
By love. By clarity.
By the unwavering, unconditional acceptance of you now toward you then.
This is how healing happens.
This is how peace returns.
By no longer trying to exile the parts of you that struggled…
and instead, inviting them into your arms.
You now take the hand of you then.
And together, you walk forward —
not toward perfection,
but toward wholeness.
Here is the audio version of this meditation; click here
Click here for the YouTube Channel
Free online meetups every Saturday at 9 pm (Sydney Australia time)
and one each Monday 7 am ( Sydney Australia time)
and each Wednesday at 4 pm (Sydney Australia time)
and every Friday 7 am (Sydney time) - never published.
You can check your local time here:
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Please note that it's always the same time on the same link. Arriving late and leaving early is fine.
Click here to Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86991485768...
Here is a link to all of the published recordings. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
Audio files can be found here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folder...
There is also paid 1on1 guiding here:
Although the website still requires a lot of work, there are resources there;
https://WakingUpWithVince.com
Here is a working version PDF of the web site that can be downloaded.
Here is a link to a new chatbot using the website as it’s knowledgebase.
https://chatgpt.com/g/g-67a6d7d9cb548...
Given the multitude of small costs (that add up to something significant) required to produce these offerings, please consider donating whatever you can comfortably afford. Moneys over and above running costs are directed to the establishment of Suan Jai Sanctuary. (more on this later)
..and remember - lots of little bits make a big bit. ❤️