I wish I knew it this in my 20s
Parts work. Coming from the context that we are multi-dimensional and mutli-layered beings, there are MANY (possibly infinite) parts within you. What I mean by "parts" is voices, or characters, or various aspects that arise within you that elicit stories or narratives about the experience you're having. For example: One that everyone has inside of them is "The Judge". Have you ever noticed that when you've done something embarrassing, there's a voice inside that judges you, or has something to say about you and what people are going to think of you? Have you every noticed this voice of judgement arise when someone acts out in a way that you don't agree with, that goes against your values, that you think is stupid, etc? There are MANY parts inside of you that are creating stories, and those stories create feelings, and those feelings paint the mosaic of your life. Without developing a relationship with the many layers — the many parts inside of you — you risk continuously and jarringly identifying to whatever arises within you... whatever arises from your subconscious mind and programming. And these parts are exactly that: subconscious programming. They are the residuals from your childhood experiences, from your romantic relationships, from school, etc etc etc. And although the outer world seems to evolve and change, that inner program is still running, resulting in a hamster wheel of emotional experiences that eventually run your life, get you stuck in a rut, and may even cause the all so pervasive "mid-life crises". Connecting with, relating to, and witnessing your parts is an aspect of what people call "the work". Learning to not push away, abandon, reject, dismiss, belittle, etc, our inner parts but rather offer them the love, respect, acceptance and unconditional love that we desired to receive as a child is the path deeper inner union, self-actualization, and remember what you are in your higher truth. Because what you really are is the I AM consciousness witnessing it all. The truth of you does not speak, it does not say a thing — it simply is. You at your essence and 100% purity is a residing and everlasting conscious awareness. And just like Great Spirits creation of all things in life and our Universe, you create all the infinite voices, characters, scenarios, etc, etc etc.... just like a little universe. This brings to light the second Hermetic Principle of Correspondence (As Above so Below: As Below, so Above).