Tag: self-awareness

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Being Human

Quarantine has given me some surprising gifts. Among them: clarity about my mission. I’m here to be a “light anchor.” I’m a conduit for higher energies to connect with this world. As part of this mission, I’ve spent a good bit of time meditating. I consciously and intentionally fill my being with love, bliss, and gratitude. I do so to raise my own frequency and bring clarity to my “channel.”

But this doesn’t mean I shun my human side. After all, I’m here on this planet to be a human. Being human does, indeed, involve the emotions of love, bliss, and gratitude. But it also involves the “dark” feelings. Here’s what I’ve been learning: if those darker emotions rise up, pushing them back down does absolutely no good. They will simply sit inside me and fester. So instead, as they arise, I’ve been examining them. This isn’t comfortable, and may involve tears, but that’s part of the process. If needed, I seek help from others – those with whom I feel completely safe. By processing and integrating my own darkness, I become stronger. I become more complete. I become who I am meant to be.

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Your Eternal Self

fall sun

What is a soul? There are so many definitions and theories and specifics, it can be overwhelming! It’s a huge topic, and worthy of all the attention and rumination is has received over the course of time.

But I think it’s really quite simple. Your soul is your eternal self. It’s the part of you that existed before this body was born. It’s the part of you that will continue to exist after this body dies.

Your eternal self isn’t bound by linear time, so it isn’t limited to just this one physical body that you’re using to read these words. It experiences life in many physical forms, in many different time periods, concurrently.

But even though your soul is eternal, that doesn’t make it better than this physical body that you’re now inhabiting. “Better” is a judgment, and souls don’t judge. Treat your physical body with the love, respect, and kindness with which you’d treat a precious loved one. Your physical self and your eternal self are on this crazy life journey together. Enjoy the ride!

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Joy vs. Obligation

snowy front yard

This time of year, as the holidays approach, my thoughts turn to the topic of joy vs. obligation. Here’s what I mean…

We humans do stuff. All kinds of stuff. Our lives are full of stuff we “have to do.” But do we really? Are we doing things out of joy, or out of obligation? This crucial distinction can impact the quality of your life.

Yes, we live in this world (for now) and there are certain non-fun things we have to do. Let’s take laundry, for an example. I can’t think of anyone I know who enjoys doing laundry. It’s something we humans just have to do. But try turning “I hate doing laundry” into “I like having clean clothes to wear.” Or “I love it when my clothes are warm from the dryer.” Or “It’s a blessing to have a closet full of nice, clean clothing.” Take that obligation and view it from a perspective of joy.

If the majority of your activities are done out of obligation rather than joy, you may start to feel the strain of this in your physical body. Notice where in your body you feel pain or discomfort. What does this pain keep you from doing, or make it difficult for you to do? It’s likely a task that you don’t really want in your life. Can you take a break from this activity in order to give your physical body a chance to heal? Perhaps you’ll find a different way of accomplishing the task, one that is more in alignment with your joy. Or you may find that you didn’t really need to be doing the dreaded task at all, and were just stubbornly holding on to it out of a misplaced sense of obligation. (I speak from experience here!)

Trying saying this out loud: “I choose a life of joy, not obligation.” Then, one by one, look at each “have to do” in your life. Can you change your perspective on the task to take it from an obligation to a joy? Can you change the way you accomplish the task to make it more fun, more joyful? Can you give it up altogether? If you give this a try, let me know what happens!

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What’s My Mission?

autumn sun tree

If you’re moving along a spiritual path, you’ve likely wondered, “What’s my mission?” I was kind of obsessed with this question. Like, for years. I wanted all the details. What is it? What will it look like? Where will it take me? Who will be there? I had so many questions… and got increasingly frustrated as time passed without receiving any answers.

But I’ve come to realize that my mission isn’t about doing, but about being. I let go of the questions, and instead opened up to the feel of my mission. And it came to me that compassion and joy are my mission. And this doesn’t necessarily mean doing any particular activity – though acts of joy and compassion are wonderful – it’s really about being joyful and compassionate in each moment.

This isn’t easy. I’m human. I have fears and judgments. I make mistakes. But each new moment is a reset – I have the opportunity to realign with the essence of compassion and joy over and over again, all day, every day. This starts with positive, loving feelings toward myself and my body, and spreads from there.

So instead of asking what your mission is, try calming your mind and opening to the feel of your mission. The answer may be simpler than you think.

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Letting Go of Fear

One of my kids is learning to drive. He doesn’t like it much, and didn’t drive at all for a while. (That’s okay with me. I don’t push my kids to comply with societal expectations.) Today, he got back on the road. He did fine, but felt scared. And then felt dumb for being scared. And then said something that moved me – “I guess it’s not dumb. I have a right to have fear. I just don’t need to have fear.”

We humans have a right to feel fear, along with all the other emotions. But we don’t need to carry our fears around forever. Recognizing and honoring our fears can help us to release them. That way, they no longer hold us back.

So how do you release a fear? My go-to method is tapping. Here’s a super simple process:

  1. Gently tap on any of the tapping points (see image below).
  2. Say “I release my fear of (whatever scares you).” Repeat this as many times as you’d like.
  3. Stop tapping and take a deep breath.
  4. Release the breath while letting go of the fear.
  5. Repeat the process as needed until you feel the fear start to loosen its hold on you.

If you give this a try, let me know how it works for you!

The Tapping Points:

tapping points

 

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Releasing Expectations (of self)

Well, I’ve been afraid of changing
‘Cause I’ve built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Even children get older
And I’m getting older, too

~ Stevie Nicks

flower of life tourmaline

You don’t have to be what others want/need you to be. It’s okay to release the fear of letting them down.

It’s okay to not feel okay. Discomfort points the way toward growth. It highlights issues that are ready to be addressed and released.

It’s good to know your limits and to express them with honesty and kindness.

You don’t have to maintain a constant state of busy-ness. Rest is important, too. Find the balance that works for you.

You don’t have to conform to society’s standards of youthful beauty. Allow your outside to reflect your inner beauty in whatever way feels right to you.

Eat what makes you happy. The “perfect” diet won’t make you a perfect human.

It’s okay to be imperfect. We’re here to make mistakes and learn from them.

We’re all connected. If we each give ourselves the freedom to be who we truly are, we really can change the world.