Do you want a succinct, clear, and powerful way to empower YOURSELF and your journey? This quote from Abraham-Hicks sums it up:
“Tell everyone you know, ‘My happiness depends on me so you are off the hook.’ Then demonstrate it. Be happy no matter what you are doing. Practice feeling good, no matter what. And before you know it, you will not give anyone else responsibility for the way you feel; and then, you’ll love them all. Because the only reason you don’t love them, is because you’re using them as your excuse to not feel good.”
His is a major contrast to what I was taught as a child. I learned from my mom that if I worked hard enough making others happy, THEN, and only then, could I MAYBE be happy. Mom displayed that in her selfless (read as loss of self) actions again and again. Mom began to understand what her choices had meant as she aged.
Once as a young mother of a 3 year old and 6 month old, I had an opportunity to go on an adventure. I was conflicted on whether or not to go. My Mom said, “Don’t be dumb like I was. It will not say how many times you dusted or how many loads of laundry you did on your tombstone.” I ended up going on that adventure. Numerous times throughout my life I have reflected on these words from my Mom to guide me.
Osho also invites us to live in awareness and freedom with the following:
Don’t move the way fear makes you move.
Move the way love makes you move.
Move the way joy makes you move.
~ Osho
In Truth, every struggle is an invitation to surrender and open to the flow of what life is offering. Lately, my husband Karl has been challenged with pain in his elbow and lower back. While I don’t like seeing him in pain, my focus has been in keeping my heart open to his experience; and using it to find authentic expressions of Love towards him (even if he fights my support at times). For me, accepting his current experience is important. If I pretended that he shouldn’t be in pain, my denial would only cause more pain and that certainly doesn’t help anyone.
As we move through spring, may your heart and soul be filled with a renewed light and growth. Be gentle with yourself and all of your creations. Creations take time, and all of it is needed before the blooms emerge. In the meantime, be kind to yourself as authentic expressions of self are revealed.
