Stepping through the paces...
Much insight and wisdom has come your way through different forms and fashions. But even the wisest of words fall deaf on ears when we are mired in the overwhelm of the how-to. Here are some steps to walk you through the ‘how to’s of the path and hollow out the hold of the patterns from which you are trying to break free.
We often find ourselves in the role of a ‘one-man army’, the ‘do-it-myself’ mentality. Though brave in theory, it’s the source that does you in. Picture the image of the battle-weary soldier, wounded in spirit, crippled by the ravages of war. He hobbles on, across a desolate field, flag in hand, held purely by the strength of patriotism and allegiance to what he’s been fighting for. He pulls himself on, despite injured limbs, despite his defeats; last man standing, having come through the other side of his own personal hell alone. Noble in cause, he carries the pain of all who remain within the trenches and splayed out along the battlefield, never to return home. He wears a suit of martyrdom, mingled with madness, as he stands in his pride, as he stands his last ground, undefeated in ways, but thoroughly broken in others.
We carry our flags in the name of our fight, in the name of the conquered, and in honor of that which is left to defeat. We are not a one-man army, however. And we were never meant to go it alone, completely not meant to shoulder our burdens or our trials in solidarity at the expense of our sanity, at the expense of our peace. We are ever folded into the arms of Creation, into the womb of respite from the storm. And though we model strong-willed children and over-zealous men of war, the battle can never be won as long as we remain rigid in those roles or steadfast to our pride and unhindered conviction. We must remain pliable and soft in order to bend to the demands of the current of change. We must remember that our strength is in softness rather than armor and that our greatest weapon is releasing our resistance and becoming the flow, sourcing the One, and sacrificing our ego-driven need to pursue combat.
When your critical selves are berating you, rather than defend, agree. When the voices in your head are telling you ‘you’ve done it wrong’, ‘you’re terrible’, ‘you’ll never get it right’- agree with an ‘oh, maybe you’re right’ rather than running and hiding from the tyrant in your head, rather than letting it get the best of you. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it’s not true, but it’s not about being right or wrong, it’s about disengaging the fight. Notice the softening that happens when you set down the need to defend your self even when it’s only against you. An act of defense holds no power- rather it is a form of giving your power away. When we play into reactive responses to our dramas and destructive inner dialogues, we weaken our immune system to further spread dis-ease- dis-ease within our spirits, dis-ease within our souls. We create a deeper longing and a wider crevice of pain. We reaffirm the pattern. We distill our peace and presence. We dilute the greater wisdom of our being.
How to pull out…
At some point, we must come to realize that our habitual patterns and repetitively played-out dramas are vices. They are crippling habits that we succumb to, that we become unconscious of, that we allow to dominate our lives and fashion us into chronic states of misery. We believe that it is beyond our power to kick these habits, to overcome these vices, or lesson the ever-paralyzing grip they have on our lives. And before the fight is up, the battle is lost; we feel defeated, we feel disparaged, we feel out-manned.
We’re hitting walls with our defenses, with our conquer and defeats. It’s time to regroup and see it from a standpoint of someone who’s empowered. And someone who’s empowered knows who he is. So you must ask yourself who you are by way of understanding what’s important to you. What matters most? What are your values? What are your virtues?
The more conscious you become the more responsibility you hold. And so, at times your journey will appear equally as increasingly difficult as it is increased in peace. The divide is widening, just as you are becoming one. You are becoming increasingly aware of what you don’t want as well as what is no longer acceptable; just as you must become more connected with what you do want, with what matters, with what you intrinsically value.
Name your virtues. To what do you aspire? In what attributes do you stake your claim? Is honesty important to you, or integrity, or strength? How do these match up with where you are on your journey? What would it take for you to align with them as your truth? When faced with domineering vices, stand behind what you’ve been defending. Engage your discipline, determination, and patience (all virtues). And stand tall.
This is different than engaging. This is taking it to a new level and standing in your strength. This is refusing to play the same old game. This is re-patterning to take you out of the force of the groove, disclaiming the ownership of weakness, disabling the power this dynamic holds over you, and doing it a new way.
Establish a new routine. It takes twenty-one days to form a new habit. Start with twenty-one seconds, twenty-one minutes, twenty-one hours- then evolve into days. This is a becoming, an evolution- it takes time to progress. Don’t push the flower. Co-creating basics; do what you can and let go of the rest.
Praising steps forward overshadows steps back. An ounce of praise is worth a pound of preoccupation with the past. Honor how far you’ve come. Take stock of all the progress you Have made along the way.
Lighten up. You can’t have all work and no play. Balance out by easing up and unwinding. Sometimes the greatest progress is made when we simply slow down and rest. It’s at this point where the integration takes place, where all we’ve learned is filtered through and engrained. And so, for all you A-typers and hard workers putting the petal to the metal, even the pause for play-time is productive. Playtime aligns you with your spirit, helps you forget about all of the pitfalls within self-discovery, and allows you to reconsider your priorities from a softer soul-filled perspective, not to mention it’s refreshing and re-energizes you for the next round of intensities.
Color your glasses rosy. How you choose to see things greatly affects your reality. All-or-nothing’s and black-and-white’s don’t serve you. Everything is Divine, which leaves little room for coulda’s and shoulda’s and narrows the gap for regret. Abstain form categorizing, over-grandizising, dramatization, and over-identifying. Most important, let go of taking it personal. Sometimes in our search for excitement, we too easily fall prey to the lure of drama and perpetuate the patterns of pain-inducing dilemmas. Invasive thoughts are like pervasive vines which overtake your mind with ever-increasing ease the more power and attention you give them. You must learn to divert yourself from their pull by finding new means of power and pleasure.
When you stop buying into the same old stories and create new ones which cast you as the hero, the freedom-keeper, the inner-humanitarian, or the authority on love, you will find the power sourced from your true divine potential of creativity. That activates your ability to shift into joy, to overcome adversity, and to redirect your karma into a gentler more light-led process which brings far greater excitement then the rogue, adrenalin-filled anxiety of familiar dramas and self-deception. Just because it’s what you’ve always known doesn’t mean it’s the only way there is. Source out new avenues of thrill-seeking that involve your capacity to funnel light into the outcomes of natural disasters, your ability to grab love in times of drowning puddles of fear, and your innate birthright of creativity that provides you with the force and fortitude to open to new possibilities and season your world with the unimaginable.
Abort the mission of saving yourself and take some time to just be. Set a time-limit on your self-development. You’ve been inside (your head) all day- time to go out and play. Get some fresh air (perspective). Be in nature. Be with animals and children. Be still. Sometimes our greatest teachers are that which embrace the essence of simple. Make it easy. This isn’t a final exam.
Find your shift-connectors. What breaks you out of the zone ( war-zone in your head)? Create your tool box. Write a gratitude journal. Connect with high-vibrational essences; music you can Feel, the sweet smell of new babies, dew-drop quenched flowers, and moments of deeply rewarding love and peace. Source these elements out fresh or connect with rekindled memories that bring their vibrancy into the light and reignite your soul.
Do something to cement your newness. Take a class and learn a new skill. Paint, color, knit or sew. Plant some flowers. Volunteer. Clean out your closets and get rid of what’s no longer you.
You don’t have to beg for relief, borrow strength, or steal resolve. You have everything you need within. You have what it takes. A you’re refashioning a new life for you, be innovative and allow that spark of light to shine through and lead your way. One step at a time, you’re making a difference, you’re creating anew, you’re finding You. Becoming virtuous rather than slave to your vices, is a directive, a new plan of action that focuses your attention on what you desire and off of what you detest. You are ready for this next step. Arm yourself with the artillery of perception- see yourself as flowering into thee new things, as new sprouts overcome the weeds of your garden and blossom into the you you’ve come to be.
To fresh starts and new beginnings, doing it differently, and knowing we can.
Blessings and love,
~Rhonda
Copyright © 2010 Rhonda Simpson~Conscious Co-Creating. Permission is granted to copy and redistribute this transmission on the condition that the content remains complete and in tact, full credit is given to the author, and that it is distributed freely.
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