The world is your oyster.
I'll be honest.
That's my newfound life goal: honesty.
So here it is: I am working hard to believe in my own sh*t.
"You can be anything you want." Yes, you can. I believe it. But can I?
It's scary.
And it's funny how a quote was playing in my mind over and over again this week. Not the quote itself, but the concept. I'm sure I had heard the quote before (yeah, as if you can really be sure about anything ever), but then the inspiring James Tennant gave us a Yoga class at Blue Osa, where he quoted the actual words during his closing Meditation.
I'm entitling it 'The Irony of Life'
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
"We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
"We are all meant to shine as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
"And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own Fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
- Marianne Williamson
Leaving God out of the quote
When I sought to find the quote, the parts about God were not in it.
And I did not notice. I thought the quote seemed shorter, but I went with it.
And that's great. You don't have to eat the fruits that are still way too bitter. You take what works for you, and you leave whatever fruit is green to the side, and maybe one day it will ripen, maybe it never will.
I like the definition of God as Equality and Love, a Joyful state of mind. For me, labels don't matter any more. Call it Light, call it Divinity, give it your own interpretation, give it a name, give it a gender, a status, an image, a position, a role... As long as you talk about Kindness and Compassion, we believe in the same God.
And if the very word God doesn't work for you, then that's equally great! I'll align with your virtues that ring true to me, I'll look for Authenticity and Passion in you, and I'll leave the rest aside, lay them out to ripen. And maybe one day we'll have more points of communication.
The Doors
No, not Jim Morrison and the crew. (Anti-climax: I'm trying to look cool here, I don't much know the band.)
We always have a choice. A door to get through.
Coming back to the gist of the quote on The Irony of Life, we are limitless. We are full of potential. And we can do anything.
It is indescribable how much I sympathize with the concept of shrinking into other people's comfort zone. AN EXCUSE. Of course it's an excuse.
We limit our infinite potential, we get imprisoned in our own minds, we prefer the easy way, the simple way, the well-known way. And, in this way, we run the risk of never living our lives.
Which is the same thing as never loving our lives.
Which is the same thing as never getting a taste of our full potential. Our Best Self.
Which is the same thing as meeting God.
In the words of someone I admire
This is what Dylan Werner casually throws in while leading the cool-down of one of the True Strength Evolution 2 classes (www.cody.com):
"Twists are some of my favorite things. I know I say all these poses are my favorite, but I've really grown to love stretching and love strength work, and I think that's why I've been so good at it: it's because I like it so much so I want to do it.
"I feel that way about most things in life. The people that are really great or successful at whatever they do, it's because they love what they do. Before this, I was a firefighter paramedic, and it's a respectable job, but, if I was honest, I didn't really love what I was doing. I liked the job, but I didn't love it.
"I was actually let go, and I ended up just happen to become a Yoga teacher, which is what I love doing. And, since I started, it's been this wonderful journey of doing what I love. I really encourage people, if you are not in something that you love doing, change it, figure out what that is that you love, and, when we are acting out of Love, everything else falls into place."
"Love the life you live. Live the life you love." - Bob Marley
The door is always within reach. Deep down you know what you have to do.
It's not going to be easy, but we're not built for the easy. We are built for the extraordinary.
People will tear you down at the same speed of light that they build you up.
But you will have yourself. You will be true to yourself. You will be honouring who you are.
And I'll be there for you, too. As long as you promise to be on the side of Love. Cause Love always wins over Fear.
Courage: not the absence of fear or despair, but the strength to conquer them.